Alison Hardie holds degrees in Literae Humaniores at the University of Oxford and in Chinese from the University of Edinburgh, and a doctorate in the history of Chinese garden design from the University of Sussex. Her main research interest is in the social and cultural history of early modern China. She has published many translations and articles on Chinese garden history. Since taking early retirement from the University of Leeds in 2015, she has been a Visiting Fellow in Garden and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks.