Chapter Eight: Nature as Muse

PEOPLE:
 Qui Shihuangdi – banks of Wei river
 Wang Wei – wangchuan Villa, painter calligrapher, poet ect
 Song Huizong – rocks block out bad spirits enable good spirits
o garden prized line form and composition over color
 Ji Cheng – The Craft of Gardens
• “there is no definite way of making scenery; you know whats right
when it stirs your emotions
• good seating
• appearance of various stones
• diagrams for windows, lattices, railings and doors
• wall design = not ornamental, serves a purpose
 Cao Xueqin – “new”large garden
• inscriptions , craving names and verses in rocks, and plaques were
honored customs

VOCABULARY:
 shan (mountains) + shi (water) = landscape
 fang shui – wind and water
 jie jing – borrowed scenery

FACTS AND INFORMATION:

 landscape design in china = mythology + imperioal authority
 association o f mountains and rocks that mimic mountains with imortality
(xian islands) = theme throughout china
 sought spiritual fullfillment in nature influenced by Buhhdism
 Tang era – period of commercial and urban growth
 technical innovations, money economy and expansion of agriculture elevated
china
• stimulated growth of cities
• book publishing
• arts/ garden development foulrished
 pine (longevity), bamboo (hardiness) and plum (strength)…..three friends of
winter
 The presesnce of rock was important in Chinese gardens I wonder the value
and meaning that certain rocks held
 Garden of the Master of the Fishing Nets – highly compartmentalized,
interlocking roof structures
 Spaces were unquie and private offering different experiences for the visitor
 Court at beijing – guided by geomancy, heirarchal ordering (inner City,
Imperial City, Forbidden City) centered on North - South axis
 Garden of Pefect Brightness – Yuan Ming Yuan
 Garden of Ease – Yi He Yuan (beautiful views and detail)
 Flowers – peonies, chrysanthumums