Lesson 19 Suzhou Garden

Lesson 19  Suzhou Garden

Ye Shengtao

There are said to be more than a hundred gardens in Suzhou, but I have been to only a dozen of them. I have also been to some gardens in other places. If I were to give a general impression, I would say that Suzhou gardens are the specimen of gardens everywhere in China, and that all gardens everywhere have been influenced by Suzhou gardens to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, if anyone wants to appreciate the gardens of China, Suzhou gardens should not be missed.

The designers and craftsmen have made their own designs to suit the local conditions, and the successful gardens are certainly different from each other. However, there is one thing in common among all the gardens in Suzhou, and it seems that the designers and craftsmen were unanimous in their pursuit of making sure that no matter where the visitor stands, there is always a perfect picture in front of him/her. In order to achieve this purpose, they pay attention to the layout of the pavilions and pavilions, pay attention to the cooperation of the rockery and ponds, pay attention to the reflection of the flowers and trees, pay attention to the levels of the near and far scenes. In short, everything is to constitute a perfect picture and the existence of, will not allow there is a lack of beauty hurt the beauty of the failure. They only want visitors to get "as in the picture" of the beauty, and their achievements to achieve their wishes, visitors to the garden, no one does not think in the heart of the oral "as in the picture".

China's architecture, from ancient palaces to modern general housing, the vast majority of symmetry, how the left, how the right. The Suzhou gardens are never symmetrical, as if they were deliberately avoided. The east side has a pavilion or a corridor, the west side will never come to a pavilion or a corridor of the same. Why is that? I think, using the analogy of pictures, symmetrical architecture is a pattern painting, not art painting, while the garden is art painting, art painting requires the natural interest, is not concerned with symmetry.

Suzhou gardens have rockeries and ponds. The stacking of rockery can be said to be an art rather than just a technique. Either a mountain range, or a few hills with bamboo and flowers, all depending on the designers and craftsmen more experience in life, chest gullies, in order to make visitors climbing forget the city of Suzhou, only to feel in the mountains. As for the pond, most of the references to live water. Some gardens with spacious pools and marshes, the pools and marshes as the center of the garden, other scenery with the arrangement. If the water surface becomes a river-like, often arranged bridges. If the arrangement of more than two bridges, it will be a one of a kind, never the same. Pond or the edge of the river is rarely laid neat stone shore, always high and low flexing let nature take its course. There are also a few exquisite stones, or plant some flowers: this is also in order to obtain from all angles into a picture of the effect. Pond marsh with goldfish or various colors of carp, lotus or water lilies open in the summer and autumn, visitors to see "fish play between the lotus leaves", and is a picture of the scene.

Suzhou gardens are also planted and pruned with an eye to painting. The high trees and low trees are in a pose. The deciduous trees are interspersed with evergreen trees, and many kinds of flowering trees with different flowering times are interspersed, so that they do not feel lonely all year round. There are no pines and cypresses pruned like pagodas, no parade like roadside trees: this is not desirable according to the aesthetic view of Chinese painting. There are a few gardens with old vines, whose coiled and jagged branches are a good painting. When in bloom, they are full of pearls, making the visitor feel infinitely more prosperous and joyful, but it is impossible to say.

When you visit the Suzhou gardens, you will certainly notice the flower walls and corridors. There are walls separating, there are corridors boundaries, more levels, the view will be seen deep. But the walls have brickwork of various openwork patterns, the corridors are mostly unattached on both sides, actually separated but not separated, boundary but not boundary, thus adding to the depth of the view. A few gardens also installed a large mirror at the appropriate location, more layers, almost doubled the entire garden.

The visitors will certainly not miss another point, that is, Suzhou gardens in every corner to pay attention to the beauty of the picture. A few bushes are planted next to the steps. The walls are spread with creepers or roses and woods. If the window is facing the white wall, it's too monotonous, so add a few bamboo or a few banana trees. These are just some of the things you can do to enjoy the beauty of a very small area.

The doors and windows in Suzhou's gardens are of the highest quality in the arts and crafts in terms of design and carving and refinement. Broadly speaking, those doors and windows are as detailed as possible without being vulgar, even if they are simple and unique. Four, eight, twelve, when viewed together, anyone would have to admire the beauty of this high degree of pattern. Photographers like these doors and windows, and they deliberate on light and shadow to make satisfying photos.

Unlike the gardens in Beijing, Suzhou gardens rarely use color painting. Most of the beams and columns, as well as the door and window railings, are painted in broad lacquer, a color that is not harsh on the eyes. The walls are white. The lower half of some interior walls are covered with buff square tiles, light gray against white. Roof tiles and gutters are all light gray. These colors work with the green of the grass and trees to evoke a sense of peace and relaxation. When the flowers are in bloom, it looks more brightly colored.

Of course, we can say more than the above, so we won't write more here.