聚會之地——中國文人的花園

Margaret Trey

For centuries， the traditional Chinese garden has been an idyllic paradise and a source of creative inspiration for scholars and artists. In traditional Chinese culture， the garden is a place to discover ones self. The garden serves as a place for self-cultivation， solitary contemplation， as well as for social or literary gatherings.

For the first time， the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art displays its entire permanent collection of artwork celebrating these recurring themes in Chinese gardens.

Maxwell Hearn （Metropolitan Museum Asian Art Department Head）： It introduces one thousand years of Chinese painting history， all focused on the theme of Chinese gardens， and how gardens have been an inspiration throughout the centuries.

Another recurring theme focuses on how gardens serve as a venue for literary gatherings. This is best illustrated in the Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion—a hand scroll in ink and color on paper. It tells the story of a well-known calligrapher Wang Xizhi and his friends meeting at the Orchid Pavilion to hold a poetry competition. Cups of wine float downstream， as poets compose their verses by the meandering river.

Maxwell： This legend， of this extraordinary outdoor gathering， was a terrific inspiration for later garden designers who often love to create these winding waterways.

Water has a special symbolic meaning in a Chinese scholars garden. It represents the essence of life. Hence waterfalls and waterways in the garden symbolize the flow and rejuvenation of life.

Likewise， rocks have a special meaning in traditional Chinese gardens.

Four types of rocks are used in The New York Chinese Scholars Garden. These include 1）granite for building rockeries， 2）stalagmite for vertical accents， small goose egg-shaped pebbles on the walkways and the 3）mosaics of the courtyard， and the Tai Hu sculpture rocks.

Rocks play an important role in Chinese poetry and landscape painting—a past time of the Chinese scholars as they seek 4）refuge in the garden.

In the Ming-style garden， rocks， waterways， and plant life thus provide a serene and idyllic setting for the Chinese scholar—as he sits in his garden to do his calligraphy， painting， or write his poetry.

數(shù)百年來，傳統(tǒng)的中國園林都被建造成隱逸仙境，并由此成為文人墨客創(chuàng)作靈感的源泉。在中國傳統(tǒng)文化中，園林是了悟自我的絕佳之地。園林是個(gè)可供陶冶性情、獨(dú)自思考的地方，也是個(gè)供文人雅聚的社交場所。

紐約大都會博物館第一次展出了它全部有關(guān)中國園林這類主題的館藏藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作。

何慕文（大都會博物館亞洲藝術(shù)部主任）：這次展覽同時(shí)介紹了有上千年歷史的中國古典繪畫，都以中國園林為主題，并以此展示了園林對于文人創(chuàng)作的影響。

有一個(gè)反復(fù)出現(xiàn)的主題關(guān)注到了園林作為文人雅聚之地的社交功能，這在這卷《蘭亭修禊圖》字畫手卷中得到了很好的詮釋。它畫的是著名的書法家王羲之與他的友人們在蘭亭舉行賦詩比賽的場景。他們將盛了酒的觴放在溪中，任之由上游浮水徐徐而下，文人們在彎彎曲曲的溪流邊飲酒賦詩。

何慕文：這次聚會盛事為之后的園林設(shè)計(jì)者提供了靈感，所以在園林中常見蜿蜒的流水。

水在中國文人的園林中有著特別的象征意義。它代表著生命之源，因此園林中的瀑布與溪流象征著生命的流動不息與青春活力。

同樣地，山石在中國傳統(tǒng)園林中也有著特殊的意義。

紐約史坦頓島的寄興園中用到了四種石頭，包括用于建造假山的花崗巖，用作豎直景觀造型的石筍石，用來鋪設(shè)走道的小鵝卵石和鋪設(shè)庭院的錦磚，以及便于雕刻造型的太湖石。

中國文人在園林中寄情山水時(shí)以詩歌與山水畫打發(fā)閑暇，而山石在其詩歌與山水畫中占有重要的一席之地。

在明代時(shí)期的園林中，山石、理水和植物為中國文人提供了一處安寧、閑適之地——讓他們能在園林中愜意地練字、作畫、寫詩。