Collection of Worldly Ties
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
The editor believes the book's value lies in its cross-disciplinary perspective and its "universalist" touch. Chen Congzhou was first and foremost a garden scholar, yet in writing he dissolves the boundaries between architecture, literature, painting and calligraphy, Kunqu opera, and even folklore, displaying the integrated cultural vision characteristic of traditional Chinese literati. When he discusses gardens, for instance, he invariably links them to poetic imagery; when he argues for preservation, he often traces historical context and aesthetic sensibilities. This approach lifts professional topics out of dry exposition, making them vivid and imbued with human warmth. For readers, it is both an excellent introduction to the aesthetics and culture of classical Chinese gardens and a precious text for sensing the integrity and sensibility of an older generation of scholars. The love and anxiety for traditional cultural heritage that surfaces between the lines remains powerfully relevant today.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Enthusiasts interested in classical Chinese gardens, architecture, and culture
- Readers who appreciate elegant, lingering, bookish prose
- Those who wish to understand Chen Congzhou's scholarly thought and outlook on life
- Readers seeking tranquility and nourishment from traditional culture amid a fast-paced life
Not a good fit for
- Specialist researchers seeking rigorous, systematized garden theory or technical guides
- Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced genre fiction
Reading tips
- Best read in a leisurely mood, not necessarily at one sitting; suited to savoring a chapter or two in spare moments
- Deepen the experience by exploring the specific gardens or cultural phenomena mentioned in the book
- Note how the author fuses professional knowledge with personal temperament and lived experience into a seamless style
About the publisher
Yanshan University Press places emphasis on academic publishing and the organization of traditional Chinese culture, and has developed distinctive strengths in documentary literature, prose and miscellaneous writings, classic works, general biography, and Eastern philosophy. Among its titles, Xu Shoushang's Lu Xun: An Illustrated Biography presents the historical value of biographical writing from a firsthand perspective; Chen Congzhou's Zishi Yumo, Lianqing Ji, Suiyi Ji, Shiyuan Ji, Chuntai Ji, and Tan Yuan Lu form a series of works combining garden aesthetics with literary and historical essays; and writings by Xia Chengtao, You Zhishui, Yu Ruji, Xu Youfu, and Dong Naibin touch on ci studies, ancient books, and literary and historical research. The press has also introduced works by authors such as Leslie Stephen, reflecting its orientation toward academic exchange between China and abroad. With only 16 titles currently in the database, publicly available information is limited, and this introduction is based on the titles already known.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 早梅芳讯
- 阳和庆早春
- 饯春
- 清凉在绿
- 小城春色
- 东湖雨后
- 西湖的背影
- 南北湖
- 僧寺无尘意自清——漫谈佛寺建筑文化的作用
- 宜秋
- 秋思
- 同里退思园
- 曲园感慨多
- 约园浮梦
- 依绿园
- 依绿园记
- 五上鲁西
- 记鲁游御寒
- 听笛
- 听曲杂记
- 叶浅予尊师
- 清泉出谷音
- 故居
- 乡音里的乡情
- 徐志摩碑与石刻画像
- 著书与赠书
- 爱书读书
- 叶品三先生谈往
- 我与苏南工专
- “军训”杂记
- 说龟
- 我心不忍
- 重修豫园东部记
- 重修片石山房记
- 重修汾阳别墅记
- 重修水绘园记
- 柳州石记
- 东湖小记
- 龙华塔影园记
- 楠园小记
- 昆明鸥群
- 《徐志摩年谱》自序
- 《江浙砖刻选集》自序
- 《玄采薇画》序
- 《玉佛丈室集》第四卷序
- 《喻蘅艺文丛稿》序
- 《日本园林》（汉译本）序
- 《印度建筑史》（汉译本）序
- 《上海地名路名拾趣》序
- 《江南建筑文化》序
- 《江南水乡古镇》序
- 《绍兴古迹》序
- 《西泠石伽石谱》序
- 《古城寻趣——平遥》序
- 读《龙井茶及其他》
- 《名人与茶》序
- 《平屋杂记》序
- 《生活情趣集成》序
- 《许元魁书法》序
- 《葛如亮建筑艺术》序
- 《兆琪曲谱》（中国台湾版）序
- 《地灵人杰》序
- 《秦新东盆栽》序
- 《半野堂乐府》跋
- 谈张森的书法
- 读《南国声华——周颖南海外创作四十年》
- 跋《般若波罗蜜多心经》讲义
- 《中华古代文化中的建筑美》序
- 《中国古代园林文学》序
- 《世界公园漫步》序
- 中国园林散记
- 无书游旅等盲君（外二篇）
- 欲说还休怨“旅游”
- 旅游琐谈
- 苏州旧住宅
- 梓室余墨
- 对上海市档案馆的希望
- 病中情
- 虞美人
- 后记
FAQ
How does this book differ from Chen Congzhou's Shuo Yuan (On Gardens)?
Can I understand it without a background in garden expertise?
What subjects does the book mainly cover?
Comments
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About the author
Chen Congzhou (1918–2000), originally named Yuwen, was a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, born in Hangzhou. A scholar of ancient architecture and garden art and a professor at Tongji University, he devoted his life to the study of classical Chinese gardens and historic buildings. His works include On Gardens, Suzhou Gardens, and Yangzhou Gardens; he led the restoration of Yu Garden and Shuihui Garden and designed the Ming Hall at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and is known as the father of modern Chinese garden studies. The works by him in this catalogue span scholarly garden writing and prose collections. Titles such as the Dictionary of Chinese Garden Appreciation and the seven-volume Chen Congzhou on Gardens set out garden knowledge and appreciation, while collections such as Zishi Yumo, Shiyuan Ji, and Chuntai Ji record people and events and discuss art and scenery in an elegant style, joining garden theory with literati sensibility. His writing is thus both scholarly and highly readable, and is often classified under architecture, design, culture, and classic works.
