| 摘要: |
| 以晚明南京士人园林为研究对象，基于儒道交融的思想传统与“仕隐张力”的内在驱动，通过文献考据与空间分析相结合的方法，系统探讨其文化基因、空间分异特征及社会功能。以《游金陵诸园记》《留都见闻录》为核心史料，辅以舆图、诗文与图像资料，揭示士人园林构建的“城市山林”与“山水载道”双重空间范式。研究表明：私家园林以“市隐”为核心理念，通过缩景摹写、亲水选址等手法，在城南水系节点形成集聚格局，实践“居尘出尘”的隐逸理想；公共园林依托城郊山水形胜，以开放性景观转译儒家公共伦理，推动市民共享与文化互动。二者共同构成“私域修身”与“公域济世”的互补结构，其空间分布与漕运经济、士林社交及市民活动深度耦合。园林不仅是士人调和庙堂与林泉的精神庇护所，更通过空间秩序重构、身心调适机制及文化遗产层积逻辑，深化南京“山水城林”一体化的营城智慧。以期为江南园林遗产的价值认知与保护实践提供了理论支撑。 |
| 关键词: 士人园林 空间格局 文化基因 私家园林 公共园林 健康人居 |
| DOI： |
| 分类号:TU986.1 |
| 基金项目:国家社会科学基金项目“我国中心城市的韧性城市空间重构体系研究”（编号：21BSH039） |
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| Private to Public: Spatial Differentiation and Social Functions of Scholar Gardens in Late Ming Nanjing |
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Jiao Dian1, Tang Lina2, Zhao Mingzhe1, Tang Jian1
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1.Dalian University of Technology;2.School of Design and Art, Shenyang Jianzhu University
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| Abstract: |
| Late Ming Nanjing scholar-gentry gardens stand as outstanding representatives of classical Chinese garden art at its zenith. Their spatial forms and social functions were profoundly rooted in the complementary Confucian-Daoist intellectual tradition and the inherent spiritual structure of the ‘tension between officialdom and seclusion’. Garden construction during this period not only reflected the complex spiritual pursuits of the scholar-official class, but also engaged in deep-seated interaction with Nanjing's unique status as the retained capital, its grain transport economy, and its landscape configuration. This study employs Wang Shizhen's Records of Visiting the Gardens of Jinling and Wu Yingji's Notes on the Capital as core historical sources. Integrating local cartography, literati poetry and prose, alongside extant pictorial materials, it adopts a combined approach of textual investigation and spatial analysis to systematically elucidate the cultural DNA, spatial differentiation characteristics, and multifaceted social functions of Nanjing's literati gardens.
The research reveals that late Ming Nanjing scholar gardens exhibited a pronounced spatial dichotomy between public and private domains. Private gardens, centred on the concept of ‘urban seclusion,’ were predominantly concentrated at key nodes along the Qinhuai water system in the southern city, such as Wuding Bridge, Xinqiao, and Sanshan Gate. These gardens capitalised on the geographical advantages and water-based landscape resources afforded by the canal transport economy. Through traditional techniques like miniature landscape replication and water-channeling with artificial hills, they constructed idealised ‘worlds within a teapot’ within the city's high-density built environment, serving as spiritual vessels for scholars to realise their reclusive ideal of ‘dwelling amidst the dust yet transcending it’. In spatial layout, these private gardens often adjoined the Imperial Music Academy, temples, or aristocratic residences. This proximity ensured practical convenience while achieving seclusion amidst bustle through the design principle of ‘neighbours near in custom, yet gates closed to clamour’.
Public gardens, meanwhile, primarily drew upon the natural landscapes of suburban mountains such as Qixia, Niushou, and Qingliang, alongside lakes like Mochao. Through open-plan landscaping and cultural symbolism, they translated Confucian ethics of benevolence towards people and things, and the cultivation of local communities, into tangible spatial practices. Such gardens not only provided recreational spaces for citizens but also served as vital vehicles for the literati class to engage in local cultural development and social governance. In their construction, public gardens transcended the ‘visual simulation’ limitations of private gardens, emphasising immersive bodily experiences within authentic landscapes. Through ‘borrowed scenery’ and path organisation, they intensified visitors' spatial perceptions.
This spatial differentiation pattern deeply integrated with Nanjing's natural geography – characterised by the unity of ‘mountains, waters, city, and forests’ – and its urban economic development driven by canal transport. Nanjing's unique topography – with Zhongshan Mountain coiling like a dragon and Shicheng Hill crouching like a tiger – alongside the Qinhuai River network, provided an exceptional natural foundation for garden creation. Concurrently, the capital's special political status attracted a concentration of imperial examination elites, fostering a distinctive ‘urban recluses’ cultural paradigm. Gardens thus became social hubs for ‘literary gatherings’ and cultural power arenas.
From a deeper cultural perspective, garden activities reconfigured Nanjing's spatial order and social functions. Private gardens mirrored the macrocosm of natural landscapes through micro-scale ‘worlds within a teapot,’ while public gardens linked suburban scenic spots via open networks, forming a multi-tiered, functionally complementary landscape system. This spatial structure not only fulfilled the dual aspirations of the literati class – cultivating virtue in private domains and serving the world in public spheres – but also provided corresponding venues for activities across different social strata, enhancing the city's spatial inclusivity and complexity.
More significantly, Nanjing's scholar gardens exemplify a continuously evolving mechanism of ‘cultural stratification’. Through sustained scholarly gatherings, poetic inscriptions, restoration efforts, and interpretive activities, value systems and social memory were perpetually infused into the physical space. Conversely, the spatial form sustained and reinforced cultural identity, creating a dynamically co-constructed and continually evolving heritage tradition. Taking the area around the pagoda at Hongjue Temple on Niushan Mountain as an example, its value lies not merely in a single ancient monument or scenic spot, but in the superimposed fusion of the natural beauty of ‘Niushan's misty haze’, historical relics, and contemporary practices. Each generation adds new meaning to the material and spiritual layers left by their predecessors, forming a ‘web of meaning’ laden with rich historical information.
This study, adopting a perspective of spatial-social interaction, reveals the multifaceted functions of late Ming Nanjing literati gardens as both cultural capital and ethical vessels. It deepens our understanding of the collaborative wisdom in constructing the ‘landscape-city-garden’ triad within the Jiangnan region. The study's value lies not only in the restoration and interpretation of historical landscapes but also in providing insights for contemporary urban cultural development: Firstly, the wisdom of respecting natural foundations and ‘shaping landscapes according to terrain’ offers a reference for constructing modern urban ecological networks and distinctive urban character; Secondly, the layered conservation approach treating cultural spaces as ‘living entities’ demands moving beyond static preservation of ‘original states’ to focus on the holistic value and living transmission of information accumulated across different periods. Thirdly, the garden's paradigm of balancing ‘private enjoyment’ and ‘shared use’ offers historical insights for high-density cities seeking to meet diverse needs and enhance residents' physical and mental wellbeing. Deeply excavating and transforming these spatial wisdoms rooted in regional cultural DNA constitutes an effective pathway for perpetuating urban cultural continuity and shaping distinctive human habitats. |
| Key words: Scholar Gardens Spatial Pattern Cultural Gene Private Gardens Public Gardens Healthy Living Environment |
