The relationship between Chinese garden aesthetics and traditional Chinese medicine culture

The landscape, delicate themes, profound connotations, and timeless charm have become a wonder of world garden art, and its aesthetic ideas of reproducing nature are deeply influenced by Taoist spirit. Compared with other schools, Taoism is more aesthetically inclined to contemplate the world and all things, and pays more attention to the aesthetic relationship between man and nature. Taoism also shows a more simple psychological tendency. Related to this, the concepts and categories used by Taoism are more universal in aesthetics and are often adopted and used by Chinese garden designers. Therefore, ancient Chinese gardens advocated nature, pursued nature, explored the "Tao" and "reason" hidden in nature, and finally integrated the Taoist spirit of the unity of nature and man into it. 2. Taoist spirit and artistic pursuit Taoism believes that "Tao" is the origin of all things, "man follows the earth, the earth follows the sky, and heaven follows nature." Tao is inherently inactive but can generate and transform all things. It is "independent and unchangeable, and its actions are not in danger". Respecting nature and complying with nature are the essence of Taoist thought and culture. According to Zhuangzi and Taoist philosophy, nature has two meanings: one is natural and natural, without anything artificial. For example, Chapter 37 of "Laozi" says: "The Tao is always inactive and everything is done." Inaction is nature. Wang Bi, a philosopher of the Three Kingdoms, Wei and Jin Dynasties, said in "The Tao is always inactive" that "it is to follow nature." To follow nature is to obey the nature of all things. , it is such a law without interference, this is the fundamental nature of "Tao". Another meaning is to admire the beautiful natural environment and regard it as a home for body and mind. For example, "Zhuangzi. Zhibeiyou" says: "The mountains and forests and the soil make me happy and joyful." In Zhuangzi's view, only by naturalizing the universe and returning to the realm of heaven and earth can people travel to the ultimate happiness. The Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were an era of division and war, with social turmoil and darkness, and many literati were very dissatisfied with this. The Taoist idea of ​​"advocating nature" had a great influence on them, so they sought detachment and sustenance in famous mountains and rivers. Natural mountains and rivers became the physical environment that they closely depended on in real life for living, resting, playing and admiring. However, it is impossible for people to realize their ideal of traveling around the world's famous mountains and rivers, so they arrange landscapes, flowers and trees in their home gardens, which can not only realize their ideal of simple life in the mountains and forests, but also gain the pleasure of traveling around the universe; it can also be a place of sustenance. The realm of immortals can also be regarded as a place where one can transcend the mundane world and cultivate a pure mind. In addition, in order to get rid of the shackles of traditional ethics, literati also like to create landscape gardens to convey their emotions and express their own thoughts and feelings. It can be seen from this that the role played by Taoist aesthetics in the emergence of ancient Chinese gardens is obvious. This aesthetic stance of "Tao follows nature" provides the direction for ancient Chinese architectural art and design. The reason why ancient Chinese gardens admire and pursue nature does not actually lie in imitating the beauty of natural forms. Rather, it integrates individual consciousness into nature without leaving any trace. The embodiment of this consciousness is more about affinity with nature. , equality, and integration. Tao follows nature, integrates with nature, conforms to nature, and expresses nature - this is where ancient Chinese gardens embody the national culture of "the unity of nature and man". It is the most distinctive feature of the forest that is independent of the world, and it is also the fundamental reason for its eternal artistic vitality. From the conceptual layout of the garden to the theme allocation of the scenic spot, from the superficial meaning of the scenery itself to the symbolic relationship between the scenery, from the material expression of the garden to the spiritual pursuit, Taoism, as one of the three major components of traditional Chinese culture, has its own unique characteristics. The unique cultural characteristics have had a profound impact on ancient Chinese gardens, and they are integrated with Buddhist and Confucian cultures, and have a simultaneous effect on the development of Chinese garden art. It can even be said that Taoist spirit constitutes the most important cultural heritage of ancient Chinese garden aesthetics. 3. The influence of Taoist spirit on the site selection of ancient Chinese gardens. Influenced by the Taoist thought of "Tao follows nature", Chinese architecture not only pays attention to the environmental beauty of the nearby area, but also pays attention to the affinity with the broader nature, resulting in a natural landscape. The ideal state of human unity. The relationship between architecture and nature is harmonious and peaceful, so ancient temples should be "hidden" in the mountains, rather than exposed abruptly like European castles. This spirit is more prominent in gardens. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there was a garden treatise "Yuanzhi" that called the process of gardening site selection "phase land". The location is restricted by conditions. Generally, due to the limited land area, the environment is also restricted by the existing surrounding conditions. The base sites on which gardens can be built are mostly irregular. The floor plans of famous gardens in ancient China are almost always irregular. plane. Faced with these difficult-to-manage terrains, garden architects must adapt to local conditions. They must consider lighting, water sources, wind direction, coordination with the surrounding architectural environment, and even the meaning of the landscaping, which must be conceived in advance.

In addition, in the process of site selection, "Feng Shui" was used to a great extent. The yin and yang, Wuji, Qi, Tao, etc. in the Chinese garden Feng Shui theory are not only the inheritance of the theory of "I Ching", but also the further development of the Taoist view of nature of heaven and earth. Development and conclusion. The ancients believed that the way of heaven and the way of humanity are consistent, and that nature and human relationships are connected and similar. Zhuangzi said: "Heaven and earth are my coexistence, and all things are one with me." They emphasized that heaven and man are consistent and mixed, and tried to pursue the similarities between heaven and humanity in order to achieve coordination and unity between heaven and man. . "Unity of man and nature" is the most prominent philosophical thought in ancient China, and it is also the ideological foundation for the concept of Feng Shui. The theoretical premise of the Feng Shui concept is that heaven, earth, and people are an inseparable whole, and there is a close restrictive relationship between time, place, and people. The concept of Feng Shui is based on Laozi's famous saying, "Everything carries Yin and embraces Yang, and the Qi creates harmony." It is believed that the unity of heaven, earth, and man is concentrated in the "Qi" of Yin and Yang. Although this concept has many It is insignificant, but it also contains the simple understanding that people should adapt to and follow the universal laws of nature, which triggers the extreme emphasis on the relationship between humans and the natural environment in architectural activities and the high level of identification, harmony, coordination and consistency between humans and nature. focus on. Feng Shui is keen on pursuing the realm of "harmony between nature and man" where the time, place, and people are integrated. Many of the principles that Feng Shui masters believe in are in line with the time and place, or are consistent with the time and place. Joseph Needham believes: "Feng Shui contains significant aesthetic elements. The incomparable beauty of farmland, homes, and villages all over China can be explained by this." He also emphasized the importance of nature in the Feng Shui concept and the environmental awareness of conforming to nature. The tradition of fully integrating the architectural community with the natural environment has been highly praised: "No other place is as enthusiastic as the Chinese to embody their great ideal: man and nature are inseparable." It is this simple and strong emphasis The Feng Shui concept of environmental and natural compliance has formed a rational tradition of full integration of ancient Chinese gardens and the natural environment. 4. The influence of Taoist spirit on the structural space of ancient Chinese gardens. Influenced by Taoist ideas, ancient Chinese gardens require getting rid of the shackles of traditional ethics and advocating returning to simplicity. Therefore, the layout of gardens adopts the basic principle of being based on nature and superior to nature. , trying to make artificial beauty and natural beauty cooperate and enhance each other. Its architecture does not seek axial symmetry, and there are no rules to follow. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, winding and twisting. Not only the flowers, grass and woods are left to their natural appearance, but even the artificial buildings try to conform to nature and integrate harmoniously, making the buildings, mountains, rivers and plants organic. The earth is integrated into one, so as to achieve the state of "although it is made by man, it is like the sky opens". This requires ancient Chinese gardens to create infinite artistic conception within a limited area. To achieve this goal, it is obvious that they cannot copy the natural landscape, but must use the gardener's understanding of nature and the gardener's subjective creation. Specifically in gardening activities, this is mainly achieved by the creation of garden space, and the change of virtual and real space and seeing the big from the small are the two major characteristics of ancient Chinese garden space. The various elements of ancient Chinese gardens are full of changes in virtuality and reality: mountains are real, water is virtual, pavilions, pavilions, and corridors are both virtual and real. In addition, the arrangement of flowers and trees in the garden creates a situation where the virtual is connected to the virtual. Reality, realness has the effect of being close to virtuality. The plane layout is as regular, geometric and symmetrical as a Western garden, but it is jagged, zigzag and patchwork. The spatial layout flows