Page 93 - JCAU-5-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Landscape esthetic characteristics

the emotional response of the esthetic subject through of religious rituals and practices can benefit health and
inscriptions, paintings, mythological legends, poetry, and longevity in their daily studies. These activities reveal the
couplets and guides people to process their emotions on desire of Lingnan people for a better life.
their own. Driven by emotions and through imagination Second, the behavioral enlightenment of Daoism
and association, they further enrich their esthetic in religious activities is provided. People gain indirect
experience (Peng & Tang, 2017). Through psychological enlightenment from religious activities in the landscape,
mechanisms such as emotions, imagination, and such as worshiping gods and self-cultivation. People carry
comprehension, the subject projects themselves into the the “Great God” (Dashen, 大神, the most popular figure in
object to achieve integration of the subject with the object the local area) along the street, which means that everyone
and obtain esthetic pleasure, evoking the spatial-temporal will ward off evil spirits and welcome good luck.
perception of the esthetic subject, leading to a harmonious
esthetic concept with nature. Third, it is the social education achieved by Daoism
through charitable practices to educate the public. The
The inscriptions and paintings at Mount Jingfu are vivid renovation funds for Mount Jingfu’s landscape come not
imageries, but the esthetic meanings of them are subtle. only from the daily entrance fees of tourists but also, even
Therefore, when appreciating them, people often need much more, from donations of surrounding residents. On
esthetic associations, relying on other things to produce a special occasions, such as the birthday of an immortal,
corresponding image to the esthetic object (Zhou, 1996). the residents gather spontaneously to make donations in
More importantly, the appreciation of inscriptions and Chongxu Temple. Such charity activities are not only due
murals develops people’s perception, imagination, and to the residents’ need to pray for blessings but also illustrate
rhetorical skills and helps them attain self-cultivation the crucial role of the landscape in esthetic education.
and tranquility. Furthermore, the landscape, as a sacred
religious place, contains a wealth of mythological legends 4. Discussion and conclusions
that reflect people’s life experiences and aspirations in a In the study, we found that the formation of esthetic
joyful and magical way. To some extent, these legends are characteristics of the “Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands”
derived from historical facts and are the product of cultural landscapes was not only dominated by Daoist esthetics but
accumulation. These legends are presented through simple also under the joint influence of multiple ones, such as folk
natural carriers such as stones, flowing water, and old trees, esthetics and highbrow esthetics. Accordingly, in the study
continuously imbuing Mount Jingfu with a divine and of the esthetic characteristics of such landscapes in different
mysterious color, expanding people’s esthetic imagination, regions, Daoist and regional esthetics must be equally
and nurturing a natural and simple esthetic sentiment, emphasized. More importantly, their esthetic connotations
especially for Daoist disciples and visitors. and characteristics must be examined from the perspective
3.3.3. Esthetic education of promoting the way of of regional identity so that people can better understand their
righteousness and nurturing integrity status and values. Besides, the study also found that Daoist,
Confucian, and Buddhist esthetics integrate themselves into
Mount Jingfu’s “Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands” such landscapes. For example, Fangsheng Pond originates
landscape promotes excellent Daoist traditional esthetic from Buddhist culture but is still adopted in the landscape
ideas and moralities by engaging people in worshiping construction of Mount Jingfu’s “Grotto-Heavens and
the immortals and nourishing inner tranquility. People Blissful Lands.” This finding confirms that more esthetic
participate in charitable activities, promoting a favorable and cultural factors have influenced the construction of
social climate, and educating the public. The moral and the “Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands” landscapes, and
esthetic education here serves as an indispensable means further in-depth research is needed in the future.
of cultivating the cognition, sentiments, and moralities of The unique combination of religion and amusement
the people, mainly in three aspects.
in Mount Jingfu’s “Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands”
First, it is the spiritual education of Daoist basic tenets. landscape determines the distinctiveness of its esthetics.
Through various ways, such as promoting Daoist classical This article, based on the Cultural and Regional
discourses and delivering discourse lectures, people are Disposition Theory and with methods such as text analysis
directly educated on thoughts and commandments. and architectural diagrams, elucidates the landscape’s
Different Daoist buildings on the landscape hold different distinctive esthetic characteristics whose formation has
religious activities. For example, the Daoist practice been influenced by natural conditions, social milieu, and
activities in the Real Lord Temple are divided into morning the local culture. The research results indicate that the
and evening classes (Wang, 2021). The Daoist conduct regional and technical characteristics mainly reflect the

Volume 5 Issue 2 (2023) 9 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.407