除计成外，中国另一位获得世界认可的风景园林理论家在哪里？Besides Cheng Ji, where is another international well known Chinese landscape theorist?
Ji Cheng's Yuanye (园冶), is the first monograph dedicated to garden architecture in the world. His work has been translated into many languages.
I am glad that Wikipedia has kindly had a record of the most important Chinese landscape architect and theorist- Jicheng.
Ji Cheng (计成) (1582 – c. 1642) was a Ming dynasty garden designer. Ji Cheng was born in the Ming Wanli Reign 10th year (1582) in Tong Li township, Wujiang county, Suzhou. As a youth, Ji Cheng made a name for himself as a landscape painter and private garden designer, he worshipped two North Song painters: Guan Tong (关仝) and Jing Hao (荆浩) During his lifetime, he designed numerous private gardens in Southern China. In his late years, he summarized his lifetime experience into a monograph on landscape design: (园冶), Yuanye: The Craft of Gardens, 1631. Ji Cheng’s Yuanye (园冶), is the first monograph dedicated to garden architecture in the world. His work has been translated into many languages. ”The garden is created by the human hand, but should appear as if created by heaven.” （虽由人作，宛自天开）
I must thank Chengji very much, because his book really influenced me and led me to study landscape architecture. It could be very easy to remember that after I saw his book in Chinese, I gave up listening to any lectures in class in 2006. What I did was crazy in most of people’s opinion: taking ChengJi’s book all the time with me, saving all my pocket money to pay for traveling for gardens on my own, obviously, most of the lectures were quit by me, which I must say ‘sorry’ to the lecturers in that term! Even now, I do not know why I could be so brave like that. But I clearly know that I admire him because of his amazing theory in Chinese landscape. And also thanks to some other translators having translated this book into lots other languages and made him a famous Chinese landscape theorist during 17th Century.
Time flies！ It is 21st century now. But who could tell me of another international well known Chinese landscape theorist？ It is said in Tom‘s post： in 19th century- Olmsted， in 20th century-Repton and 21st century-Alexander… Why there is nobody in the country which provided the first landscape theorist- China, a country has long history and the world’s biggest population? What did those landscape gentlemen do in the past centuries? Are they planning to use ChengJi’s idea to support their design and planning idea in the 21st century? Are they going to teach their lovely students how to do a landscape plan in the city by ChengJi’s idea in 21st century?
The picture of Ji Cheng is wonderful – and I like his remark that ‘In my youth I had a deep interest in woodlands, and evaded fame among the hills and valleys. For a long time I made a living from landscape gardening. I felt as though I was cut off from the things of this world, and only heard distantly of the turmoil of current events. I had a deep desire to become a hermit but unfortunately I did not have the power to purchase a mountain of my own. I would gladly have lived b the outflow of the Peach Blossom Spring’.
Can you tell us if there are any Chinese websites specialising in (1) garden design (2) garden history (3) landscape architecture. Or, as I should say: （1）园林设计（2）园林史（3）景观建筑 ?? Note: please could I also ask Yuan to help with this question: we are fortunate to have two Chinese contributors to this blog.
My impression is that landscape architecture is not a well-defined subject in China and that it overlaps with garden design, forestry, environmental design, urban design and many other subjects. But ‘overlaps’ is the wrong word: what I mean is that the professional and academic boundaries between these subjects hardly exists. It is right and it is inevitable that they should ‘overlap’ but it is also necessary to define the ‘core’ of each subject and I don’t think this has been done in China. Please correct me if I am wrong.
My equally ill-informed comment on Chinese history since 1644 is that Chinese historians are too generous in treating the Qing Dynasty as ‘Chinese’. Though Manchuria is now part of China, the Manchus did not speak Chinese amongst themselves, did they not force their women to bind their feet, and nor did they trust ethnic Chinese to guard their palaces. The central area was known to westeners as the Manchu City. In my view was the Manchus who (1) held back the development of China after 1644 (2) kept China isolated from the rest of the world. To put the point simply: the development of Chinese civilization was restrainted for some 300 years by the Manchu occupation. Great things were done but the civilization was largely static. So landscape theory (amongst other things!) was held back.
Comment by Tom Turner — November 24, 2011 @ 3:54 pm
Perhaps Jerry you could tell us a little more about the gardens of Suzhou which were famous during the Ming Dynasty and the associated garden verses (which were recorded on stone in real gardens and in print on idealised gardens)?
“Gardens were an important part of life for these Chinese scholar-painters. They were seen as miniature landscapes and naturally eroded rocks were placed at the major viewing points among twisting and turning paths and streams. Each viewing point had its own name and perhaps a verse inscribed on the rock. The gardens of Suzhou were particularly famous during the Ming Dynasty.
This painting by Tang Yifen is called The Garden of Delight. It depicts an ideal garden, painted in the orthodox style. There are twenty-six poems following the painting as well as many colophons or comments in praise of the garden.”
[ http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/asia/chinese_landscape_painting/south_of_the_river.aspx ]
Comment by Christine — November 25, 2011 @ 2:08 am