through each other, with flowers and trees interspersed among them, making the scenery appear or disappear. Hidden or exposed, resulting in more changes in reality and reality. The spatial processing that encompasses virtuality and reality also creates another characteristic of ancient Chinese gardens: "Small in size, large in appearance." In spatial processing, techniques such as implicitness, concealment, twists and turns, and suggestive illusions are often used, and the perception of time and space is skillfully used. In addition, if techniques such as borrowing scenery, contrasting scenery, separation and contrast can be used flexibly, they can enrich the spatial level and make people feel that there is a scenery outside the scenery and a garden outside the garden, thus achieving the "small The effect of "seeing the big in the middle". The population management of Suzhou Liuyuan is the most representative. On its population flow line, a number of small spaces were consciously arranged, and good effects were achieved by using light and dark, virtual and solid, twists and turns, narrow and long, and other techniques of expressing desire before restraining. Shen Fu's "Six Chapters of a Floating Life" talks about the method of coexistence of virtuality and reality: "Ruofu's garden pavilions, pavilions, suites and cloisters, stacked rocks to form mountains, planting flowers to take advantage of the situation, and the small in the big, the big in the small, and the real in the virtual." "There is emptiness in reality, either hidden or exposed, shallow or deep. It is not only in the four characters of twists and turns, but also in the vastness of the land and the abundance of rocks." Shen Fu gave an example: "There is reality in the emptiness, or the mountains and rivers are exhausted." , it suddenly opens up when you fold it; or there is a kitchen in the pavilion, which opens up to another courtyard.

If there is emptiness in reality, open the door in a blocked courtyard and reflect it with bamboo and stone, and it will be as if there is reality but not reality; if you put a low railing on the top of the wall, it will be as if there is a platform above, but it will be reality and emptiness. "It can be seen that there is reality in the virtual" and "the virtual in the reality" are all intended to expand the viewer's psychological sense of space. In addition, ancient Chinese garden art is an art that achieves the unity of diversity and achieves the art of seeing the big from the small in a limited space. The effect also uses a variety of composition techniques such as contrast, penetration and layering, making ancient Chinese gardens a typical example of the flow of time and space. We can't find traces such as clear axes, strict symmetry, geometric shapes, etc., but can still change and change. Only by appreciating the entire garden step by step can people appreciate the painstaking efforts of craftsmanship. The whole process is like appreciating a long scroll of landscape, and the scenery changes step by step, achieving a profound and far-reaching art. Realm! 5. The influence of Taoist spirit on ancient Chinese garden landscape design. In ancient Chinese gardens, there are no regular street trees, no hedges, no flower beds, and no trimmed lawns. Trees and flowers are planted according to the original vegetation distribution pattern of nature. Clusters, scattered freely, pools or rocks, full of wild charm, the scenery is green and lush. In terms of design and construction, it is a completely natural layout with no rows of trees and no positioning of rocks. "Love" is a natural scenery with twists and turns, water flowing and flowers blooming. Even the buildings themselves in the garden follow the overall style of the landscape, appearing to be high and low, zigzag, staggered, tailor-made, and decorated with the art of natural landscape. This natural style of ancient Chinese gardens is different from the Western regular geometric gardens. The reason is that the landscape art and construction techniques of ancient Chinese gardens are determined by Taoist ideas. Taoism is the guiding principle of Chinese landscape art and design. . Ancient Chinese aesthetic thinking and artistic design have always been influenced by this basic logic. Under the guidance of the idea of ​​"Tao follows nature", the goal of landscape design is to find expression of personal emotions in an appropriate way, transcending the secular world. Enjoy the beauty of nature at the highest level. Beauty is the product of the harmonious balance between subjectivity and objectivity, emotion and reason. "Tao follows nature" establishes the connection between Tao and nature, implies the