Landscape Legacies（“大美中国”世界遗产系列报道）
代表作1.
原文：
Editor's note: China is home to 56 UNESCO World Heritage sites. To find out how these natural and cultural gems still shine and continue to inspire the nation in this new era of development, China Daily is running a series of reports covering 10 groups of selected sites from across the country. In this installment, we welcome readers to the tranquil classical gardens of Suzhou, Jiangsu province.
Where heritage takes root
Suzhou gardens provide a glimpse into the past and a narrative for the future, Wang Kaihao reports. Wang Kaihao
Shortly after dawn, the 680-year-old Lion Grove Garden wakes up to the sound of chirping birds and its moist air is suffused with a floral scent. Mist has not evaporated. With a view of pavilions and rockeries and a sip of green tea, early visitors to this garden in downtown Suzhou, Jiangsu province, can feel a sense of Zenlike inner peace.
When a group of monks during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) first constructed this garden, they may have just wanted to enjoy a quiet retreat, tucked away from urban noise. Nonetheless, in the following centuries, this enchanting garden－most notable for its waterside rockeries resembling the shape of lions－has attracted a constant stream of celebrity guests, who have left a long list of poems, paintings and historical anecdotes.
The temple has disappeared in the mists of time, but the Lion Grove Garden is still a must-visit attraction for travelers to Suzhou.
While they will be admiring the same view as their ancient predecessors, against the louder backdrop of the modern world, they may need to work harder to attain a sense of tranquility.
"In recent years, we've tried to restore the historical landscapes of Suzhou's classical gardens, but an exquisite garden cannot be an empty shell," says Bai Lingzhi, deputy director of the planning department of Suzhou Administrative Bureau of Garden and Landscaping.
"We need more creative ideas to usher people into the lifestyle espoused by the gardens and thus promote their aesthetic value in the modern era," she explains.
Consequently, last year, a new project was launched allowing tourists in small groups to reserve places to enter the garden in the early morning before the regular opening time. Their visit ends with them completing the last step in making a traditional folding fan, adding a poem about the garden on its surface.
It is a poetic way to reminisce about the golden age of Suzhou's classical gardens.
"The experience can help us understand the wisdom, refined taste and philosophical worldview of the ancient Chinese literati," Bai explains.
Reflect:A blossoming culture embracing nature
Not every architectural landmark is grand in scale, with splendid decorations, or dazzling colors. Suzhou gardens may just be the opposite.
In 1997 and 2000, nine of the best-known classical gardens of Suzhou, including Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden and Great Wave Pavilion, were inscribed onto the World Heritage List. As UNESCO remarks: "Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to re-create natural landscapes in miniature, is nowhere better illustrated than in the nine gardens.… The gardens reflect the profound metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture."
Great Wave Pavilion, the oldest extant garden in Suzhou, was first built in the 11th century, though the earliest private garden in the city appeared in historical documentation in the fourth century, according to Cao Guangshu, director of Suzhou Administrative Bureau of Garden and Landscaping.
The 16th to 18th centuries witnessed the peak time of Suzhou classical gardens, following the rise of the city as an economic hub, playing host to around 250 gardens.
Some were inevitably lost to time, but some of the more recent ones kept blossoming. A comprehensive survey from 2015 to 2018 showed that the city is home to 108 classical gardens, 57 of which are in the historical neighborhood of Gusu district.
"Suzhou gardens reveal people's adoration of nature by mixing elements of different natural landscapes into their designs," says He Fengchun, director of the Suzhou Institute of Landscape Architecture Design and a veteran in the conservation of the gardens. "They inspire us to pursue harmony with the world around us.
"Visiting a garden is like unrolling a traditional Chinese landscape painting," she further explains. "So, like paintings, ancient Chinese philosophy and morals are hidden in the details of the gardens."
For example, when choosing plant varieties, people preferred plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums, which are hailed as the "four nobles" by the Chinese literati, representing the noble spirits of traditional culture.
The Craft of Gardens, or Yuanye, the first Chinese treatise on the art of gardening, was published in 1634, and has been a lasting guideline for the development of gardens not only in China, but also in Japan and other countries.
Perhaps, Suzhou gardens epitomize a famous line in the book. It wrote: "Though being artificial, they seemed like natural wonders."
"Unlike their Japanese counterparts, which often follow rigid design formats and unveil the pathos of things, people want to maintain an emotional affinity with nature in Suzhou gardens," He explains. "That affection for life thus brings more diverse scenery and a cozier living environment."
In centuries past, Suzhou also largely directed the development of ancient Chinese landscape gardens as a whole.
For instance, Suzhou gardens were among the favorite destinations of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors when touring southward from Beijing. Emperor Qianlong (1711-99) visited Lion Grove Garden six times.
