CHINESE GARDENS

INTRODUCTION
• The Chinese Classical Garden/ Traditional Chinese 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.
 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 the rulers to enjoy the beauty of nature.
• Earlier the gardens were built associated with palaces 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 BACKGROUND
The 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.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• 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
• 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
1. 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 –
2. 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
3. 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, Peony
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 Azalea
and butterflies.
• The pine, cypress, plum and bamboo can
grow in harsh weather conditions and rough
terrain.
Plum

Lotuse
ELEMENTS OF CHINESE GARDEN
3. FLOWER
• 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
4. 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.
WATER BODY,ROCK, GOLD FISHES WALKWAYS BRIDGES
STRUCTURE IN POND

WATER BODY GARDEN GATE PAVILION

 IMPERIAL PALACE GARDEN
• The earliest imperial garden dates back to the late Shang Dynasty, with the
construction of an imperial hunting ground followed by the Shanglin
garden built by an emperor, in his capitol.
• The latter was completed by the Han emperor Wudi, and is thought to
have been the basis on which summer palace was designed.
• The examples of an imperial garden are: Summer palace and Yuan Min
Gyun.
 LION FOREST
• Compactly yet harmoniously spaced, the Lion forest has prominent
man made mountains with various buildings around the lake, an
artificial waterfall and cliffs at the edge of the lake.
• Noted for its labyrinthine mountains with winding pathways and
caverns, old pines and Cyprus trees, peaks and jogged rocks of
grotesque shapes resembling dancing lines with striking and
unusual poses, it possess with pride the true delights of mountain
and forest scenery in limited space with a flavour of Zen Buddhism.