shanshui
In Chinese, for “mountains and water.” In gardens, fantastic rocks represent the rugged grandeur of China’s great mountains, and a pool or a stream – a reminder of the restorative qualities of water. Together the shimmering splashing water and the immovable rocks exemplify the complementary polarities of yin (dark, void, soft, yielding, wet, cool) and yang (bright, solid, hard, unyielding, dry, hot), a conceptualization of the world that underlies much Chinese thought and art. One of the principles of Chinese garden design is the use of walls and openings to create the illusion of space beyond space. Photo from Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, 2015.