"If it were not for the emperors' love for Suzhou gardens and their desire to 'transplant' them northward, would there be those grand royal gardens like Chengde Mountain Resort?" He asks.
Regardless of whether those classical gardens in Suzhou were once owned by high officials or nobles, literati or artists, as well as business tycoons, their days as residences have long gone. Nonetheless, these "pearls scattered on a piece of jadeite", as the city's gardens are described by He, have lasting legacies, guiding people how to live.
"With the basic colors of white and black, they set an elegant tone for the following development of Suzhou," she says. "So we rarely see tawdry design in the modern urban construction of this city. The aesthetics of the gardens also inspire us to think about how to create a poetic living environment at home."
For Bai, from the garden administration, the 108 gardens form a cultural network and create a continuous path through time and space that paves the ethos of this city. She says further display of their values can contribute to transforming the whole city into a "park", delivering benefits far beyond tourism.
"Managing a city is more than governing land. People now dig deeper into history and can, as such, delicately cultivate a city's growth in a way that suits them," she says. "Ecological protection and many other urban infrastructure projects can learn from the design ideals of the classical gardens."
Zhu Haijun, director of Suzhou Conservation and Monitoring Center for the Classical Gardens of World Cultural Heritage, considers education programs for the young generation as key to passing down the intangible legacy for the future.
"The future destiny of the classical gardens is in their hands," he says. "We'd like to plant a seed in their hearts so that the gardens can continue to thrive through the ages."
As night falls in the Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest among the 108 sites, soft light and a melody imbued with a sense of antiquity combine to evoke a memory of ancient literati, under a silvery moon.
By a pond, artists deliver Kunqu performances, an ancient local opera famed for its elegant movements and lyrics, which was listed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001. Digitized versions of traditional Suzhou paintings are projected onto the walls giving the impression of slightly waving in the breeze. It is another immersive visiting program that began last year.
The subtle grace of the gardens still flows via the languid canals that snake across Suzhou. Hardly felt, their strength in shaping the city's character seems to linger forever.
