The Summer Palace

Garden design is an art in China. It is worth noting that the Chinese garden is somewhat different from its counterparts in the rest of the world. Unlike gardens overseas where the physical beauty is the foremost target, Chinese gardens are seen as an intellectual, spiritual, and moral pursuit. Deeply rooted in traditional culture, Chinese garden design has been greatly influenced by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.

 Confucianism and Chinese Garden

Confucianism, the major system of thought in China, developed from the teachings of Confucius and his disciples, and concerns with the principles of good conduct, practical wisdom, and proper social relationships. The keynote of Confucian ethics is jen, variously translated as "benevolence," "humanity," and "human-heartedness."

Jen is a supreme virtue representing human qualities at their best. In human relations, construed as those between two people, jen is manifested in chung, or faithfulness to oneself and others, and shu, or altruism, best expressed in the Confucian golden rule, "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself."

Other important Confucian virtues include righteousness, propriety, integrity, and filial piety.

Politically, Confucius advocated a paternalistic government in which the sovereign is benevolent and honorable and the subjects are respectful and obedient.

In education Confucius upheld the theory, remarkable for the feudal period in which he lived, that "in education, there is no class distinction."

In addition to the social, political, and educational beliefs, Confucianism, borrowing some ideas from Taoism, improved its view towards the relationship between human beings and nature. It contends that human beings and nature should co-exist harmoniously. Therefore, "the unity between human beings and nature" became an uncompromising principle in Chinese garden design. Canglang Pavilion in Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu Province best conveys the idea that its owner regards himself a part of nature.