Chinese Classical Gardens of Suzhou - Tapa dura

Wander through the magnificent ancient gardens of the Suzhou, in the Jiangsu Province, in China, and see why they are among the world's finest architectural and cultural treasures. This superb reference, available for the first time in English, provides an intimate look at the theory and technique, the economic and political climate, and the poetry and philosophy that created these masterpieces. You will gain deep insight not only into the art of gardening in China, but into its historical significance within the context of gardening and landscape design worldwide.
In Part One, you will observe the social and cultural environment in which the gardens developed and flourished more than 1,000 years ago, and which were then nearly destroyed during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). The book details precise design techniques, theories of layout, and methods of management of such natural forms as water, rockeries, flowers, and trees, and the use of walls, corridors, buildings, and bridges to divide limited space into scenic vistas.
In addition, you will get a fascinating picture of the special devices employed by Chinese artisans to create "nature in miniature," contrast, foil effect, relative dimensions, sequence in depth, scenes in contra-position, and the borrowing of a distant scene. You will appreciate the immense respect for the natural landscape, reflected in the "torturous, irregular, and free patterns of arrangement...so different from the regulated geometric patterns of the gardens of continental Europe."
In Part Two, you will actually view the 15 famous existing Suzhou gardens with a heightened level of knowledge and awareness. Vividly illustrated by hundreds of line drawings and rare landscape photographs, they are also complemented by the analytical text of Professor Liu Dun-zhen, one of the foremost architectural historians of modern China. You will see function and design united perfectly to create these simple, delicate, and lovely refuges from the world.
For all architects, landscape architects, art and architectural historians, horticulturists, and students, this book not only abounds with historical insight but also with explicit descriptions of techniques and styles that can be used to design attractive Asian gardens today. You will close this book awed by the beauty and craftsmanship of the Suzhou Gardens, and inspired with creative ideas for your own work.