| Linpan in Chengdu Plain is a unique ecological settlement location in Sichuan, integrating production, life and landscape. It is not only a carrier of agricultural culture in West Sichuan, but also a crystallization of traditional agricultural civilization. Religious architectures--Buddhist temples which bear people’s spiritual beliefs scatter in the Linpan with profound cultural deposits. The Buddhist temples in Linpan have the function of cultural inheritance, social integration, worship and public sightseeing. Many researches are done from the perspective of architecture and culture, but a few are done from the perspective of gardens. Temple gardens are one of the three Chinese classical gardens, and Buddhist temple gardens are regarded as an important branch of temple gardens due to their abundant landscape, far-reaching conception and profound culture. Because the religious function of Buddhist temple gardens is changing with the development of society, it has unique research significance.This thesis studies Buddhist temple gardens in the second and third circle of Chengdu on the basis of literature review and data collection, selects ten Buddhist temples with integrated Linpan conditions (fields, wood, houses and water), investigates and analyzes the arrangement of plants using phytocoenological methods. Through the analysis of species, quantities characteristics and diversity of plant community combined with the characteristics of arrangement of plants and plants landscape spatial pattern, this thesis makes a preliminary assessment, finds out its commonness and individuality, explores the unique characteristics of temples gardens with Linpan conditions, provides reference for the design of modern landscape gardens, and provides theoretical basis for the protection of Linpan in West Sichuan. This thesis draws the following conclusions:1) There are111plants in the Buddhist temples studied which are members of109genera of72families respectively. All the dominant tree species of these10Buddhist temple gardens are arbors,including ginkgo trees, camphor trees, osmanthus trees etc. Most shrub layer and herb layer are flowering plants like azalea, begonia, dwarf lilyturf etc., which enhances visual effects.2) Plant community of the Buddhist temple gardens with conditions of Linpan in Chengdu plain generally has lower diversity. Generally speaking, the diversity of plants in temple yards is lower than temple gardens and the diversity of tree layer are greater than shrub layer. Broadly, the species richness of temple gardens is ranked from tree layer, shrub layer to herb layer with sight difference in different Buddhist temple gardens. The gardens or yards of these10Buddhist temples are quite different in selection of plant species and landscape design which will change according to different environmental characteristics. Every Buddhist temple gardens has unique plant landscape.3) Linear planting and opposite planting are often used in Buddhist temple gardens with conditions of Linpan in Chengdu plain. Linear planting is often used in the entrance of the temple or both sides of temple paths. Opposite planting is often used in front of the main hall of a Buddhist temple. Most temple gardens use natural style planting and plants will adorn the architectures with their varied colors, refine the architecture with their varied lines, and influence architecture with their color changes in different seasons.4) Through the study, this thesis makes some suggestion about how to arrange plants and design plants landscape in Buddhist temple gardens with conditions of Linpan in Chengdu plain:adding shrubs and herbs by a proper proportion to enrich lower community level, improving land utilization, intensifying the management and protection of ancient trees and trees with great values, strengthening the tree care work in the later stage, making garden plants landscape, advocating pilgrims’donation and intensifying property management of temples so as to form unique characteristics of Linpan plants in West Sichuan. At the same time, this thesis also puts forward suggestions about Linpan protection:reinforcing the awareness of Linpan landscape protection based on culture and improving living environment and facilities. Vernacular architecture needs inheritance and innovation on the base of protection. |
