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The Shao Garden of Mi Wanzhong (1570–1628): revisiting a late Ming landscape through visual and literary sources1

The Shao Garden of Mi Wanzhong (1570–1628): revisiting a late Ming landscape through visual and... Abstract The discourse on Ming gardens, in China or the West, has long drawn upon examples from the Jiangnan region, primarily those in the cities of Suzhou, Nanjing and Hangzhou and their environs.3 Needless to say, this geocentric focus is not only artificial but also greatly limits the understanding of the role gardens played elsewhere in China. For instance, it is not widely appreciated that Beijing, the Ming capital from 1420 to 1644, was also an important centre of garden culture from the mid-fifteenth to the mid-seventeenth centuries. Apart from gardens within the confines of the Forbidden City, there were numerous estates owned by the titled aristocracy and scholar-officials which were known variously for their landscaping, horticultural splendors or architectural features. Until fairly recently, however, the gardens have largely been neglected for scholarly purposes.4 Most of the major gardens in Beijing did not survive the Qing conquest in 1644 and certainly none are to be seen today. Therefore, the study of Ming gardens in the northern capital must rely entirely upon textual records and, from time to time, upon visual representations. Using both written and illustrated sources, this study will consider one of the great landscapes of late Ming Beijing — the Shao Garden (Shao Yuan) belonging to the scholar-official and cultural patron Mi Wanzhong (1570–1628). http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes Taylor & Francis

The Shao Garden of Mi Wanzhong (1570–1628): revisiting a late Ming landscape through visual and literary sources1

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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN
1943-2186
eISSN
1460-1176
DOI
10.1080/14601176.1999.10435581
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract The discourse on Ming gardens, in China or the West, has long drawn upon examples from the Jiangnan region, primarily those in the cities of Suzhou, Nanjing and Hangzhou and their environs.3 Needless to say, this geocentric focus is not only artificial but also greatly limits the understanding of the role gardens played elsewhere in China. For instance, it is not widely appreciated that Beijing, the Ming capital from 1420 to 1644, was also an important centre of garden culture from the mid-fifteenth to the mid-seventeenth centuries. Apart from gardens within the confines of the Forbidden City, there were numerous estates owned by the titled aristocracy and scholar-officials which were known variously for their landscaping, horticultural splendors or architectural features. Until fairly recently, however, the gardens have largely been neglected for scholarly purposes.4 Most of the major gardens in Beijing did not survive the Qing conquest in 1644 and certainly none are to be seen today. Therefore, the study of Ming gardens in the northern capital must rely entirely upon textual records and, from time to time, upon visual representations. Using both written and illustrated sources, this study will consider one of the great landscapes of late Ming Beijing — the Shao Garden (Shao Yuan) belonging to the scholar-official and cultural patron Mi Wanzhong (1570–1628).

Journal

Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes – Taylor & Francis

Published: Sep 1, 1999

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