The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course 2019-2020

China: Culture, State and Society
Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture 03
Nature and Landscape: Painting and the Design of Garden

A. Man and Nature

1. Gardens and Parks in the World Perspective
2. Daoism and Nature as Beauty:
Lao-zi 老子, Zhuang-zi 莊子 and Confucius 孔子
3. From Nature to Artificial Landscape:
i. Follow the Nature 源於自然 法於自然
ii. Representation of Nature and Framing the Nature
iii. Beyond Square and Circle –asymmetry, irregularity, curvilinear

B. The Origins of Chinese Garden

1. Early Imperial Parks: Imperial Hunts, Parks and Gardens
Shang-Lin Park 上林苑 in Han Poetry 漢賦 and the idea of Strange Scenery
奇景
2. Mountain and Legends of Immortals in Daoism 神仙思想
i. Fairy Mountain, Sea, Island and Grotto:
East Sea 東海, Kun-Lun Mountain 崑崙山 and Peng-Lai Island 蓬萊仙島
ii. Becoming Immortals: Pavilion 亭, Terrace 台, Tower 樓閣 and Pagoda 塔
3. Microcosms of Nature:
Micro-landscape of Pond 盆池; Rock and Tree in Miniature Garden 盆景
4. Escapist Thought and Scholar’s Retreat
i. The Recluse after the Han Dynasty: The Seven Hermits 竹林七賢
ii. Tao Yuan-Ming 陶淵明: Retire to Nature 歸去來兮
iii. Bai Ju-Yi 白居易: Ten-Acre Garden 十畝園

C. Literati and Landscape Painting

1. Mountain and Water in Landscape Painting; Nature in Poetry and Painting
山水畫與山水詩: 詩中有畫/畫中有詩
2. Yi-Jing 意境: mind and milieu, mind and image, of poetic and painterly
aesthetic
3. Framing the Landscape and the concept of Space in Time: Hanging Scroll 掛
軸; Hand-scroll 卷軸 and Album Leaves 冊頁
 4. Painting, Landscape and Experiences: travel 可行, wander and stroll 可遊,
gaze 可觀, dwell 可居 (Guo-Xi 郭熙 Landscape Principles 山水訓：林
泉高致)

D. The Craft of Gardens 園冶 and the Design of Garden in Jiangnan

1. The Craft of Gardens 園冶 by Ji-Cheng 計成 (1582 - 1642)
i. The Theory of Construction 興造論 and On Gardens 園說
- Mind & Craft: Master’s Design over the Craftsmanship
三分匠, 七分主人
- “Follow” and “Borrowed From”; Flexibility and Adaptability to Context
巧於因借, 精在體宜
ii. Site Selection 相地, Layouts 立基, Buildings 屋宇, Non-Structure 裝折
Handrail 欄杆
iii. Door and Window 門窗, Wall 牆垣, Paving 鋪地, Scenic Feature 掇山,
Selection of Rocks 選石, making use of Surrounding Sceneries 借景
2. The Design of Garden: The Lingering Garden 留園
i. Organization of Circulation and Area of Scenery 遊園動線和景區:
- Movement and Change of Scenery 步移景異
- Separation and Curvilinear or Zigzag Arrangement 隔, 曲
ii. View and Perception: Depth and Layer 景深; Borrowed Scenery 借景;
Opposite View 對景; Framed View 框景
iii. Mountain and Water: Selection of Rocks 選石, Mountain Molding 堆山/
疊山, Pools Design 理水
iv. Themes: Architecture, Vegetation and Seasons

Required Reading List:

Pao-Teh Han. The story of Chinese landscape design: external forms and internal visions.
Taiwan: Youth Cultural Enterprise, 1992. (Chapter 3 & Chapter 6)
Boyd Andrew. Chinese Architecture and Town Planning 1500 B.C. – 1911 A.D.. Chicago:
The University of Chicago Press, 1962. (Chapter IV)
Keswick Maggie. The Chinese Garden. London: Academy Editions, 1986.

Extended Reading List:

Cheng Ji 記成. The Craft of Gardens. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988.
Cong-Zhou Chen 陳從周. On Chinese Gardens. Shanghai: Tongji University Press, 1994.
Inn Henry. Chinese Houses and Gardens. London: Kegan Paul Limited, 2001. (Part One:
Chapter 3 & 4)
Clunas Craig. Fruitful Sites: Garden Culture in Ming Dynasty China. US: Duke University
Press, 1996.
彭一剛著，《中國古典園林分析》，北京: 中國建築工業出版社，2004.
夏世昌著，《園林述要》，廣州: 華南理工大學出版社，1995.
陳從周著，《說園》，上海: 同濟大學出版社，1994.
羅哲文著，《中國古園林》，北京: 中國建築工業出版社，1999.
漢寶德著，《物像與心境 - 中國的園林》，臺北: 幼獅文化事業公司，1990.
楊鴻勛著，《江南園林論》，上海: 上海人民出版社，1994.