译文：
编者按：中国拥有56项联合国教科文组织登记在册的世界遗产。这些自然和文化的瑰宝何以闪耀依旧？又如何在新时代对国家的发展有所启迪？《中国日报》的“大美中国”系列报道将在全国范围内选取十组遗产地。在本期当中，我们欢迎读者来到江苏苏州，步入静谧的古典园林。
苏州园林：文化遗产，根植于斯
苏州园林给予世人对于过往的惊鸿一瞥，而它所娓娓道来的也关乎我们的未来，请看来自王恺昊的报道。
晨光熹微，伴随着鸟儿的啭鸣和弥漫于氤氲空气里的花香，680岁的狮子林醒来了。此时的晨雾尚未散去。望一眼亭台与假山，抿一口绿茶，早早到来的游客在江苏省苏州市中心的这座园林里感到了几分禅意与内心的安宁。
狮子林始建于元代（1271-1368）。当几位禅师最初兴建这座园子的时候，他们可能只是想要远离尘嚣而求得一片安静的归隐之所。然而，在往后的数百年间，这座园子却因其迷人的魅力，特别是那水畔形若狮子的怪石假山，使得登门的名人贵客络绎不绝——他们留下了不胜枚举的诗篇画作与历史典故。
岁月消逝，当年的寺庙已不复存在。但对于来到苏州的游人来说，狮子林依然是他们必须一看的胜地。
与古时的前辈们相比，让人们所倾心的仍是同一片景致。然而，在如今的世俗纷扰之中，人们若想体验须臾的宁静恐怕得花更多的功夫。
为此，苏州市园林和绿化管理局规划管理处副处长柏灵芝表示：“近年来，我们一直在努力恢复苏州古典园林的历史风貌，而雅致的园林不能徒有空壳。
“我们需要用更多创新的方案把游人引入园林所营造的生活方式当中，而当代人的审美也会因此得以升华。”
去年，一个新的项目由此开启。在正常的运营时间之前，通过预约的游客可以在清晨组成小团走进狮子林参观。在参观行程的最后，他们将完成制作传统折扇的最后一步——往扇面上题写一首歌咏狮子林的诗词。
通过这种诗意的方式，苏州古典园林的流金岁月会浮现于人们的脑海。
白灵芝表示：“这样的体验能让我们理解古代中国文人的智慧、高雅的品味以及富含哲理的世界观。”
（下转16版：“情感折射”）
副标题：园林的情感折射：拥自然入怀，兴文化之源
规模宏大、装饰华丽或是色彩夺目，这些并非所有地标建筑的标配。苏州园林恰恰相反。
包括狮子林、拙政园和沧浪亭在内，最负有盛名的九座苏州古典园林分别于1997年和2000年被列入了《世界遗产名录》。联合国教科文组织对苏州园林有过这样的评价：“没有任何地方比历史名城苏州的九大园林更能体现中国古典园林设计‘咫尺之内再造乾坤’的理想……这些园林折射出中国文化取法自然又超越自然的深邃意境。”
沧浪亭始建于11世纪，也是现存苏州园林中历史最为悠久的一座。尽管如此，据苏州市园林和绿化管理局局长曹光树介绍，史料记载苏州最早的私家园林则要追溯到公元4世纪。
到了16至18世纪，苏州成为了经济重镇，而这段时间也见证了苏州古典园林的鼎盛时期。那时，全城上下差不多有250座园林。
有些园林无可避免地消失于时间长河中，但有些更晚近的园林则一直欣欣向荣。于2015至2018年进行的一项园林普查结果显示：全苏州现存108座古典园林，其中的57座都位于姑苏区历史悠久的街巷之中。
苏州园林设计院院长贺风春表示：“苏州园林将自然界不同的地貌融入到设计当中，也由此体现了人们对于自然的尊崇。这些园林启迪着我们去追寻与周围世界的和谐共生。”
她还进一步解释道：“走进一座园子就像打开一幅传统中国画。所以，古代中国的哲学和道德观也随着这样的画卷藏于园林的细微之处。”
比如，在选择造园植物时，人们会更倾心于梅、兰、竹、菊，而它们被古代中国文人奉为“四君子”，也代表着传统文化中的高尚情操。
1634年，中国历史上第一部园林艺术专著《园冶》刊行。自此以后，它便一直指引着中国、日本乃至其他国家造园艺术的发展。
或许，苏州园林就是书中一行字的缩影。它是这么说的：“虽由人作，宛自天开。”
贺风春表示：“日本园林往往遵循非常严格的规制，还会透露出‘物哀’的情绪。苏州园林则与之不同，人们会通过造园寻求一种与自然的亲近关系。这样一种对生活的热爱会带来更加丰富的景致和更宜居的环境。”
在之后的几百年间，苏州在很大程度上主导着古代中国风景园林的总体发展方向。
比如，苏州是清朝（1644-1911）皇帝出京城下江南时最心仪的目的地之一。乾隆皇帝（1711-1799）曾六游狮子林。
贺风春不禁问道：“如果不是皇帝们对于苏州园林偏爱有加乃至在北方加以‘复制’，还会出现像承德避暑山庄这样恢弘的皇家园林吗？”
而对于那些苏州古典园林来说，无论曾经的主人是达官显贵还是文艺名流，亦或是富豪巨贾，它们作为寓所的日子已经一去不返。尽管如此，诚如贺风春所言，苏州城的园子就像“散落于一块翡翠上的珍珠”，它们留下的遗产世代传承，也在引导人们如何去生活。
贺风春解释道：“古典园林用黑白两种基本色为之后苏州城市的发展定下了素雅的格调。所以，在这座城市里，我们很少在现代都市建筑中看见俗气的设计。园林的审美也在启发我们思考：如何在自己的家中创造诗意的栖居环境。”
在园林绿化局的柏灵芝看来，苏州城的108座园林构成了一张文化之网。它们所建构出的文化路径穿越了时间与空间，不曾中断，并由此塑造了苏州城的气质。她进一步认为对苏州园林价值的阐释将有助于将整个苏州城打造成为一座“公园”，而这所能惠及的将不仅仅只是旅游业。
“城市管理不仅仅只是管理一块土地。人们现在可以对本地的历史进行更深层次的挖掘，并在此基础上精心打造出适合自身的发展路径。生态保护乃至城市基础建设的方方面面都能从古典园林的设计理念中有所收获。”
苏州市世界文化遗产古典园林保护监管中心主任朱海俊认为，想要将园林的无形遗产代代相传以惠及未来，面向青少年的教育项目是关键。
朱海俊表示：“古典园林未来的命运就把握在他们的手中。我们想在他们心中播下一颗种子。岁月经年，园林将会一直生生不息。”
苏州的108座园林中，规模最大的是拙政园。夜幕降临，月色皎洁。合着柔和的灯光与饱含古意的乐曲，此情此景不免让人忆起古代的文人墨客。
池畔，艺术家们献上源于苏州本地的昆曲表演。昆曲以其典雅的身段走位与唱词闻名于世，于2001年被列为“人类口头和非物质遗产代表作”。传统苏州画作的电子影像投射于墙面，又仿佛在微风中轻轻摇曳。这一沉浸式参观项目同样始于去年。
运河水网蜿蜒着穿过苏州城。那份细微处的园林之雅依然随着水道徐徐流淌。它轻柔地几乎难以感触，但又似乎力道十足地塑造着这座城市的性格，历久绵长。
