Abstract
The Baltic International AcademyThis article deals with the 11th century travel records (youji) for the gardens in Luoyang. These texts were usually ordered by owners of gardens and were written by famous authors. According to youji materials, a Chinese garden can be presented as a part of nature, a source of pleasure, or a shelter for a hermit, so the article is divided into these three parts. Through the descriptions of gardens in youji, not only the craft of gardening, but also the way of life and private life of garden owners can be examined.
Highlights
This article deals with the 11th century travel records for the gardens in Luoyang
One of the earliest youji collections, Records about travelling to famous mountains from antiquity till nowadays (古今游名山记) was made by He Zhenqing in the Ming period (1368–1644) (Mei Xinlin, Yu Zhanghua 2004, 2)
Why were some texts about gardens included in the youji anthologies?1 On one hand, this could be explained by the meaning of the hieroglyph 游 you
Summary
Intercourse with nature is a traditional kind of leisure time for educated officials in Confucian China. It had played an important role in the spiritual culture since the Six Dynasties (3rd–4th centuries), and it was reflected in the Northern Song youji. The exact meaning of the Chinese word landscape (山水 shanshui) is mountains and streams. Both these components are inseparable parts of landscape and garden. We can imagine a Chinese garden as a model of nature that is constructed on a piece of ground. If there were no natural streams in the garden, artificial ponds and brooks were made There was usually both still and flowing water in Chinese gardens. The garden is constructed for its owner’s pleasure all year round
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