Study on the restoration and characteristics of the entrance space of Zuoyin Garden in Huizhou

Abstract

Zuoyin Garden, built by Huizhou dramatist and publisher Wang Tingne in the late Ming Dynasty, is one of the most representative private gardens in Huizhou, China, and has increasingly attracted scholars’ attention in recent years. Chinese traditional gardens have always focused on the selection, design and organization of the entrance. The entrance space of Zuoyin Garden is different from other gardens in Huizhou, which is the focus of this paper. Based on the analysis of the long scroll print of Huizhou, the Garden View of Huancui Hall and the Notes of Huancui Hall of Mr. Zuoyin, this paper attempts to restore the layout relationship and spatial appearance of the entrance area of Zuoyin Garden, and analyzes its construction characteristics from a streamline and function perspective. The result shows that in the entrance construction of the Zuoyin Garden in late Ming dynasty, some characteristics of Huizhou garden construction are reflected, and the complex and contradictory mentality of the garden owner Wang Tingne is presented. The processing of the entrance space meets the activity requirements of different groups and functions, and reflects the characteristics of excursion, publicness and openness rarely observed in private gardens. This expands the research content of the garden in Huizhou and may be used for reference in contemporary landscape design.

Keywords:

• Zuoyin garden
• Huizhou garden
• entrance space
• restoration
• Garden View of Huancui Hall
• Notes of Huancui Hall of Mr. Zuoyin

SUBJECTS:

• Art & Visual Culture
• Design
• Social & Cultural History
• Cultural Studies

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Lincoln Geraghty, School of Media and Performing Arts, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Xiaoyu Han,Shuting Xia, Jun Wang and Bo Wu (Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China) for their assistance in drawing and modeling.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current tudy are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The research is financially supported by Humanities and Social Science Fund of Ministry of Education of China (23YJA760102).

Notes on contributors

Min Yan

Min Yan a PhD student at school of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and an associate Professor of College of Architecture and Art, Hefei University of Technology. Main research field: history and culture of Landscape Architecture, Protection of architectural heritage.