CHINESE GARDENS.

NAME - SNEHA DEY

CLASS - 7TH SEM, B.ARCH
ROLL NO - 10.
SUBJECT - LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE.
GCAP, AZARA
1. CHINESE GARDENS
• A SPECIAL ASPECT IN
TRADITIONAL CHINESE CULTURE
AND ART;
• AN ARTISTIC RECREATION OF
NATURE;
• A LANDSCAPE PAINTING IN THREE
DIMENSIONS;
• MEETING MAN'S DEMAND FOR
RELAXATION AND LODGING;
• A COMBINATION OF ROCK, WATER,
TREES AND FLOWERS AND SUCH
ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTS AS
ARCHITECTURE,
PAINTING AND POETRY;
• "LOOK NATURAL, THOUGH
MAN-MADE". BEING MADE BY
HUMAN HANDS THOUGH, IT OUGHT
TO BE AS GOOD AS BEING BORN BY
GREAT NATURE. 虽由人作，宛
自天开
2. THE BRIEF HISTORY OF CLASSICAL CHINESE GARDENS
• THE HISTORY OF CHINESE GARDEN CAN BE DATED BACK TO THE SHANG AND ZHOU DYNASTIES. AT THAT TIME, THE GARDEN
WAS CALLED "YOU"囿 OR "YOU FOR PLAY", WHICH MEANS ENCLOSURE THE VIEWS OF CONCINNITY AND CONCISION, AND
RAISING THE ANIMAL FOR HUNTING.
• GARDENING BECAME FASHIONABLE AMONG THE UPPER CLASSES AFTER THE HAN DYNASTY. DURING THE SONG DYNASTY,
SCHOLARS EMBRACED GARDEN PLANNING, WRITING GUIDEBOOKS ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND AESTHETICS OF GARDENS.
PEOPLE BEGAN TO COLLECT UNUSUAL ROCKS, PLANTS, AND TREES, AND GREW MINIATURE GARDENS IN TRAYS.
CHINESE GARDENING REACHED ITS HEIGHT DURING THE MING DYNASTY. • IT WAS THE PEAK TIME FOR THE GARDEN
BUILDING IN THE MING AND THE QING DYNASTIES.
3. CLASSIFICATION OF CHINESE GARDENS
THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS TO CLASSIFY CHINESE GARDENS
1) FIRST, THEY CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO IMPERIAL GARDENS AND PRIVATE GARDENS.
A PRIVATE GARDEN：A PLACE OF RETREAT FOR THE GENTLEMAN-SCHOLAR TO ESCAPE THE CHAOS OF THE CITY. 1.2 THE
CATEGORIES OF CLASSICAL CHINESE GARDENS
2) SECOND, IN TERMS OF GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, THERE ARE NORTHERN GARDENS, SOUTHERN GARDENS AND
LINGNAN GARDENS • NORTHERN GARDENS ARE MOSTLY FOUND IN LUOYANG, KAIFENG, AND BEIJING. THOSE IN
BEIJING ARE AS REPRESENTATIVES.

A PRIVATE GARDEN SOUTHERN GARDEN

3) THIRD, THE CHINESE GARDENS FALL INTO FOUR CATEGORIES, THAT IS, IMPERIAL GARDENS, PRIVATE GARDENS (ALSO
CALLED A SCHOLAR'S GARDEN), MONASTIC GARDENS, AND GARDENS IN SCENIC RESORTS. FAMOUS MONASTIC GARDENS
INCLUDING THE JINCI TEMPLE OF SHANXI AND THE TANZHE TEMPLE OF BEIJING; WHEREAS THE WEST LAKE OF HANGZHOU
AND THE DARNING LAKE OF JINAN BELONG TO SCENIC GARDENS.
4) FOURTH, CHINESE GARDENS CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO REGULAR GARDENS, NATURALISTIC GARDENS AND MIXED
GARDENS. • GENERALLY SPEAKING, MOST OF THE GARDENS IN THE WEST ARE REGULAR GARDENS. MOST CHINESE
GARDENS, INCLUDING LARGE IMPERIAL GARDENS OR SMALL PRIVATE ONES, ARE NATURALISTIC GARDENS.

