A wonderful limestone mountain, the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, covering only 2,179 square m., enjoys the same reputation as other famous garden in China. It is located on 272 Jingde Road, inside the Embroidery Museum of Suzhou. In 1997, it was recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to the historical records, the limestone mountain was designed and piled up by the great Qing master Gu Yuliang (1764 A.D--1830 A.D). Within an area of less than 500 square m., the man-made mountain seems to be spontaneous an uncontrived ,possessing high peaks (about 7 m),dells, pathways, carvers, stone houses, stone steps, ravines, precipices, gullies, bridges and cliffs. Like free hand brushwork in Chinese painting characterized by vivid expression and bold outline, it ranks first among all existing man-made mountains in Chinese gardens.

There are 8 buildings, 22 brick plateau stelae, and 4 valuable old trees, namely pinus bungeana Zucc, Celtis sinensis Pers, etc. A number of buildings are arranged opposite to the mountain. There are two halls to the south of the mountain, facing each other over a stream. The front hall is called "In Company with a Ravine" and the rear hall "the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty". On the top of the mountain is a pavilion called "Housing the Mountain with a Half-Filled Pool in Autumn". At its foot are the Putting-a-Question-to-the-Spring Pavilion and the Make-Up Autumn Galley. To the west of the mountain is a unique side structure with a long walkway on the ground floor and room’s first floor upstairs. There are viewing places high above or down below, far away or quite near. The man-made mountain scenery is changing at every step, and gives great pleasure to the viewer from any direction.

The 2,179 square m gardens are composed along a linear axis with three main elements----a grotto called Autumn Hill, Flying Snow Pool, fed by a waterfall called Flying Snow Spring, and a main hall. The rock work in this garden displays every technique and effect used in Chinese gardens. In addition, it is a recreation of the five important mountains of China, and shows a mastery of creating a sense of vast space in a small area.