Walking into the Forbidden City
- The beauty of chinese gardens
Writer: Yang Yuhao
Summer Palace
Image taken from Unsplash via Wix
“惟有别时今不忘，暮烟秋雨过枫桥。”describes the scene of the poet’s loved one crossing the bridge, and reflects the deep connection between Chinese culture and its gardens. Throughout Chinese history, many poems are crafted around sceneries of Chinese gardens, centring gardens as an important venue for the expression of Chinese culture and philosophies. Most gardens are heavily influenced by Chinese beliefs, such as Feng Shui and Confucius teachings, however, many imperial gardens in the Ming and Qing dynasty are meticulously decorated with imperial opulence and are exemplars of surviving traditional Chinese gardens today.
Red apricot flower stemming out from the wall
Image taken from Unsplashed via Wix
The earliest records of Chinese gardens dated back to the Shang dynasty (1600 – 1046 BC), where gardens were described as large, enclosed parks where kings and nobles conduct their games of hunting. It was also where vegetables and fruits were grown back in the day. The design of the Chinese garden then grew more and more meticulous with the passing dynasty. By the Tang dynasty, Chinese gardening art has reached the first golden age with elaborated gardening principles, paintings and poems developed for various gardens owned by nobles and influential scholars. The style of the Chinese garden continues to evolve with added elements from the Mongolians during the Yuan dynasty, and Manchurians during the Qing dynasty. Trading and prosperity of the Qing dynasty contributed to a second golden age of Chinese gardens which resulted in the construction of 2 of the largest Chinese gardens – the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace (the latter was destroyed in a fire).
Traditional Chinese gardens are designed with meticulous planning and framing of the sceneries. Construction of bridges, stairs, pavilions and halls are carefully placed to highlight different scenes in a garden in one place. This put great emphasis on the design of architecture within the garden complex. A classical Chinese garden will typically have 6 structures, namely the ceremony hall (used for family celebrations; the principal pavilion (used to receive guests and to celebrate holidays); the pavilion of flowers built near the residence, used to plant various flowers, plants and a small rock garden; the pavilion facing the four directions (has foldable doors to open a panoramic view of the garden; the lotus pavilion (built near the lotus pond); and the pavilion of mandarin ducks (which is split into 2 sections: north-facing section is used in summer to view lotus pond and receive breeze, the south-facing section facing an inner court with evergreens and plum trees which signifies the arrival of spring.).
lotus pond
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Apart from architecture, a few other elements are also crucial to the design of Chinese gardens. Artificial mountains and rock gardens are symbols of virtue, stability and endurance in Confucian philosophy, and usually occupy a central position in a courtyard. A pond or a lake is the centrepiece of a Chinese garden, buildings are usually built around it to give a panoramic view of the water body. In I-Ching, water represents communication and lightness, it also carries the food of life through different terrains, therefore it also carries significant symbolic meanings to a Chinese garden. Flowers and trees are the fourth elements that complete a Chinese garden. Due to seasons, different plants will blossom and grow during different times of the year, which symbolizes the changing nature and life. Its organic shapes and aroma also contrast greatly with the sharp edges of architecture and stones, representing nature in the most vivid form.
Garden within city
Image taken from Unsplashed via Wix
Apart from these elements, the location and construction of the gardens are also carefully planned. The idea of “borrowing-scenery” is central to the beauty of a garden. It means the views surrounding the garden have to add to the scenery within it. For example, most gardens are constructed with a mountain view to elevate the scenery by joining it with the “eternally expanding” mountain range in the distance. Within the garden complex, each door and opening are also carefully planned to craft spaces of “concealment and surprise” within the garden. The garden is not meant to be seen all at once, these areas are constructed to lure visitors to different parts of the garden to curate a carefully planned experience of the garden.
However, as the saying goes, “nothing gold can last forever”, the largest and most opulent Chinese garden ever constructed – the old summer palace was destroyed by invaders in the late Qing dynasty. In its places today lies the ruin of a once magnificent architectural feat. The old summer palace combined the best that the western and eastern gardening art has to offer with its sheer size and many theme gardens, it is truly a shame that we cannot witness its splendour today. With that said, a Chinese saying goes “旧的不去，新的不来。” (which translates to the new things would not come if we do not chase out the old), technology has enabled us to see gardens from a new perspective. Combined with the integration with the modern landscape, architects today are redefining the gardening landscape through the use of technology. We look forward to how the traditional Chinese landscape can be integrated into today’s world through various innovations and design explorations.