The Craft of Gardens

计成Jul 2024

4.7

Word count: 12K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Traditional Chinese culture has a long and profound intellectual history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive, and the content of religious theology, classical texts of traditional Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and local gazetteers is vast and profound.

This series, "Essence of the Chinese Classics: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original works and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by the ancient sages, readers cultivate their temperament and subtly come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Yuan Ye (The Craft of Gardens) is a classic work of ancient Chinese garden-making theory, written by Ji Cheng of the Ming dynasty. This edition aims to preserve the original appearance of the source text, allowing readers direct access to the original text of this monograph. The book discusses the philosophy, layout, borrowed scenery, and selection of materials in garden construction; its language is concise and combines technicality with literary quality, making it an indispensable primary source for understanding traditional Chinese garden aesthetics. For today's readers, its value lies not only in specific garden-making techniques but also in the spatial concepts and aesthetic sensibilities it embodies, in which humanity and nature are integrated. Readers may wish to compare it with surviving examples of classical gardens, which makes it easier to understand the terminology and craftsmanship in the book. This edition is suitable as a classic bedside reader and also for reading alongside works on architecture, art, and cultural history. Note that the original book's format and wording bear the marks of its era; first-time readers should slow their pace and enter gradually with the help of annotations and background materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in traditional Chinese garden and architectural culture
Students and practitioners of landscape architecture, landscape design, and architectural design
Readers of literature and history studying ancient aesthetics of daily life and literati tastes
Readers who wish to understand traditional spatial concepts through original texts

Not a good fit for

Introductory readers looking only for light popular science or illustrated albums
Readers expecting modern vernacular rewrites and extensive case analysis

Reading tips

First read through once to understand the overall structure, then read chapter by chapter according to the stages of garden-making and take notes.
While reading, compare with surviving examples of classical gardens in Jiangnan to understand the layout and borrowed-scenery techniques described in the book.
Look up annotations and background materials when encountering unfamiliar terminology; do not insist on understanding every detail at once.
Read alongside works on Chinese architectural history or garden art to build an overall framework.

版权信息
自序
卷一兴造论。
卷二栏杆。
卷三
卷后

FAQ

Can I read Yuan Ye without any foundation in classical Chinese?

You can try, but patience is required. This book preserves the original appearance of the source text, and its language bears the marks of its era. It is recommended to first use annotations and background introductions to grasp the general meaning, then read closely paragraph by paragraph. If you have no experience reading classical Chinese at all, you can first read some accessible books introducing traditional gardens as a foundation, then return to the original text.

Does Yuan Ye mainly discuss technique or aesthetics?

Both. The book covers specific practices such as site selection, layout, rockery and water features, and material selection and construction, and it also runs throughout with a pursuit of natural charm and spatial realms. While reading, you can separately sort out the technical entries and the aesthetic propositions, and appreciate how the author combines craftsman's experience with literati taste.

Do I need to use other materials alongside this book?

It is advisable. The original book's terminology and format are somewhat distant from modern readers; pairing it with Chinese architectural history, general surveys of garden art, or illustrated materials on specific gardens can help in understanding the techniques described. You can also first look at plan drawings of several famous classical gardens, then return to compare with the text.

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About the author

计成 Author

Ji Cheng was a Ming-dynasty garden designer. Publicly available information about his life, official career, and birth and death dates is limited; reliable knowledge comes mainly from his transmitted writings. His representative work Yuan Ye (The Craft of Gardens) is an important ancient Chinese treatise on garden-making, systematically discussing principles such as site selection, layout, rockery construction, water management, and borrowed scenery. It holds foundational significance in the history of Chinese architecture and gardens. The four titles held in the database include different editions of Yuan Ye, related compilations in the series Ancient Chinese Material Culture, and a collection titled A Pot of Heaven and Earth (four volumes). Overall, Ji Cheng's writing is grounded in garden-making practice, concise in language and clear in structure, valuing adaptation to local conditions and the harmony between human artifice and nature. His discussions remain important references for the study of traditional Chinese gardens and architectural culture.