Study Of Shaanxi Garden Art In Literature Perspective

This thesis endeavors to grasp the essence of Shaanxi garden art from theperspective of Chinese literature and Chinese gardens. The emphasis lies in therelationship of their mutual germination. By comparing the vicissitudes of garden artand literary art throughout history, the thesis inquires into the interactive relationshipbetween garden art and literary art. The inquiry is based on the analysis of relatedaspects of Chinese gardens such as regional distinctions, religious and philosophicthoughts, garden concepts as well as garden techniques. Shaanxi gardens are the keysubject of the thesis and are taken as an instance to be systematically combed andexpounded.Taking materials as their entity and integrating into themselves certain aestheticthoughts, gardens provide places for people to recreate, relax and exercise. As acrystallization of imagery thinking, literature is a kind of art to reflect people’s life,spirit and aesthetical abilities in the form of characters and symbols. Literature containsmuch description of Chinese gardens. At the same time, manifestations both in ancientand modern gardens imitate and draw lessons from the presentation and humanisticconnotation of literature.The thesis studies the relevance between Chinese gardens and Chinese literaturefrom the five distinctive dimensions of time, space, philosophy, art and technology.Based on the vertical axis of the parallel evolution of Chinese garden history andChinese literature history as well as the horizontal axis of the typical cases of Chinesegardens and Chinese literature, the thesis explores the interactions between gardens andliterature. Under this background and exemplified by Shaanxi gardens, the thesis putsits stress on the further study of garden arts in the perspective of literature, especiallythe interaction and relevance between Shaanxi gardens and Chinese literature from different dimensions.Time dimension mainly involves six periods from ancient times, Pre-Qin and HanDynasties, Wei-Jin Dynasty, North and South Dynasties, Sui Tang and Five Dynasties,Song and Yuan Dynasties to Ming and Qing Dynasties. The study is stressed on theprocess of parallel development and mutual complementarily of ancient Chinesegardens and ancient Chinese literature. Space dimension mainly involves the analysis ofthe north-south divide of ancient Chinese gardens, the north-south differences ofAncient Chinese literature as well as the interactive relationship between gardens andliterature both in the north and south. Art dimension mainly involves the study of theinteractive relationship between imagery garden conception and symbolist literaryconception. Mechanisms in garden conational imitation of literary conception is alsoincluded in the art dimension. Technology dimension mainly involves the combing ofthe mutual imitation of garden techniques and literary creation techniques as well asplants aping imitation of Youngwood poetry.Shaanxi is one of the birthplaces of Chinese culture and Chinese gardens. Whetherin the classification of royal gardens or private gardens or religious gardens or thebooming cultural tourism sceneries in today’s context, Shaanxi gardens typically reflectthe history of Chinese garden development. Garden cultures implied in literatureinfluence people’s design philosophy. Designers pay more attention to the literaryconceptions and humanistic connotation expressed by garden landscapes, which formsthe distinct and vivid garden arts of Chinese culture and makes a profound impressionon views. Hence, garden landscapes provide the public with specific, conscious orunconscious aesthetic experiences.