庭园 (tíng yuán) refers specifically to a traditional Chinese garden—often found in classical residences, temples, or imperial compounds. The character 庭 (tíng) means 'courtyard' or 'yard', evoking an enclosed, intimate outdoor space, while 园 (yuán) means 'garden' or 'park', emphasizing cultivated nature. Together, they convey a harmonious, human-scaled landscape designed for contemplation, poetry, and quiet leisure—featuring rockeries, ponds, pavilions, winding paths, and carefully pruned plants.

This term carries cultural weight: it’s not just any garden, but one rooted in Daoist and Confucian aesthetics—valuing balance, subtlety, and the interplay of void and form. 庭园 is commonly used in literary, historical, or architectural contexts, and appears in names of famous gardens like the Humble Administrator’s Garden (拙政园, Zhuōzhèng Yuán). It’s more formal and poetic than the general word 花园 (huāyuán, 'flower garden') and rarely used for modern public parks or home backyards.