Chinese Gardens

• Introduction - The Chinese garden, also known as a Chinese classical garden, recreates natural landscapes in miniature.

• Classical Chinese garden also can be called traditional Chinese garden. With its long history, rich cultural significance, special characteristics, and charming artistic enchantment, it has been regarded the most important and leading gardening system among the three gardening systems in the world.

Historical Background• The art of Chinese garden has a history of more than 3,000 years.

The Records of the Historian, tells that in the Shang Dynasty, there were special places, called “You” ("For Your Amusement“),， for the rulers to enjoy the beauty of nature.

• Earlier the gardens were built associated with palaces etc and were only used by the royal families.

• In Han Dynasty, people begun to build private gardens. The development of classical Chinese garden during the 400 years in the Han Dynasty laid the foundation for the art of Chinese gardens.

• In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the art of Chinese garden matured. Private gardens in the Song Dynasty also developed rapidly. The private gardens were mainly built with streams or hills or all kinds of plants and flowers or halls and pavilions.

Historical Background

• The Ming and Qing Dynasties were the golden age of garden building.

• Chinese garden culture matured as a comprehensive school of its own during the this period of time, after the practice of many preceding dynastic periods, and rose to become one of three garden construction schools along with Western Asia and Europe.

Historical Background•The earliest recorded Chinese gardens were created in the valley of the Yellow River, during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C). These gardens were large enclosed parks where the kings and nobles hunted game, or where fruit and vegetables were grown. •A famous royal garden of the late Shang Dynasty was the Terrace, Pond and Park of the Spirit built by King Wen Wang west of his capital city, Yin•Another early royal garden was Shaqui, or the Dunes of Sand, built by the last Shang ruler, King Zhou of Shang. (1075-1046 B.C.). It was composed of an earth terrace, or tai, which served as an observation platform in the center of a large square park. •. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, one of the most famous features of this garden was the Wine Pool and Meat Forest . A large pool, big enough for several small boats, was constructed on the Palace grounds, with inner linings of polished oval shaped stones from the sea shores. The pool was then filled with wine. A small island was constructed in the middle of the pool, where trees were planted, which had skewers of roasted meat hanging from their branches. Zhou and his friends and concubines drifted in their boats, drinking the wine with their hands and eating the roasted meat from the trees.

Historical BackgroundThe Legend of the Isle of the Immortals

An ancient Chinese legend played an important part in early garden design. In the 4th Century B.C. a tale in the Shan Hai Jing, or Classic of Mountains and Seas, described a peak called Mount Penglai located on one of three islands at the eastern end of the Bohai Sea, between China and Korea, which was the home of the Eight Immortals. On this island were palaces of gold and platinum, with jewels on the trees. There was no pain, no winter, wine glasses and rice bowls were always full, and fruits, when eaten, granted eternal life.In 221 B.C. Ying Zhen, the King of Qin, conquered his rivals and unified China into an empire, which he ruled until 210 B.C.. He heard the legend of the islands and sent emissaries to find the islands and bring back the elixir of immortal life, without success. At his palace near his capital, Xianyang, he created a garden with a large lake called the Lake of the Orchids. On an island in the lake he created a replica of Mount Penglai, symbolizing his search for paradise. After his death, his empire fell in 206 B.C. and his capital city and garden were completely destroyed, but the legend continued to inspire Chinese gardens. Many gardens have a group of islands or a single island with an artificial mountain representing the island of the Eight immortals.

Features • In a Chinese garden, all components complement each other (or at least

should be reflected in garden designs) without losing individuality of each element such as rocks, water, plants, architecture or literature.

• A Chinese garden was not meant to be seen all at once; the plan of a classical Chinese garden presented the visitor with a series of perfectly composed and framed glimpses of scenery; a view of a pond, or of a rock, or a grove of bamboo, a blossoming tree, or a view of a distant mountain peak or a pagoda.

• The creators of the Chinese garden were careful to preserve the natural appearance of the landscape. Trimming and root pruning, if done at all, tried to preserve the natural form. Dwarf trees that were gnarled and ancient-looking were particularly prized in the miniature landscapes of Chinese gardens.

