A unique architectural art, the Chinese garden in its varied forms reveals a landscaped symphony of rocks, plants, pavilions, water and bridges orchestrated to vibrate with mystic symbolism. Visitors to Chinese gardens, both at home and abroad, seldom fail to marvel at the amazing artistry of the garden craftsmanship and the microcosm of the natural world. The Xu Zhimo Garden at Cambridge University is one of these gems. Completed in 2018, the garden was dedicated to Xu Zhimo, a preeminent Chinese poet of the 20th century and an alumnus of Cambridge.
One of the architects for the garden is Ms. Yue Zhengyang, who published in 2021 a Chinese-English book entitled The Xu Zhimo Garden in King’s College, Cambridge. The publication coincides with the centennial of Xu Zhimo’s enrollment at King’s College in 1921. Illustrated with scores of drawings and photos, Yue’s book details the design and construction of the first Chinese garden at Cambridge University, known for its historical British landscape.
At the invitation of the Renwen Society, Ms. Yue Zhengyang will share her experience as a member of the design team for the Xu Zhimo Garden at a lecture on February 12. Specifically, she will discuss the design concept, the construction process and the commemorative significance of the garden. Ms. Yue will also compare the Xu Zhimo Garden with the Astor Court in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Lansu Chinese Garden in Portland, Liu Fang Yuan in Los Angeles and Qian Yuan at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. She will examine how these classical Chinese gardens are integrated into the local architecture and natural environment, serving as a bridge for international cultural exchanges.
A registered architect in the United States, Ms. Yue Zhengyang studied architecture and mathematics at Wellesley College in Massachusetts before obtaining a master’s degree in architecture from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. The architectural projects she participated in include the Xu Zhimo Garden in King’s College, Cambridge, Advent Children’s Museum in Shenzhen, among others. She is the translator of Yangzhou Gardens and Traditional Dwellings, a book by Prof. Chen Congzhou, an authority on Chinese gardens who also served as a chief designer of the Astor Court in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Free, but advanced registration is requested.
中国古典园林除了展现自然之美，也赋予自然更多的意境。中国书法风格多样，具有象征意义，同出一脉的中国园林，其中的要素、设计和布局，也充满了寓意。置身中国园林中的游客们常常惊叹于造园工匠们的鬼斧神工：苏州四大名园之一狮子林，因园内石峰林立，假山多且精美而得名；扬州园林“小盘谷”中，工匠们以叠石头来模仿狮子，假山被命名为“九狮山”，类似为园林景观加以比拟的例子不胜枚举。
2018年，剑桥大学为纪念徐志摩而设计建造的徐志摩花园建成开放。青年建筑师、学者乐正阳参与了这座剑桥大学唯一中国园林的设计。乐正阳在花园建造过程中多次前往剑桥，探寻自然、园林对徐志摩以及他所创作诗歌的影响。2021年，徐志摩入学剑桥一百周年之际，乐正阳所著的中英文版《剑桥大学徐志摩花园》（The Xu Zhimo Garden in King’s College, Cambridge）一书出版。此书由徐志摩长孙徐善曾博士作序，详细记录了以英式园林见长的剑桥大学中，第一个中式花园的设计特点，收录逾二十五幅图纸、照片等。
华美人文学会特邀乐正阳于美东时间2月12日晚8时至9时半（北京时间2月13日早9时至10时半）做在线讲座，与听众分享剑桥大学徐志摩花园的设计理念、建造历程与纪念含义。讲座中乐正阳也将把“徐志摩花园”与第一个中国境外园林——纽约大都会艺术博物馆中的“明轩”、美国波特兰的“兰苏园”、洛杉矶的“流芳园”、德国波鸿鲁尔大学中的“潜园”等相比较，揭示中式园林如何融入当地建筑和自然景观，体现丰富的中国文化内涵，使中国古典园林艺术成为国际文化交流的桥梁。讲座过程中演讲嘉宾也将播放相关视频和图片。
来到海外中国园林的中国游客，借潜园中熟悉的中国景物，逐渐向外了解园外景观的历史；全世界各地的来访者则是从熟悉的自然景观向内，探索这陌生的中国园林及其背后的文化符号。在海外的中国园林，展现出的是千姿百态，其中影响的因素繁多，既与建园目的有关，也与当地的自然环境、设计者的造园手法相关。希望未来有更多的中国园林在世界各地落成，宣扬中国传统文化，亦寻求创新、交流与融合。
乐正阳，美国注册建筑师，于美国韦尔斯利学院主修建筑学与数学后，于纽约哥伦比亚大学获得建筑学硕士学位。参与设计的项目包括英国剑桥大学徐志摩花园、深圳爱得文儿童博物馆等，发表多篇建筑时评与论文，翻译出版陈从周先生的学术著作《扬州园林与住宅》。
