Landscape Art in A Treatise on Garden Design and The Craft of Gardens: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

A Treatise on Garden Design is the earliest Japanese treatise on landscape art, while The Craft of Gardens is its earliest Chinese counterpart. The former was composed roughly 500 years before the latter. Both are highly regarded in the landscape architectural com-munity. A Treatise on Garden Design elaborates on the techniques of stone and water ar-rangement in landscape design and draws significantly on Buddhism, the Yin-Yang theo-ry, and the theory of the Five Elements, illustrating the profound influence of metaphysics in China’s Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties. In addition to traditional Chi-nese concepts, it also incorporates Japanese national culture. The Craft of Gardens illus-trates the penchant for isolation among Chinese nobles and intellectuals in their creative idea of a garden landscape while providing a thorough overview of garden construction in ancient times. It exemplifies the achievements of traditional Chinese landscape art. This paper demonstrates, through a comparative analysis of the two works, that Chinese classical gardens, as a sign of secluded culture, demonstrate an appropriate integration of human design and natural elements and permit individual creativity regardless of the established rules, whereas their Japanese counterparts emphasize the actual simulation of nature.