operating laws of the entire universe, and emphasizes a kind of understanding of nature. Deep respect. All things in the world, including human activities, should abide by the laws of nature controlled by Tao. This is a decisive point in Taoist philosophy. This conclusion has decisively influenced the art of Chinese landscape design. , mountains, water, plants and buildings are the main compositional elements. The aesthetic judgment of landscape design depends to a large extent on the combination of these elements and their significance in a specific environment, rather than their quantity. Through the understanding of the place and the consideration of the relationship between the artificial environment and the natural environment, the designer arranges the spatial order of artificial landscapes and buildings according to the logic of human activities by showing the reasonable functions, pleasant proportions and appropriateness of the gardens. With unique layout, original ideas, and accurate use of colors and materials, you can achieve the realm of "Tao follows nature." Take the application of "stone" techniques in ancient Chinese garden design as an example. Stones are static. , inanimate natural materials, but ancient Chinese thinking personified them. The functions, uses and emotions of stones were given symbols of life. Mountain rocks can express rich emotions in a specific time and space in the garden: "Spring mountains are gentle and like laughter, summer mountains are green and like drops, autumn mountains are bright and clean like makeup, and winter mountains are bleak and like sleep." The lake stone rockery seems to grow out of the ground. Whether placed in front of the hall, under the window, or by the water, it can create a spatial connection between the artificial environment and the natural environment. As a three-dimensional compositional element, stone plays the role of guiding the line of sight upward, enriching the changes in light and shadow and visual effects in the garden; serving as a barrier, it also plays a role in separating space. It can be said that rocks become a bridge of communication between man and nature, making the garden perfectly transform from an orderly architectural space to a free natural space. In an abstract and symbolic sense, it successfully completes the transition from human to earth and from earth to heaven, thereby achieving the harmonious unity of heaven, earth, and humans. By the same principle, other gardening elements in ancient Chinese garden design, such as flowing water, swimming fish, flowers, plants, and trees, can also achieve the realm of "Tao follows nature" through combination. Chinese gardens seek for strange stones, curved corridors, curved water, and secluded roads. They have overlapping rockeries, exotic flowers and trees, and the changing of the four seasons. Water in ancient Chinese gardens comes in many forms, such as lakes, rivers, springs, deep pools, and canals.

Calm rivers, gurgling streams, deep and ethereal pools, majestic waterfalls, and exquisite springs can inject rich vitality into ancient gardens. The water flows around the mountains, the mountains are still and the water flows. There is stillness in the movement, and there is movement in the stillness. The mountains and rivers complement each other, giving the ancient gardens endless vitality. The reason why designers carefully create it is to give people a feeling of returning to nature. Li Yu said in "Xianqing Occasionally. Jushibu. Mountains and Stones": "It is not a last resort to live in a quiet place with rocks. You can't live under a rock and live with wood and rocks, so you use a scroll to replace the mountain and a spoon to replace the water. The so-called no seed It's very thoughtful. But being able to transform a city into a forest and attract flying peaks to live on the ground is a magical skill. It can be used to show people's wonders by pretending to be a trick. "It means that in garden construction. In the small world, the city is transformed into a mountain forest, and strange peaks are moved to the plains. The purpose is to enable people who "cannot live under rocks and live among trees and rocks" to compensate for their feelings for natural landscapes through gardens and landscapes, and enjoy the joy of landscapes to their heart's content. Ancient literati painters were intoxicated with landscapes and scenery, trying to poeticize life, integrating their favorite poetic and picturesque feelings into gardens, and pursuing an elegant and transcendent artistic conception. Many literati painters in the past dynasties were directly involved in garden design, such as Bai Juyi and Wang Wei in the Tang