Page 90 - JCAU-5-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Landscape esthetic characteristics

building the palaces and temples of the landscape and is relationship between people in Qingxu Temple and the
specifically used as columns in Qingxu Temple. While gardens. The landscaping of Qingxu Temple is influenced
slowly-growing trees such as ginkgo, oak, and Chinese by commercial awareness and the mindsets of merchants.
yew offer superior quality as building materials compared Therefore, it emphasizes practicality, making the garden
to Chinese fir, they are often protected in Daoist culture landscape straightforward and easily comprehensible and
due to their association with concepts such as longevity promoting a close conversation between people and the
(Tao, 2015). For example, pine and cypress represent youth garden (Duan, 1994). The Qingxu Temple gardens feature
and longevity, and hence, the landscape prioritizes the open transitional spaces, which reduce the perceived
selection and appropriate planting of slow-growing trees as distance and thus make them more approachable. Such
the landscape foundation, inspired by the Daoist culture’s a layout aligns with the merchants’ psychology to foster
appreciation for natural and harmonious esthetics. social bonds and engage in conversations, and it manifests
Regarding the selection of stone, the Mount Jingfu area a way of enjoying life through the garden. The psychology
offers a variety of stone resources such as weathered stone, and thought can be found in examples such as the Linglong
cut stone, and rounded stone, which are commonly used for Water Pavilion of Panyu Yuyinshan House and the Baiyue
building house foundations, retaining walls, and column Pavilion of Dongguan Ke Garden.
bases, or for paving garden paths (Xu & Wang, 2019). From the viewpoint of landscape elements, Mount
Natural stones without excessive carving or decoration Jingfu’s landscape sets up Fangsheng Pond (a natural water-
often serve as visual focal points in landscape design. These flowing pond) at the entrance, seamlessly integrating with
stones are either collected from Mount Jingfu or left in their the surrounding mountains and forests and coordinating
original location instead of being intentionally transported the differences between artificial and natural scenery.
from other places, which is the exact manifestation of a The pond itself also reflects people’s pursuit of life and
Daoist esthetic concept-conformity to nature. enjoyment. A pond is not only visually appealing but also
serves practical purposes, such as matching a landscape to
3.2. Social milieu
the hot climate of Lingnan by adjusting the microclimate
The second dimension of the esthetic characteristics of Mount and creating a pleasant and comfortable environment
Jingfu’s landscape is determined by economic development, (Ren, 2019). At the garden, in terms of plant configuration,
the spirit of the time, and social customs, which reflects that one can observe a diverse range of fruit trees, including
both the Daoist esthetic culture and folk culture have an loquat, papaya, and longan. The Daoist also utilize the
integrated influence on the land transformation. available area in the garden for cultivating small plots of
farmland and growing fruits, vegetables, and melons for
3.2.1. Demands for seeking pleasure, enjoying leisure, decorative elements and as a food source. Folk esthetics
and embracing diversity manifests itself significantly when economic needs are
The esthetic concept of seeking pleasure and leisure in considered as a way of plant decoration.
Lingnan culture is particularly strong in the journey
to Mount Jingfu’s landscape. Meanwhile, the urban 3.2.2. Spirit of the time that values natural simplicity
middle class tends to prioritize the pursuit of material and innovative exploration
enjoyment and recreational sentiment (Eliade, 2008). The Through its pioneering, innovative, and decorative themes,
combination of the sacred Daoist culture and the lifestyle and its natural, simple color schemes, the Mount Jingfu’s
of Lianzhou, with some adjustment, demonstrates the “Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands” landscape has
characteristics of inclusiveness. Figure 5 shows the cordial formed a Daoist temple garden with a unique Lingnan

Figure 5. Architectural scale creates a sense of intimacy and closeness among people. Source: Drawing by the authors

Volume 5 Issue 2 (2023) 6 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.407