Water as a common reference for monastic lives and spaces in Cistercian and Han Buddhist monasteries

A shared water culture of self-sufficiency and self-cleaning emerges as a universal value linking Cistercian and Han Buddhist monasteries, revealing how water management shaped monastic lives and spaces. The study compares two monastic traditions to demonstrate that water's physical characteristics—such as its form, flow structure, and status—influenced site selection, spatial order, and symbolic meaning. Through case studies and comparative analysis, researchers found that both traditions used water as a strategic tool to transform wilderness into sustainable retreat environments, with implications for the preservation and reconstruction of historical monasteries.

Wang, W., & Feng, J. (2023). Water as a common reference for monastic lives and spaces in Cistercian and Han Buddhist monasteries. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 12(1), 85–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2022.06.006