Dynasty; Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty; Ji Cheng in the late Ming Dynasty; Li Yu in the Qing Dynasty, etc. are all outstanding representatives. The gardens created by literati painters often use landscapes as the blueprint, poetry as the theme, use paintings to set scenes, use scenes to enter paintings, embody emotions in scenes, imply meanings in shapes, use emotions to establish ideas, and use shapes to convey spirits. Couplets, poems and garden architecture The combination is poetic and thought-provoking. Taking West Lake in Hangzhou as an example, Su Causeway is like a rainbow flying over the lake, connecting Baihuazhou, Fanghua, Diancui, Fubi, Lipu and Xixin. It is not only an important landscape, but also plays a role in dividing the water surface. It can adapt to nature, take advantage of people's ease, wait for the labor of water, and play with the Nine Sky Galaxy for a few tables. The scenery changes infinitely with the clear sky: before the sun rises in the east, looking from the Su Di West New Bridge in the distance, the lake seems to be sleeping in a dream. There are no ripples, the sky is clear and crystal clear. At this time, the West Lake is particularly soft and tranquil. Surrounded by mountains in the distance, the water in front of the pavilion is as clear as a mirror, and the forest behind the pavilion is densely shaded, with clear mountains and beautiful water. When the bright moon is in the sky, the moonlight is bright, the sky is blue, and the waves are twinkling. When you are boating on the lake, the breeze is blowing on your face, and the melodious southern music is floating in the distance. It can be said to be a paradise on earth. It is precisely "the vast water and the moon are rippling across the lake and sky, and people standing by the Qianqing Sudi Causeway often glimpse the moon. It can be seen that the moon is in this garden." And when it is drizzling, looking at the lake and mountains, the clouds and mountains are meandering, looming and appearing, as if there is something there. It seems nothing, just like an elegant ink landscape painting. Hui Shouping, a Jiangnan painter in the early Qing Dynasty, once described his feelings in Suzhou gardens: "The long autumn rain in the forest brings a refreshing feeling. I sit alone in the south pavilion and look at the Linqing Pond on the other side of the bank. The road twists and turns, with many tall locust trees, willows, junipers and cypresses standing proudly out of the forest. The embankments are full of hibiscus, red and green, and the sky is clear and clear, making people feel relaxed and relaxed. It is not difficult to see that in his eyes, gardens have become a place where nature and human souls blend together, and have become his poetic residence and spiritual home. The design art of ancient gardens is not only a reflection of functions, but also a reflection of people. The understanding of the spirit of nature is the Taoist philosophy that reflects the impermanence of nature and the mutual complementarity of all things in the world, which guides the design principles of ancient Chinese gardens. 6. The highest realm of "unity of nature and man", Taoist philosophy advocates "the harmony of all things. The free state of "I am one" is considered to be the highest beauty. The origin of "artistic conception", which is extremely important in Chinese garden aesthetics, lies here. In any era, there are always unhappy people and unsolvable problems. For these people, painting pictures, creating gardens, expressing their feelings about mountains and rivers, and finding spiritual connections between nature and themselves are ways to gain pleasure and comfort. However, Taoist philosophy can create a spiritual state for people. It cannot solve problems but can eliminate them, which is what is called "dissolution". Therefore, it is not difficult to find the shadow of Laozhuang in various gardens, famous mountains and temples. The influence of this philosophical thought determines that Chinese gardens will not be a place for showing off, but a place for the owner's emotional sustenance; the object of communication is not the secular world, but a more essential world of nature. This spirit of "harmony between man and nature" is not only the basic spirit of Chinese philosophy, but also the highest spirit of ancient Chinese gardens. The "unity of man and nature" in gardens is mainly reflected in the following aspects: First, the entire gardening concept emphasizes taking creation (nature) as the teacher, and nature as the highest beauty. Ji Cheng, a master gardener in the Ming Dynasty, said: "It creates natural interest by itself, and does not bother people.

"Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty described the beauty of this natural ecology in "Jingming Garden": "If you admire the mountains and ridges, cranes and deers roam, kites and fish enjoy themselves, coupled with the rock pavilions, creek pavilions, fragrant grass and ancient trees, everything has a natural quality. Interesting, people forget about the world. "Second, garden beauty is the unity of natural beauty and artificial beauty. Chinese gardens emphasize adapting to local conditions and making full use of the original landscape and terrain. The artificial landscapes in the garden must also be in harmony with the overall atmosphere, which is both in line with the trend of nature and in line with society. According to the principle, we should not use human power to dig in. Cao Xueqin's setting up a farm in "Dream of Red Mansions" clearly shows that it was made by human power: there was no neighboring village, the distance is as close as possible, there are mountains and mountains on the back, there are no sources of water, and there is no hidden temple in the sky. The tower has no bridge to connect to the city. It is so steep and solitary that it does not seem to be a grand view. (Cao Xueqin's "A Dream of Red Mansions" Chapter 17) Third, the construction of gardens advocates the unity of law and law. Law is a rule, and lawlessness is creation. There is law in the law, and there is no law in the law. Fourth, ancient Chinese gardens give people a sense of spiritual freedom, and this freedom is connected with the spirit of the universe. Connected with the gods and connected with the Tao. The couplet of the Wuzhu Pavilion in the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou goes: "It is cool to borrow the cool breeze and the bright moon, to watch the moving water and the quiet mountains." "Borrowing the wind and the moon, observing the water and the mountains, what an affinity between man and nature. This affinity is based on human empathy. There is a couplet in Canglang Pavilion in Suzhou, which goes: "The breeze and the bright moon are priceless. , there is love near the water and in the mountains far away. "Not only empathize, but also empathize. Confucius said: "The wise enjoy the water, the benevolent enjoy the mountains. "Water has become a symbol of wisdom, and mountains have become a symbol of benevolence. In the eyes of the Chinese, the reason why people can find bosom friends in nature is because the essence of people and nature belongs to one ontology - Tao. This is the "unity of man and nature" ". The artistic pursuit of "unity of man and nature" makes Chinese garden creations attach great importance to the affinity between man and nature, making people feel emotional about the scenery and achieving the blending of scenes. Its rich natural artistic conception gives people inspiration and reverie: "Looking at the Smoke Waves" Think of its vastness and artistic conception, look up to the majestic mountains and feel its momentum. "Moving the sky and shrinking the earth lies in your arms. Outside the human world, you can open up an illusion, allowing people to appreciate the infinite space in a limited garden. Although you are in the garden, you feel like you are in the real and natural mountains and rivers, making it" There are several bamboo poles and several feet of stalagmites. "There are sounds in the wind and rain, shadows in the sun and moon, feelings in the wine and poetry, and companionship in the boredom." "From watching the setting clouds and solitary mist, and the long autumn water in the sky, you enter the illusion of "the sky is high and the sky is high, and you feel the infinity of the universe"; from the artistic conception of "holding distant mountains, swallowing the Yangtze River, vast and boundless", it is sublimated to "first The lofty ideological realm of "worry when the world is worried, and be happy when the world is happy". This is the highest artistic realm pursued by Chinese traditional art: from the limited to the infinite, and then from the infinite to the limited, to achieve forgetfulness of things and self, self-emotion , the natural expression of interest. The cosmology of the unity of man and nature, the humanization of nature, and the humanization of nature have been fully developed and displayed in the creation and design of Chinese gardens. 7. Conclusion Looking at the development of ancient Chinese gardens, we can see that This kind of garden view with the aesthetic characteristics of ancient Chinese people reflected in ancient gardens is by no means limited to the visual experience of shape and color and the general psychological description of human beings' conquest of nature, but more importantly, it is the development of culture. The inevitable product of garden art is to grasp the existence and meaning of human beings through the adjustment of human living environment. The expression form of garden art always complies with the needs of the existence of nature and the humanistic spirit, thus integrating nature and humanities without any fuss. Integrated together, it invisibly creates a feeling of "unity between man and nature", which brings about spiritual relief and wandering. We can find that the artistic style of ancient Chinese gardens is natural and emotional, and it is based on nature. Higher than nature; it is the integration of architectural beauty and natural beauty; it is a re-expression of the artistic conception of landscape poetry and painting; it is the emotional experience and personality support of the ancients' attachment to landscapes and transcendent objects