The Daoist Philosophical Practice in the Spatial Construction of Suzhou Gardens, China

Abstract

As the pinnacle of Chinese classical garden art, Suzhou gardens embody an aesthetic core deeply rooted in traditional Chinese philosophical systems. This study employs the Daoist concept of “wu” (non-being) as its theoretical lens, departing from conventional garden scholarship that emphasizes formal analysis and cultural symbolism. It posits that the essence of Suzhou gardens lies in a “spatial practice of emptiness.” Drawing on paradigmatic cases such as the Garden of the Master of the Nets, the Humble Administrator’s Garden, and the Lingering Garden, the analysis demonstrates how architectural elements (including pavilions, corridors, and windows) employ framing and borrowing techniques to transform evanescent phenomena like skylight and cloud shadows into central motifs of spatial narrative, thereby establishing a visual regime of “capturing being through non-being.” Further examination of meandering structures, such as winding corridors and the Little Flying Rainbow bridge, reveals their non-utilitarian rhythmic cadence as an enactment of the Daoist dictum “the greatest utility resides in uselessness.”