Chinese Gardens
The Exotic East
Gardens in China have their own very long history. But they only come into this ‘Story’ quite late, even though Europeans have been fascinated for centuries by the Far East. The ancient ’Silk Road’ (really a series of interconnecting trading routes) brought exotic Chinese artefacts like porcelain and silk to Europe. The Venetian explorer Marco Polo travelled as far as China in the 13th century and tales of his travels were widely read, although people didn’t really believe they were exactly true. However, it was only in the 18th and 19th centuries that European travellers started seeing China, and its stunning gardens, for themselves.
Gardens and Chinese Philosophy
Chinese gardens grew out of Chinese philosophy and beliefs. Daoism, Confucianism and, later, Buddhism all emphasise Man’s spiritual connection to Nature. And so their gardens tried to recreate natural, harmonious landscapes in a limited space, making places of calm refuge and retreat from the tensions of life.
'graceful and refined and close to the subtle harmony of wilderness.'
Lian Tau
What were they like?
The Golden Age of Chinese Gardens was in the Song dynasty (1127-1279). We only know about these gardens from references in literature. However, incredible gardens survive from the early Qing dynasty (17-18th centuries). As in Europe, it was only the wealthy upper classes of Chinese society who owned the land to create gardens, and the biggest and best belonged to the Emperor.
Some gardens were quite simple, private retreats for gentleman scholars. Others were much more elaborate and ostentatious, like the Imperial gardens which were used for grand court events. The royal family also had smaller, more intimate gardens where they could relax in privacy. Gardens were seen as an art form like painting, calligraphy, music and poetry.
These are some of the characteristics that give Chinese gardens their distinctive style:
- The main shape of the gardens comes from the careful arrangement of pavilions, rocks and water, giving many different views and making it difficult to tell where the garden ended and the countryside began.
- Often these represented well-known landscape scenes.
- Plants were used sparingly and placed very carefully
- The scene was enhanced by animals and birds
- Carefully chosen names like ‘The Pavilion of the Lotus Breezes’ or ‘The
Fragrant Isle’ emphasised
the tranquil, reflective mood created by the garden.
Chinese and English?
Garden historians argue about whether the Chinese garden was an influence on the 18th century English Landscape Garden. Both styles share the idea of enhancing nature and creating ever changing scenes. However, the English Landscape gardens are on a much bigger scale than the Chinese gardens, and details like the use of pavilions are different. So the experts continue to disagree.
Suzhou. Master of the Nets garden
A painting shows the layout of the pavilions and gardens. Everything is orientated around the central water feature.
Master of the Nets garden
The garden is a sequence of views, restful and dramatic, that are designed for contemplation.
Suzhou. Humble Administrators Garden:
‘The birds are singing, the flowers are smiling, and the fish are diving. This is a dialogue between people and nature, and brings the joy of autumn.’
Humble Administrators Garden
Views are framed and change constantly as one approaches the entrance. The rocks represent distant mountains while the gravels often portray water.
Humble Administrators Garden
A waterside pavilion gives the illusion of a boat.
‘Dark clouds have not dispersed on an autumn day…. Let’s keep the wilted lotus leaves and listen to the rain falling upon them.’
