The symposium painting is mainly based on the garden space, combining traditional figure painting and garden painting. It has become a meaningful way to interpret the garden life of the Chinese ancients. The abundant garden elements and the changeable spatial structure contained in the image also can be used as a historical basis for understanding the aesthetics of literati gardens and space construction. The research on the activities and spatial characteristics of the literati in the symposium painting is of great significance for understanding the artistic conception of Chinese literati gardens, exploring spatial layout techniques, and updating the research perspective of traditional gardens. According to the past dynasty’s symposium paintings as the research object, sorting out the four themes of the banquet, cultural activities, art appreciation, tea tasting, summarizing the commonly used garden elements and their spatial characteristics in the symposium painting and exploring the inner connection between the literati activity and the type of garden space. It concluded that the garden elements have common characteristics in the spatial organization of different activities, highlighting the creation of an activity atmosphere of “elegance” “leisurely” and “easy feeling”. It also sorts out the three types of private, semi-open, and open garden symposium space types and the organizational relationship between literati activities and garden elements in different space types.