The millennia-old art of Chinese landscaping, crucial in historical urban planning and design, continues to influence modern urban settings. Historically, garden design was integral to imperial and elite administrators’ residences, providing a retreat from public duties and respite from the city's summer heat. This traditional art involves transforming landscapes to create new hills and water features, and designing architectural elements such as detached living quarters, pavilions, verandas, pathways, while also cultivating plants and managing water drainage. This paper explores the implementation of these age-old landscaping practices in a new, prestigious housing complex in Beijing, tracing the day-to-day interactions of residents with both the natural and social environments during the warmer months. By comparing the dynamics of this modern garden with those of the historical imperial gardens in the city's northwestern areas, the study sheds light on how traditional landscaping knowledge is not only preserved but also adapted within contemporary urban life. This research contributes to anthropological insights into the sedimentation of traditional knowledge and practices of landscape and architectural design, their modern adaptations, and their influence on social interactions in public, open spaces.