Du leyuan, the private garden of Sima Guang in Luoyang, is one of the few cases in ancient Chinese gardens, which are known for its owner’s character and reputation and legendary. In fact, the physical space of the garden has long been neglected to be totally abandoned in Mid-Yuan Dynasty, but because the prestigious and elegant life of the owner, for almost a thousand years, Du leyuan has been highly respected in Chinese scholars as well as common people. Thus, it has become the most famous literati garden in China. According to historical documents, the paper discusses the unique layout, gardening methods, and literati garden life of Du leyuan, combining with researches of the compiling of Zizhitongjian, or History as a Mirror, and the opening up to public, and other historical records, describes the living styles of Chinese literati garden, and the combination of garden-life and city-life.