PRINCIPLES OF CHINESE GARDENS• BORROWED SCENERY –

• This could mean using scenes outside the garden, such as a view of distant mountains or the trees in the neighboring garden, to create the illusion that garden was much bigger than it was.

• The most famous example was the mist-shrouded view of the North Temple Pagoda in Suzhou, seen in the distance over the pond of the Humble Administrator's Garden.

• CONCEALMENT AND SURPRISE – • This means The garden was not meant to be seen all at once, it was

laid out to present a series of scenes. Visitors moved from scene to scene either within enclosed galleries or by winding paths which concealed the scenes until the last moment. The scenes would suddenly appear at the turn of a path, through a window, or hidden behind a screen of bamboo. They might be revealed through round "moon doors" or through windows of unusual shapes, or windows with elaborate lattices that broke the view into pieces.

Elements of Chinese garden- ROCKS

• Rocks - The artificial mountain (jiashan) or rock garden is an integral element of Chinese classical gardens.

• The mountain peak was a symbol of virtue, stability and endurance

• A mountain peak on an island was also a central part of the legend of the Isles of the Immortals, and thus became a central element in many classical gardens.

Elements of Chinese garden - WATER• Water - A pond or lake is the central element of a

Chinese garden. • The main buildings are usually placed beside it,

and pavilions surround the lake to see it from different points of view.

• The garden usually has a pond for lotus flowers, with special pavilion for viewing them. There are usually goldfish in the pond, with pavilions over the water for viewing them.

• water represents lightness and communication. • The shape of the garden pond often hides the

edges of the pond from viewers on the other side, giving the illusion that the pond goes on to infinity.

• The softness of the water contrasts with the solidity of the rocks. The water reflects the sky, and therefore is constantly changing.

Elements of Chinese garden – FLOWERS

• FLOWERS create contrast with the straight lines of the architecture and the permanence, sharp edges and immobility of the rocks.

• They change continually with the seasons, and provide both sounds (the sound of rain on banana leaves or the wind in the bamboo) and aromas to please the visitor.

• Among the most popular flowers are lotuses, peonies, chrysanthemums and orchids. Special flowers are planted to attract bees and butterflies.

• The pine, cypress, plum and bamboo can grow in harsh weather conditions and rough terrain.

peony

lotuse

plum

Azalea

• Each flower and tree in the garden had its own symbolic meaning.

• The pine, bamboo and Chinese plum (Prunus mume) were considered the "Three Friends of Winter

• The bamboo, a hollow straw, represented a wise man, modest and seeking knowledge, and was also noted for being flexible in a storm without breaking.

• Plum trees were revered as the symbol of rebirth after the winter and the arrival of spring.

• The peach tree symbolized longevity and immortality.• Pear trees were the symbol of justice and wisdom. • The willow tree represented the friendship and the pleasures

of life. Guests were offered willow branches as a symbol of friendship.

Elements of Chinese garden - FLOWER

Elements of Chinese garden

• Structures Among the most important structures of garden ground are walkways, pavilions and bridges. Timber frame construction plays a decisive role here.

• Pavilion-like houses have neither a harsh nor dominant effect, but rather bend effortlessly into their general surroundings.

• We can divide the structures in classical Chinese gardens into the following :

Lobby, Corridor ,Parlour, Waterside Kiosk ,Storied Chamber, Bridge ,Storied Pavilion, Pagoda, Kiosk , Wall .

• The arrangement of buildings divides a Chinese garden into smaller sections that contain one or more scenic views. The buildings in a garden are designed to accent the garden with windows and doorways that frame scenic views in their courtyards and beyond.

• PATHWAYS AND BRIDGES - The winding paths and zig- zag galleries bridges that led visitors from one garden scene to another also had a message

Elements of Chinese garden

BRIDGESWALKWAYS

WATER BODY

WATER BODY,ROCK,STRUCTURE

PAVILIONGARDEN GATE

GOLD FISHES IN POND

GARDEN ELEMENTS

Imperial Palace garden