Painterly Landscape Gardening: Liu Dunzhen’ s Contemporary Practice of Rockery Making in Zhan Garden

Liu Dunzhen's innovative approach to rockery making in Zhan Garden demonstrates the successful modernization of traditional Chinese gardening concepts, particularly 'painterly landscape gardening.' By integrating techniques from classical painting, such as Yan Ciping's 'Small Axe-cut Texture Stroke' and Ni Zan's 'Bent-ribbon Texture Stroke,' Liu created a harmonious blend of artistic expression and functional design. The study reveals that his method involved three key steps: conceiving the rockery form, selecting referential paintings, and adapting to stone materials during construction. This practice not only preserved traditional gardening wisdom but also provided valuable insights for contemporary landscape architecture, showcasing an effective translation of pictorialism into modern garden design.

ZHANG, Z., LIU, S., & HUANG, X. (2024). Painterly Landscape Gardening: Liu Dunzhen’ s Contemporary Practice of Rockery Making in Zhan Garden. Landscape Architecture, 31(8), 65–72. https://doi.org/10.3724/j.fjyl.202406030307