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HISTORY OF CHINESE WATER
PLANT AND GARDENS
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Water has long played a significant role in Chinese gardens. This
is revealed by paintings ans woodcuts, some dating back to the 13th
century. Also in existence are still older frescoes painted by Buddhist
monks of the 7th to 9th centuries on the walls of cave chapels along
the desert route of the ancient "silk road " leading to
the West. These have probably survived because of the extremely
dry atmosphere of their unusual situation.
Probably most Chinese water features have derived from garden builders
of the Han dynasty (206B.C.--A.D.220), a period when palatial gardens
were constructed on vast areas of farmland forcibly enclosed for
the purpose. This practice may have been significant in the development
of Chinese gardens, but at the time it seriously impaired agricultural
development and must have brought great suffering to the displaced
peasants. The imperial garden of the Emperor Wu, for example, was
constructed as a huge pleasure park, seven miles (11km) around with
12 ornamental lakes, only one of natural origin.
The concepts of the imperial gardens were widely copied by wealthy
Chinese landowners, who constructed lakes and islands in many designs,
planting willows and other trees along the shores in order to provide
water reflections and shade. The gardens frequently included decorative
moon (arched) bridges built of stone or wood linking the shore to
teahouses and islands, from which visitors could view lotuses growing
in the water. So obsessed did the Chinese become with these plants
that the withered leaves were rarely removed, even in autumn, one
poet recommending, "Keep the remaining lotus leaves, that I
may listen to the sound of the rain."
Later in the Sui dynasty (A.D.589--618), flowers became more popular.
In the Emperor Yang's garden, flowers and leaves fashioned from
colored silk were used to furbish the bare branches of shrubs and
trees in autumn and winter, while water plants, also of silk, graced
the ponds.
Although some of these fine gardens have survived (Plate 3), many
were unfortunately destroyed during the wars involving Japan in
comparatively recent times. |
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