The Art of Classical Chinese Gardens (3)

In the classical gardens that still exist today, one finds a harmonious interplay between nature and architecture. Decorative structures unite with cliffs, trees, flowers and hills to create artistic scenery. Gardens are supposed to resemble a sequence of continually changing landscapes. Paths wind through the grounds in a zigzag pattern, revealing new views of halls, trees, bridges, pavilions and hills. Even in the most confined places, architects have succeeded in creating a succession of varying landscapes. For example, when one opens a door into a small courtyard with no exit, he may find clumps of bamboo and rock and get an balustrade fixed on top of a wall and think it borders a hanging garden.
The most important element of a garden is water, in any form, such as ponds, lakes, streams, rivers and waterfalls. The flowing water gives pulsating life to the garden’s cliffs, stones, trees, bushes and flowers.
Trees and flowers, especially in private gardens, are carefully selected for the overall layout of the gardens because of the limited space. Plants and flowers reflecting the beauty of the four seasons are planted. In spring, peach trees blossom; in summer, lotuses blossom; in autumn, the maple leaves change color; and in winter, the evergreen, bamboos and plum trees provide greenery. Among the most popular flowers are lotuses, peonies, chrysanthemums and orchids. Special flowers are planted to attract bees or butterflies. These small insects make the gardens more lively.
Among the most important structures of garden grounds are walkways, pavilions and bridges. Timber frame construction plays a decisive role here. Pavilion-like houses have neither a harsh nor dominating effect, but rather blend effortlessly into their general surroundings.
Above all, it is the walkways that are most noticeable in gardens. They traverse the complex, subdivide it, connect the different groups of buildings and lead the visitor to the most important points.
Long corridors in the gardens are not only the passageways but also serve as resting places for people. The winding corridors are like belts linking everything together. They provide a covered veranda and function as shelter from the rain and shade from the sun.
The walls of the walkways and houses feature openings and gateways in many shapes: round moon gates, oval, angular, in the shape of vases and bottles, etc. They offer a view into the next courtyard, into the next scene and often look like the frame around a landscape painting. The fine latticework which can be seen in windows is attractive. Many walls wave on the top so they look like clouds. Looking at the walls, one can imagine the mountains rising and falling in the distance.
Pavilions were built in especially imposing places, such as on top of a hill or on a small island in the middle of a lake. Open on all sides, they offer a good view and invite the visitor to take a short rest. Various types of bridges can be found on the grounds: flat stone slab bridges from which one can comfortably watch the fish in the water, high arched bridges and swinging bridges which subdivide and at the same time ornament the grounds.
The technique of Chinese garden building has exerted a great influence on other countries. As early as in the 6th century, Chinese garden building was introduced into Japan, where gardens were given Chinese names. During the 18th century, the British developed a landscape park after the Chinese prototype. Later the enthusiasm for Chinese-style gardens spread to the European Continent. For example, twenty such scenic parks were built in Paris.
In 1980, a Chinese garden named the Astor Court (Ming Xuan) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City was built; later, a Chinese garden named Fanghua Yuan was constructed for the 1983 Munich World Garden Exhibition in the former West Germany. A miniature model of he Garden of the Master of Nets in Suzhou was produced in 1982 for a display at the Pompidou Center in Paris.