如果有什么地方能表达东方人的理想梦境，那一定是中国园林。“上有天堂，下有苏杭”，园林被誉为“人间天堂”。因各民族对天堂理解不同，而形成了世界园林风格的差异。中国园林因“天人合一”的灵魂思想，在全世界独树一帜，18世纪时曾深刻影响了西方园林。中国也因观赏植物对世界园艺的巨大贡献而被誉为“世界园林之母”。许多园林作品被列入世界遗产名录，如苏杭的园林和风景、承德避暑山庄、北京天坛和颐和园等皇家园林。
与西亚和欧洲园林相比，中国园林有着自己独特的精、气和神。从远古的昆仑神化和蓬莱神话起源，历经4000年前的禹封九山、3000年前的帝王苑囿、2000年前的五岳名山、1000年前的八景文化，再到皇家园林、私家园林、寺庙园林和邑郊风景区体系，中国园林走过了初级的生境，即生态健全的养生层次；中级的画境，即生活如诗的养性层次；高级的意境，即精神陶冶的养神层次，实现了园林从人化、诗化到神化的三层跨越！
园林究竟何用？华夏大地，钟灵毓秀，人杰地灵，中国园林的功能始于上古神山的通灵祭祀，之后从古代的帝王享有的阆苑仙境，演化到修身养性、审美启智的场所，再到为公众精神享受、宜居宜游的风景园林。在满足了衣食住行的需求之后，园林成为中国人对日益美好生活的追求。
中国园林源于自然又高于自然，是用山和水、动物和植物、土壤和石头、阳光和四季构成的“生命的艺术”，山水象征阴阳，阴阳构成万物91秦先生。它追求“虽由人作，宛自天开”的超凡境界：高端低调，低值高用；景面文心，托物言志，是“无声的诗，立体的画”。“小中见大”“芥子须弥”“壶中天地”都是中国园林从有限时空的人居环境中，探索无穷大千世界的艺术手法。
总之，中国园林充满了传统智慧的灵气，它就是先民提炼的人生理想，是精微的宇宙模型，是人与自然的有机融合，是生态与文明的矛盾统一。
If there is any place that can express the dream of the Oriental,that must be the classical Chinese garden.“Up above there is paradise, down here there are Suzhou and Hangzhou”.The classical Chinese garden is praised as paradise.Due todifferent understandings in paradise among ethnic groups, gardens with diverse styles in the world have appeared. Because of the theory that man is an integral part of nature,the classical Chinese garden is unique in the whole world.In 18th century,the classical Chinese garden has deeply influenced the Western garden.Because China made a tremendous contribution to the world garden in terms of ornamental plant, China was acknowledged as the “mother of garden in the world”.Numerous garden works can be found on the World Heritage List,such as the gardens and sceneries of Suzhou and Hangzhou,Emperor Kangxi's Summer Mountain Resort in Chengde,Temple of Heaven and The Summer Palace.
Compared with West Asia and European gardens, the classical Chinese Garden has its own essence, energy and spirit.From the ancient Kunlun deification and the origin of Penglai myth,having been through the blocking off of 9 mountains by Emperor Yu 4000 years ago,building the enclosed ground for raising animals by Emperor 3000 years ago,five famous mountains from 2000 years ago,the eight scenery cultures from 1000 years ago,to the royal garden, private garden, monastery garden and suburban scenic system,the classical Chinese garden has advanced from the primary habitat,which is at the recreational level with a complete ecosystem.The intermediate level of imagery is at the recreational level，the poetic life.The advanced level of imagery is at the spiritual level, the spiritual cultivation. The garden has realized moving from humanization, poetization to apotheosis.
What is a garden for？In China，there has gathered the aura from heaven and earth,talented people come forth. The function of the classical Chinese garden originates from the psychic and spiritual sacrifice to the ancient sacred mountain.Later,the fairyland, Langyuan owned by ancient Emperors evolved into a place for health preservation, moral cultivation, aesthetic enlightenment and intelligent inspiration and finally turned into a landscape architecture for the public to enjoy spiritual life,friendly for living and travel.After fulfilling the basic necessities,the garden became the pursuit of people for living a better life day by day.
The classical Chinese garden springs from nature but beyond nature.Hills, water, animals, plants, soil, stones,sunshine and four seasons constitute the art of life.Hills and water symbolize “Yin” and “Yang”. “Yin” and “Yang” form all creatures. In the pursuit of the unworldly realm, “though artificial, looks natural”High end, but low key, Low cost, but used well Landscape as the appearance, writing as the expression; Conveying ideas through objects. They are the silent poetries and the treedimensional paintings. “Much in little”,“the smallest may hold the largest”and “another world in peace” are the artistic methods used by the classical Chinese gardenin the living environment with limited time and space to explore the varieties of the infinite world.
After all, the classical Chinese garden is endowed with traditional and intelligent aura.It is the dream of ancestors. It is the delicate model of the universe. It is the organic integration of human and nature. It is the contradiction and unity of ecosystem and civilization.
91秦先生