JINCI TEMPLE OF SHANXI NATURALISTIC GARDEN

4. GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE
• THE MOST IMPRESSIVE FEATURE OF CHINA IS THAT IT IS ENDOWED WITH A DIVERSE NATURAL LANDSCAPE.
• EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT OF CHINA IS MARKEDLY MOUNTAINOUS. THE FIVE FAMOUS HOLY MOUNTAINS – HUA MOUNTAIN, TAI
MOUNTAIN, NORTH HENG MOUNTAIN, SOUTH HENG MOUNTAIN AND SUNG MOUNTAIN SYMBOLIZE THE CENTRE OF THE
EARTH AND ITS FOUR CORNERS. THESE MOUNTAINS FREQUENTLY APPEAR IN CHINESE LANDSCAPE ART.
• CHINA IS ALSO TRAVERSED BY THREE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST RIVERS. – THE YELLOW RIVER (HUANG HE), THE
YANGTZE RIVER (CHANG JIAN), AND THE WEST RIVER (HSI HE).
• THEY RISE IN THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE CHINA AND FLOW EAST INTO THE PACIFIC, SPLITTING INTO MYRIAD SMALL
STREAMS AND SEVERAL GREAT LAKES.
• THE THIRD FEATURE OF CHINA’S PHYSICAL CONTEXT IS ITS DISTINCT REGIONAL VARIATION IN CLIMATE.
• THE ABUNDANCE AND BEAUTY OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE RESOURCES ORIGINATED AND NURTURED CHINESE ART, AS
WELL AS CHINESE GARDENS AND CHINESE ARCHITECTURE
5. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY :
• CHINESE GARDEN MAY BE VIEWED AS A MINIATURE OF THE CHINESE LANDSCAPE.
• NATURE IS LOVED AND HELD IN HIGHEST HONOUR IN CHINESE ART, BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE NATURE MUST BE
SIMPLY “DUPLICATED” IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM.
• THE MAIN PRINCIPLE OF CHINESE GARDEN ART IS TO RECREATE NATURE, TO PRESENT ITS ESSENCE WITHOUT AN
ARTIFICIAL EFFECT.
• THE RECREATION MUST BE BASED ON PROFOUND OBSERVATION AND A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE.
• THE DESIGN OF CHINESE GARDEN IS A PROCESS OF ABSTRACTION AND STYLIZATION OF THE EXISTING LANDSCAPE.
• THE AIM OF CREATING A NATURAL FORM IN CHINESE GARDEN IS TO CELEBRATE THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF DESIGN
• IN THE CHINESE GARDEN, THE GARDEN SCENES ARE CONCEALED INSIDE DIFFERENT SCENIC SECTIONS, THUS, THEY ONLY
CAN BE REVEALED IN SEQUENCE ALONG THE PATHS.
• THE PATHS IN A CHINESE GARDEN ARE USUALLY CONSTRUCTED WITH VARYING WIDTHS OR PAVED WITH DIFFERENT
PAVEMENT MATERIALS TO GIVE THE BEHOLDERS THE DIFFERENT SENSES OF EXPERIENCE: CONSTRICTION, ROUGHNESS,
RELEASE, AND SMOOTHNESS.
• THE SCENIC SPOTS IN THE PRIVATE CHINESE GARDENS ARE BUILT FOR STATIC AND DYNAMIC VIEWING, AND LINGERING
OBSERVATION.
• THUS, A SCENE IN A PRIVATE CHINESE GARDEN WAS DESIGNED FOR VIEWING FROM A NUMBER OF OBSERVATION POINTS
AND ANGLES.
• EVERY SCENIC SECTION SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN LANDSCAPE CHARACTER, BUT THE GARDEN AS WHOLE MUST BE UNIFIED
UNDER A CENTRAL THEME.
• WALLS WERE THE MOST COMMON MEANS OF DEMARCATING ONE SPATIAL SEGMENT FROM ANOTHER.
ELEMENTS OF CHINESE GARDEN
THERE 6 MAIN ELEMENTS OF A CHINESE GARDEN:
1. ROCKS
2. WATER
3. VEGETATION
4. PATHWAYS
5. BRIDGES
6. GARDEN STRUCTURES
1) ROCKS
• THE STONE LOVING OF THE CHINESE STEMS FROM THE MAGICAL VIEWS OF THE CHINESE FIVE HOLY MOUNTAINS, WHICH
SEEMS TO HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE TAOIST ANCHORITISM.
• ROCK WAS VALUED FOR ITS BUMPS, FURROWS AND HOLLOWS, AND FOR THE COLOUR AND TEXTURE OF ITS SURFACE.
• IN CHINESE GARDENS, ARTIFICIAL MOUNTAINS ARE ALSO FUNCTION AS SPACE-DIVIDING STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS.
• THE SCULPTURAL TAIHU ROCK IS ESPECIALLY PRIZED BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS WISDOM AND IMMORTALITY, AND IS ONLY
PROCURABLE FROM TAI LAKE, JUST WEST OF SUZHOU.
