In April 2025, Mr. Wang Qijun's new book "Illustrated Gardens - Unraveling the Beauty and Ingenuity of Chinese Gardens" has been published and distributed by China Machine Press.
This 374-page book introduces more than 30 representative classical gardens in China from a professional perspective. The book contains more than 600 pictures and photos to fully appreciate the essence of Chinese classical gardens, including hundreds of garden scenery pictures drawn by Wang Qijun himself. Readers can taste the design wisdom and artistic beauty of Chinese gardens by reading this book.
To enable readers to understand more intuitively the spatial characteristics and design beauty of traditional Chinese gardens, this book uses a large number of garden bird's-eye views, garden sections, building elevations and garden photos, supplemented by concise text descriptions, so that readers can understand the history, characteristics, elements, combination rules and characteristics of garden architecture of Chinese gardens while enjoying a wealth of garden images, and obtain more information and knowledge in a relaxed state.
Chengde Mountain Resort in Hebei Province.
The courtyard in front of a hall named Baishi Pavilion in Yiyuan Garden, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.
This book takes the types of gardens as the content clue and is mainly divided into seven major parts: garden history, imperial gardens, private gardens, folk landscape gardens, garden architecture, garden design and garden implication. The language is straightforward and easy to understand, suitable for all kinds of readers.
Yanbo Zhishuang Hall in Chengde Mountain Resort, Hebei Province.
The Hall of Holy Mother and the Hall of Offering in Jinci Temple, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, and the Fish Pond and Flying Bridge.
In the part of garden history, this book tells about the three-thousand-year garden development process of China. From the fairy mountain pavilions in gardens during the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC - AD 220), to the wild charm of scholar gardens in the Wei and Jin dynasties (220 - 589), and then to the grand and magnificent atmosphere of gardens in the Sui and Tang dynasties (581 - 907). Finally, by the Song dynasty (960 - 1279), Chinese gardens had developed into an exquisite and mature form. In garden construction during this period, people comprehensively used elements such as plants, lake stones and couplets to create the artistic conception of gardens. Finally, by the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Chinese gardens had presented different composition models such as imperial gardens, private gardens and public gardens.
The imaginary restoration map of Jianzhang Palace in the Han Dynasty.
The restoration map of the Western-style buildings in Yuanmingyuan, Beijing.
The entrance of Canglang Pavilion in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
Imperial gardens are a fusion and splendor, with the characteristics of huge scales, reflecting the scenery of heaven and earth. The imperial inner court gardens present a landscape of mountains and waters within the red walls and yellow tiles; The imperial garden of the Forbidden City is a continuation of the sacred space of the palace; the Summer Palace is a miniature of heaven and earth in the emperor's embrace. The South Sea, Central Sea and North Sea are natural landscapes with endless beauty; the Old Summer Palace is the garden of all gardens; the Mountain Resort in Chengde shows the hot spring cloud town outside the Great Wall.
Suzhou Street in the Summer Palace in Beijing, that is, the fake commercial street built by the emperor in his own garden.
Qin'an Hall in the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City, Beijing.
Huayouzhong, a group of buildings in the Summer Palace in Beijing.
The fountain in the Western-style buildings of Yuanmingyuan in Beijing - Dashuifa.
Private gardens are elegant and secluded, reflecting the literary heart of poetic and picturesque. In Yangzhou's Geyuan Garden, there are four rockeries representing different seasons in one garden; Yangzhou's He Garden is a model of large private gardens in Yangzhou; Wuxi's Jichang Garden is a garden that was visited by the two emperors Kangxi (1662 - 1722) and Qianlong (1736 - 1795) a total of fourteen times. Many of the inner gardens of imperial gardens are designed according to the landscaping in this garden. Xiaolianzhuang in Nanxun, Zhejiang, has both traditional and modern styles; Shihu Garden in Weifang is an elegant and beautiful small garden in the north; Lingnan (Guangdong Province) gardens are beautiful gardens created by high-rise buildings and fragrant fruits; Suzhou gardens reflect the forests within a short distance in the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River.
The panorama of He Garden in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
Yilan Pavilion in Shihu Garden, Weifang City, Shandong Province.
The courtyard in Yuyin Mountain House in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province.
Daiyue Pavilion in Wangshi Garden, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
Folk landscape gardens are beautiful pictures naturally created, with the characteristics of lush vegetation and natural formation. Yongcui Mountain Villa in Suzhou is a small mountain garden winding up Mount Huqiu; the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon in West Lake, Hangzhou, is always beautiful whether with heavy or light makeup. The Misty Rain Tower in Nanhu, Jiaxing, towers over the blue waves. The Orchid Pavilion in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, has a thousand-year legacy of the winding water cup floating. The Slender West Lake in Yangzhou has clear and clean water; Jinci in Shanxi is a sacrificial garden with a long history.
Huabu Xiaozhu in Liuyuan Garden, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
Jinci Temple in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province.
Yanyu Tower in Chengde Mountain Resort, Hebei Province.
Daguan Tower in Kunming City, Yunnan Province.
The design of Chinese classical gardens is a miniature mountain and valley, with a combination of spaciousness and seclusion. Garden rockeries are extremely strange and natural in charm; garden waters are clear and serene, deep and dense; garden spaces are balanced and well-proportioned in layout, with degrees of openness and closure; garden pavements are like blooming flowers underfoot; plant arrangements are like blooming flowers and trees, with picturesque postures.
The wind sound cave behind the rockery symbolizing winter in Geyuan Garden, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
The rockery and water surface in Geyuan Garden, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
The rockery composed of stalagmites and green bamboos symbolizing spring in Geyuan Garden, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
In short, the greatest characteristic of traditional Chinese gardens is their profound cultural implication, that is, condensed poetry and pleasant painting. Garden culture reflects the literary heart and painting realm; garden artistic conception is tangible sentiment and intangible charm.
The bird's-eye view of Chengde Mountain Resort, Hebei Province.
Lion Grove Garden in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
The inner garden gate of Geyuan Garden in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
The author of this book, Wang Qijun, is a Canadian artist and a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China. Art consultant of The Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture (MCGALA). Honorary president of the Ancient Architecture Branch of the Chinese Yuanmingyuan Society. He is also the author of the "Illustrated Dictionary Series" and the "Language of Architecture" series of books. Wang Qijun is the winner of the Taiwan Golden Tripod Award. Winner of the second "National Book Award" in China. He is also one of the 60 representative painters selected by the National Art Museum of China and the China Film Association in 2009 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. His books are published in the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and other countries. His books have been translated into Latin, Russian, German, etc. and spread all over the world. He is an expert in researching traditional Chinese gardens and architecture.
Xiaofeihong, a bridge with corridors in Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.
Guo's Villa in the suburbs of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
