In the design and construction of modern Chinese gardens, harmony is a central symbol woven throughout the creative process. Garden designers strive to craft harmonious environments through thoughtful landscapes. This symbolism of harmony is expressed in two primary forms: the first, the harmony of yin and yang which rooted in Taoist philosophy that reflecting a balance and unity; and the second is the harmony of contemporary natural ecology, focuses on the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature, emphasizing how to achieve harmonious coexistence in today’s society. This research adopts a studio practice approach to explore the specific representations of harmony through experimentation and context-driven explorations within the studio. The works of Deng Guoyuan, Damien Hirst, and Yuichi Hirako are the three key artists featured in the research. Their works centered around the theme of gardens, showcasing the relationship between humans and nature through their unique perspectives and expressions. The project examines the dynamic relationship and evolving sense of harmony in nature, as well as the rhythm of life through the lens of time. This research could enhance understanding of how plant landscaping in contemporary Chinese gardens embodies cultural and symbolic meanings tied to the seasons. By visualizing these concepts, the study underscores the importance of preserving and interpreting traditional cultural values in modern contexts. It also offers opportunities for further exploration into the intersection of nature, symbolism, and cultural heritage in contemporary design practices.
Beate, R. (2020). Deng Guoyuan and Deng Jianjin Exhibition. Sohu. Retrieved from https://www.sohu.com/a/436086741_541698
Bellos, A. A. (2024). Damien Hirst's "The Secrets": A journey into nature and human ambition. amNewYork. https://www.amny.com/news/damien-hirsts-the-secrets-art/
Betty. (2015). Deng Guoyuan—Finding the Entrance to Nature in the Garden. Modern 02. Retrieved from http://www.moderno2.com/?p=30285
Cao, C. (2021, February). The Ecological Concept Based on Big Data is Integrated into the Strategy Analysis of Landscape Design. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1744, No. 2, p. 022021). IOP Publishing.
Chen, D. R., & Wang, Q. (2007). Trees in South China gardens: Banyan and Ficus elastica. Guangdong Landscape Gardening, 01, 80.
Chen, J., Tian, W., & Huang, Y. (2020). Construction Strategy of Regional Plant Landscape in Urban Gardens. In E3S Web of Conferences, Vol. 194, p. 5-36. EDP Sciences.
Chen, X., & Wu, J. (2009). Sustainable landscape architecture: implications of the Chinese philosophy of “unity of man with nature” and beyond. Landscape Ecology, 24, 1015-1026.
Ding, H. J., Jiang, J., Zhang, J. C. (2019). Regional variation and factor analysis of soil permeability. J. Soil Water Conserv. 33, 51–56.
Fu, J. J., Tang, X. X. (2019). Naturalistic, Harmonious, and Emotional: An Aesthetic Study of Plants of Chinese Gardens in the Qing Dynasty. Journal of Literature and Art Studies, 9(12), 1326-1332.
Guo-ping, L. (2018). Research on Sustainable Development of China’s Environment from the Perspective of Harmony between Man and Nature. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 199(2), 22-37.
Hoyle, H., Hitchmough, J. and Jorgensen, A. (2017b) ‘Attractive, climate-adapted and sustainable? Public perception of non-native planting in the designed urban landscape’, Landscape and Urban Planning, 164, 49–63. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.03.009
Huang, Z., Dong, J., Chen, Z., Zhao, Y., Huang, S., Xu, W. & Fu, W. (2022). Spatiotemporal characteristics of public recreational activity in urban green space under summer heat. Forests, 13(8), 1268.
Jafari, H. (2024). Application of Taoist Principles and Feng Shui in Urban Spaces (Landscaping and Garden Design). Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, Law, and Politics, 3(3).
Jakupi, A. B. (2016). Landscape Architecture as Environmental Harmony. International Journal of Contemporary Architecture” The New ARCH, 3(3), 43-50.
Lee, Y. T., Yang, H., & Wang, M. (2009). Daoist harmony as a Chinese philosophy and psychology. Peace and Conflict Studies, 16(1), 68-81.
Li, Y. (2006). An exploration of designed water in traditional and contemporary Chinese landscape architecture (Doctoral dissertation, University of Guelph).
Li, Z. (2017, June). The Influence and Application of Aesthetic Art on Garden Landscape Design. In 2017 2nd International Conference on Education, Sports, Arts and Management Engineering (ICESAME 2017), (pp. 192-199). Atlantis Press.
Lin, L., & Xu, X. Z. (2018). A preliminary analysis of the application of aquatic plants in ecological wetland parks. Flowers, 06, 126.
Liu, W. P. (2017). The realm of heaven and humanity: An ecological aesthetic interpretation of the coexistence model between Hangzhou city and West Lake. Beijing: China Social Sciences Press.
Morckel, V. (2015). Community gardens or vacant lots? Rethinking the attractiveness and seasonality of green land uses in distressed neighborhoods. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 14(3), 714-721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.06.012
Pang, J. (2012). Ideas and tradition behind Chinese and Western landscape design.
Qi, Z. (2023). The Influence of Art Philosophy on Chinese Classical Garden Landscape Design. International Journal of Education and Humanities, 11(2), 241-244.
Salsedo, C. A. (2008). Cultivating a Relationship with Nature through Gardening.
Sun, Y. (2013). Principles for contemporary Chinese landscape design practice (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia).
?wi?cki M., Latkowska M.J., 2014: Chinese Garden Art – A Living Tradition Technical Transactions Architecture 6-A/2014, 241–254.
Thomaz, S. M. (2023).Ecosystem services provided by freshwater macrophytes. Hydrobiologia, 850(12), 2757-2777.
Wang, X. F. (2014). A survey and configuration study of aquatic plants in the West Lake Scenic Area of Hangzhou (Master's thesis). Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Westall, M. (2023, September 28). Damien Hirst new paintings to be shown at Frieze by Gagosian. FAD Magazine. https://fadmagazine.com/2023/09/28/damien-hirst-new-paintings-to-be-shown-at-frieze-by-gagosian/
Williams, M. (2023). Socialized Ideologies, Literary Gardens, and Resultative Environmentalism.
Xu, Y. (2024). Chinese Cultural Landscapes: From the ideal of a balanced bond between humans and nature to ecological forms of life. Trans/Form/Ação, 47(4), e0240067.
Yin, Y. Research on the Role and Development Trend of Landscape Design in Urban Construction.
You, C.Y. (2019) Elaboration on Chinese Style Landscape Design Based on Taoist Thought and Culture. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 7, 115-125
Zhang, S. (2022). Painting Protests: The (Dis) Harmonious Relationship between Nature and Humans in My Art.
Zhang, W., Tang, X., He, X., & Lai, S. (2018). Attentional bias to beauty with evolutionary benefits: Evidence from aesthetic appraisal of landscape architecture. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 71. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00071
Zhongxin, L. I. (2014). Application of plants in Chinese garden landscape. Canadian Social Science, 10(5), 143.
Zhou, Y. (1996). Cross-cultural significance of connotative meaning in architecture: a comparison of Chinese, British, and American interpretations of meaning in Chinese Gardens (Doctoral dissertation, Texas Tech University).
Zhu, B. (1998). Works of Zhu Bokun. Shenyang: Shenyang Publishing House.
Zhao, J., & Sedon, M. F. (2025). Visualising the Harmonious and Symbolic Meaning of Spring and Summer Plant Landscaping in Contemporary Chinese Gardens through Painting. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(3), 908–921.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