• THE CHINESE WORD FOR LANDSCAPE, SHAN SHUI, LITERALLY MEANS "MOUNTAINS AND WATERS” WHILE A COMMON
PHRASE FOR MAKING A GARDEN MEANS "DIGGING PONDS AND PILING MOUNTAINS".
2) WATER
• MOUNTAINS AND WATER COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER IN THE CHINESE ARTS.
• WATER SERVES AS PEACEFUL OPPOSITION AND BALANCE TO MOUNTAIN SCENERY, AND IS REGARDED AS THE ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY ELEMENT TO REPRESENT THE TOTALITY OF NATURE IN PERFECT HARMONY.
• WATER WAS ALSO USED FOR PROVIDING LISTENING SATISFACTION IN THE CHINESE PRIVATE GARDENS.
• WATERCOURSES WERE NEVER SHAPED INTO ANY UNNATURAL GEOMETRICAL PATTERNS IN THE CHINESE PRIVATE GARDEN.
A WATER FOUNTAIN IS NEVER FOUND IN THE PRIVATE CHINESE GARDEN.
• PHYSICALLY WATER ABSORBS THE HEAT AND ADJUST THE MICROCLIMATE DURING THE WARM SEASONS.
3. VEGETATION:
• TREES AND FLOWERS, ESPECIALLY IN PRIVATE GARDENS, ARE CAREFULLY SELECTED FOR THE OVERALL LAYOUT OF THE
GARDENS, BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED SPACE.
• UNLIKE OTHER GARDENS, CHINESE GARDENS INCORPORATE MINIMAL VARIETY OF PLANTS AND TREES IN A SINGLE
GARDEN.
• EVERYTHING IN A CHINESE GARDEN SEEMS TO HAVE AN INNER MEANING, INCLUDING THE PLANTS.
• TREES AND SHRUBS ARE PLANTED IN MORE NATURALISTIC ARRANGEMENTS- PERHAPS IN PURE STANDS OR IN
ASSOCIATION WITH A SPECIAL ROCK.
• SPARSE PLANTINGS OF SEASONAL FLOWERS ARE SCATTERED ABOUT BUT WILL NEVER BE FOUND IN GEOMETRIC
ARRANGEMENTS- AGAIN THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ACHIEVE A STYLIZED, NATURALISTIC FEEL.
• WESTERN GARDENS TEND TO HAVE A PROFUSION OF PLANTINGS WHEREAS THE CHINESE GARDEN STYLE IS MORE
MINIMAL.
• LAWN IS USED LEAST IN THE PRIVATE CHINESE GARDEN, FOR ITS BEAUTY IS BEST PERCEIVED WITH INEXHAUSTIBLE SIGHT
RANGES, AND CONTRADICTS THE PRIVATE CHINESE GARDEN DESIGN PRINCIPLE OF AVOIDING TOTAL EXPOSURE OF
EVERYTHING AT A GLANCE
(SYMBOLISM IN VEGETATION MOST COMMONLY USED PLANTS AND TREES):
• LOTUS- PERFECTION
• PEACH- LONGEVITY
• PINE- AGE, SILENCE AND SOLITUDE
• MULBERRY- HUMAN ACTIVITY / TOIL
• BAMBOO- STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE
• PEONY- WEALTH
• CHRYSANTHEMUM- THE COURAGE TO MAKE SACRIFICES
• FLOWERING PEACH- PROMISE OF SPRING FLOWERING
• PLUM- RENEWAL AND STRENGTH OF WILL (VERY IMPORTANT PLANT TO INCLUDE IN THE GARDEN AND HIGHLY SYMBOLIC)
PEONY AZALEA PLUM LOTUSES.
4. PATHWAYS
• PATHS ARE CONSTRUCTED TO ACCENTUATE THE CHANGING SCENES AND VIEWS INTO THE GARDEN AND BEYOND.
• PATHS IN CHINESE GARDENS ARE OFTEN UNEVEN AND ZIGZAG.
• THE PATHS ARE LIKE THE PASSAGES OF A HUMAN LIFE. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT WHEN SEEN
FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE, WHILE THE FUTURE IS UNKNOWN AND UNPREDICTABLE.
• PATHS MAY ALSO LINK TO THE BEAUTY OF SCROLL PAINTINGS WHERE THE LANDSCAPE IS REVEALED NOT IN ONE HIT BUT IN
A SUCCESSION OF VIEWS.
• THE PATH MAY BE COVERED IN STONE, PEBBLES OR TILES. OR IT MIGHT BE SWEPT CLEAN AND INTERSPERSED WITH
PATCHES OF MOSS OR OTHER LOW GROUND COVERS.
5. BRIDGE
• THE BRIDGE CONNECTS THE TWO DIFFERENT VISTAS IN THE CHINESE GARDEN.
• THESE ARE ALSO CONSTRUCTED AS A SYMBOL OF CONTRAST AGAINST THE MOVING WATER.
• THE HALF MOON CAVITY UNDER THE BRIDGE, WHICH GETS COMPLETED AFTER THE REFLECTION ON
THE WATER SURFACE FOLLOWS THE PRINCIPLE OF HARMONY AND BALANCE.
6. GARDEN STRUCTURES
• AMONG THE MOST 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.
• MORE SPECIFICALLY, WE CAN DIVIDE THE STRUCTURES IN CLASSICAL CHINESE GARDENS INTO:
THE FOLLOWING:
LOBBY,
CORRIDOR,
PARLOUR,
5.
WATERSIDE KIOSK, 1.
STORIED CHAMBER, 3. 8.
BRIDGE,
6.
STORIED PAVILION,
PAGODA,
KIOSK, 2. 4.
WALL 7. 9.
THANKYOU.