A blog of Chinese art, culture and design

 

Traditional courtyard gardens are the literal and figural heart of the Chinese home. In a classical house, the main rooms open into a private garden that not only fills the home with sunlight but also serves as a space for contemplation and meditation. These natural spaces are often referred to as “scholars gardens,” used by artists and philosophers to seek spiritual shelter.

Both modern and classical Chinese gardens are influenced by Confucian and Taoist philosophies—particularly the belief that balance can be achieved through the coupling of opposites. Within the garden, a microcosm of the larger universe can be unearthed within four major elements: water, stone, plants, and architecture.

Water

The lifeblood of the world, water fills the streams and rivers that compose the earth’s arteries. Water carries the feminine energy of yin—soft and yielding, yet capable of overcoming hard stone. In the garden, water also introduces the element of reflective light. Suzhou, China’s “garden city”, is known for ornate ponds and fountains that decorate its water gardens. Ponds combine the dual concepts of emptiness and fullness—they mirror the clear, empty sky but are also “filled” with everything they reflect.

Stone

Stone is the yang to water’s yin. Symbolic of longevity, stone makes up the skeleton of the earth. Since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), specially placed stones have been an integral part of Chinese garden design. Beautifully shaped rocks—such as twisting Taihu stones—are given honored placement. Stones are also functional, used to mark paths, separate space, and create shorelines around ponds.

Plants

Plants are chosen not only for their beauty but also for their poetic and symbolic properties. Because plants represent vitality, the garden must support living species throughout all four seasons. Pine, bamboo, and plum trees are the “three friends of winter,” plants that survive the whole year, representing longevity and resilience. Spring flowers are chosen for their splendor. The “three famous flowers”—azalea, primrose, and gentian—cover the mountain slopes of Southwest China during the flowering season. Magnolia and tree peony symbolize wealth and status, while chrysanthemums—once used for medicinal purposes—represent the “courage to make sacrifices for a natural life.” The lotus, an emblem of enlightenment, is particularly important in Chinese gardens. Its pure petals rise out of muddy water, symbolic of the soul that emerges from darkness into light.

Architecture

Architecture represents the presence of human beings in the natural world. Pavilions, bridges, patterned tiles, pagodas, and gates are important elements of traditional gardens. In walled gardens, “empty” windows and doors often permeate manmade structures, framing views and revealing glimpses of the landscape to those outside the garden. Lattice screens also punctuate the windows of courtyard walls, weaving sunlight into intricate patterns.

Striving for harmony, Chinese garden design uses these four elements to unify contradictory but complimentary pairs. Untamed plants invigorate ordered flowerbeds; crooked paths merge into straight ones; hard yang blends with soft yin. Timeless details woven into the fabric of ancient tradition can inspire contemporary home gardens that serve as spaces for relaxation, contemplation, and meditation.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 5th, 2010 at 8:39 PM and is filed under In The Garden. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.