Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 11, 2025

Exploring the Essential Features of Chinese Gardens through the Concept of “Natural Painting”

(Abstract)

Zhu Liangzhi

The concept of “natural painting” encapsulates the essential features of Chinese gardens in four respects. First, emphasizing “naturalness” establishes a cosmological perspective, expressed in the notion of “taking heaven and earth as my dwelling,” which views the garden as a tranquil abode between heaven and earth. Second, the principle of “letting heavenly craftsmanship reveal the essence of things” seeks to transcend human-centered attempts to impose order on the world through knowledge by rejecting artificial order, instead embracing the intrinsic logic of life within heaven and earth. Third, “naturalness” does not imply passivity toward nature but emphasizes the transformation of knowledge into wisdom and the creation of unique human experiences. Fourth, the garden constitutes a poetic realm within secular life—“natural painting,” at its core, is a portrait of lived experience. These qualities reflect the fundamental orientation of Chinese gardens: prioritizing lived experience, the cultivation of life’s spiritual dimension, and the unity of heaven, earth, humanity, and all beings. The design principles in Chinese gardens and the life wisdom embodied within continue to hold profound relevance for contemporary artistic creation and aesthetic life.