MIT Libraries logoDome

MIT
View Item 
  • Dome Home
  • Visual Collections
  • Architecture, Urban Planning, and Visual Arts
  • View Item
  • Dome Home
  • Visual Collections
  • Architecture, Urban Planning, and Visual Arts
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Humble Administrator's Garden

Wen, Zhengming; Wang, Xiancheng
Thumbnail
Download2A2-C-SU-HAG-P8_cp.jpg (662.6Kb)
Alternate file
2A2-C-SU-HAG-P8_sv.jpg (2.083Mb)
2A2-C-SU-HAG-P8_tm.jpg (26.17Kb)
Alternative Titles
Zhuozheng Yuan
拙政园
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.3/90115
Date
1513-1551
Description
Mountain in View Tower (Jianshan Lou, 見山樓), zigzagging bridge; The garden's site was a scholar garden during the Tang Dynasty, and later a monastery garden for the Dahong Temple during the Yuan Dynasty. In 1513, during the Ming Dynasty reign of Emperor Zhengde, an administrator (censor) named Wang Xianchen (Wang Xiancheng) appropriated the temple and converted it into a private villa with gardens, which were constructed by digging lakes and piling the resultant earth into artificial islands. Following his retirement in 1522 it was frequented by many important artists in the Ming Dynasty. Wen Zhengming had his Tingyun studio near there. Its large open vistas emphasize water, and although today it is largely remodelled, its initial appearance can be envisaged through the many paintings it inspired. Wen completed a series of 31 views on album leaves in 1533 and another shorter series of eight in 1551. Today's garden is only very loosely related to its earliest version, but closely resembles its late Qing appearance, with numerous pavilions and bridges set among a maze of connected pools and islands. It consists of three major parts set about a large lake: the central part (Zhuozheng Yuan), the eastern part (once called Guitianyuanju, Dwelling Upon Return to the Countryside), and a western part (the Supplementary Garden). The house lies in the south of the garden. In total, the garden contains 48 different buildings with 101 tablets, 40 stelae, 21 precious old trees, and over 700 Suzhou-style penjing/penzai (miniature trees and rockeries). Source: Cultural China; http://www.cultural-china.com/ (accessed 7/27/2010)
Type of Work
garden
Subject
architecture, botanical, decorative arts, landscape, Gardens, water gardens, landscape gardens, Ming, Qing, Zhengde
Rights
© Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc.
Rights Statement
Licensed for educational and research use by the MIT community only
Metadata
Show full item record

Collections
  • Architecture, Urban Planning, and Visual Arts

Browse

All of DomeCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateCreatorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateCreatorsTitlesSubjects

My Account

Login
MIT Libraries
PrivacyPermissionsAccessibilityContact us
MIT
Content created by the MIT Libraries, CC BY-NC unless otherwise noted. Notify us about copyright concerns.