The Environmental Aesthetics of the Chinese Garden

British diplomatic texts from the Macartney Mission (1792) reveal how perceptions of Chinese gardens, including Yuanming Yuan and Wanshu Yuan at Chengde's Mountain Resort, were shaped by Romantic environmental aesthetics tied to social class, market liberalism, and orientalism. The analysis exposes enduring biases in Western representations of China, illustrating how these cultural lenses influenced both observed and imagined garden spaces. This study decodes the textual body generated by the embassy, offering insights into the intersection of environmental aesthetics and colonial-era narratives.

Katsuyama, K. (2022). The Environmental Aesthetics of the Chinese Garden. Romantic Environmental Sensibility, 17–33. https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474456470.003.0002