Abstract:Taihu rock is the core element for Chinese traditional gardens to create their ideal landscapes. The study object of this article is the Taihu rock landscapes in paper gardens in jiangnan during Ming and Qing dynasties. The environment description of the Taihu rock is from the emic perspective of the creators of the paper gardens such as the owners, the viewers and the visitors. The extract of the collective image of the Taihu rock in the garden literature and paintings are from the aspects of morphology features, scene elements and space schema. Based on this, the article generalizes the interest of watching, visiting and appraising through subjective environmental experience of Taihu rock landscapes, and reveals the culture root of their creation in Jiangnan.