Chinese garden

ØThe Chinese garden, also known as a Chinese classical garden, recreates natural landscapes in miniature.

ØThe style has evolved for more than three thousand years ago

ØIt includes both the vast gardens of the Chinese emperors and smaller gardens built by scholars, poets, and former government officials.

ØThe classical Chinese garden is enclosed by a wall and has one or more ponds, a rock garden, trees and flowers, and an assortment of halls and 0

pavilions within the garden,

ØAll these feature are connected by winding paths and zig-zag galleries. 

The History of Chinese Gardens

For the past 3,000 years,

üeveryone in China, from emperors & government officials to scholars and poets, have built their own garden.

üThe first Chinese gardens were built in the Yellow

  River valley.

üKings and members of the nobility during the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC) hunted and planted fruits and vegetables in their gardens.

üThere were two types of gardens:

•one where animals were kept

•The other one for plants and gardening

Categories of Chinese gardens

The Chinese garden is divided into three categories:

Ø  The imperial garden (1600-1027 BC)

Ø  The private garden (The first private garden, literati garden, appeared in (420-589)

Ø  The natural scenic site. large scale gardens built against naturally existing mountains, valleys, lakes, used as the pleasure grounds of the imperial house and nobility. 

Features of Chinese gardens

Common feature of Chinese garden Includes

Although there's a great variety in Chinese gardens, and each garden has its own particular features, there are some common features.

1-waterside pavilion:

A derivation of an ancient wooden house later became a fashion

Design features include to build waterside pavilions upon the lake or pond usually half  structure built on land, and other half above a body of water.

2- Covered corridors Another key element of Chinese

gardens is built to allow the owners to enjoy the garden in the rain and snow.

3-Poetic beauty and an artistic ideal: They are very much connected with poetry a

4- Mountain Scenery

Mountains are the foremost feature in forming garden scenery.

5-Coverings

Covering water bank with thick grass and erected building above the water to create a sense of flowing water from the base of the structure. Plants/grass tranquility and stillness

6- Partitions
Stone bridge, corridors or large stones placed in the water

ü  allow visitors to cross the waterway

ü  give the space above the flat water compartmentalized layered effect.

7- Decorations
In a small area, a winding path made with irregularly shaped stones or vegetation to

ü  create a open feeling.

ü  To rear Fish and water plants to add the scenic beauty.

8- Rock Gardens and Rock Decor

Every Chinese garden has some type of rock element. Some with simple rock, while others construct miniature mountains from a collection of rocks.

9- Animals and Plants
In order to make garden natural, usually red maples, green bamboo, colorful roses, and white magnolias are planted.

The symbolic meaning of each plant is also carefully considered. For example,

ü  Bamboo is the symbol of uprightness

ü  Pine is a symbol of strength and longevity,

ü  lotus is associated with purity

ü  peony with wealth and rank.

Classical Chinese gardens accommodate animals in the garden.

Popular among are

goldfishes, mandarin ducks, white cranes, and parrots

ü  They provide amusement as well as serving as symbols of longevity.

They allow visitors to feel as they are truly in natural environment

Layout and Design of Classic Chinese Gardens

Chinese gardens aren’t laid out in a way that one can see the entire garden all at once.

ü  First small scenes are set up attached with several    intimate settings.

ü  Every scene is well-planned and framed.

ü  Some gardens purposely have a view of a mountain from one of its many scenes.

Architecture in a Chinese Garden

Chinese garden buildings influenced by the owner.

For example,

Ø  A scholar may have a library in their garden.

Ø  Some buildings are connected with hallways and pavilions

Ø  Other Chinese gardens have temples, bridges, galleries and towers.

ü  Ideally, the buildings and structures in a Chinese garden

            complement the setting not dominating it.

ü  The larger the garden, the more buildings it will contain.

Types of Structures

Mostly these structures are included:

•      Ceremony halls, located near the entrance of the garden

•      The Pavilion of Flowers is traditionally close to the residential home

•      Pavilions with movable walls offer a panoramic view of the entire garden.

•      Seasonal Pavilions

•      Pavilion of Mandarin Ducks Some gardens contain a, which is divided into two seasonal sections.

• One section will face north, toward a lotus pond.
• The other section will face south, toward a pine
•  View point pavilion a pavilion set up for viewing autumn foliage and small pavilions to escape to when it rain