Folk gardens

Author: Xie Yan / Wang Qijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Folk gardens have a long history and are highly artistic ancient architectural works. Especially for their simple, elegant, and enduring style, they stand out among various categories of ancient architecture. Among them, Jiangnan gardens are particularly outstanding, ranking as the essence of China's folk gardens. With a vast territory and diverse ethnic groups, China boasts a variety of distinctive gardens. Examples include Shandong Shihu Garden, Wuxi Jichang Garden, and Sichuan Du Fu's Thatched Cottage, all of which are outstanding representatives. Folk gardens are the embodiment of traditional Chinese aesthetic principles, brimming with artistic charm and a rich scholarly atmosphere, resembling literati's freehand landscape paintings. Though lacking the grandeur of imperial gardens, they are comparatively more refined and tranquil, like a lotus emerging from water. Pavilions, towers, and winding paths all offer the charm of "willows and flowers in shadow," transporting visitors to a fairyland or an earthly paradise.