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The Chinese consider gardens a serious art form and
as with painting, sculpture and poetry aim to attain in their design
the balance, harmony, proportion and variety that are considered essential
to life.
The Chinese garden is divided into three categories: the imperial
garden, the private garden and the natural scenic site. |
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The earliest imperial garden dates back
to the late Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1027 BC) with the construction
of an imperial hunting ground, followed by the Shanglin garden built
by the Emperor Qinshihuangdi in his capital at Xianyang. The latter
was completed by the Han Emperor Wudi (r. 140-87 BC) and is thought
to have been the basis upon which the Summer Palace was designed.
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The first private garden, known also as a literati garden,
appeared during the Northern and Southern dynasties (420-589). |
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Natural scenic sites, which were large scale gardens
built against the backdrop of naturally existing mountains, valleys,
lakes, etc., were used as the pleasure grounds of the imperial house
and nobility. |
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Dongwu Garden
"Dongwu Garden", bearing the hallmark of the world-famous Suzhou classical gardens, is a representative work of the Jiangsu Outdoor Garden Exhibition in the '99 World Horticulture Fair held in Kunming. |
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