2022 Volume 2022 Issue 1 Pages 24-35
This study uses principal component and cluster analysis to classify the types and layout of “mountain and water” (shanshui) features in 18 private gardens in Beijing, China during the Qing dynasty. Its aim is to clarify the spatial characteristics of shanshui composition and their causal mechanisms, focusing on the type and layout of the gardens. Ultimately, cluster analysis reveals four groups of shanshui patterns, groups A to D, reflecting different degrees of influence of the status/occupation of the garden owner, the scale of the garden and shanshui. The gardens in Group A have a large scale. “Earth mountains” and streams are the main shanshui features, which surround the garden space, isolating it from the outside world. In Group B, mountain and river features are scattered in a disorderly manner in the gardens, forming various types; In Group C, the shanshui model integrates the characteristics of groups A and B. Earth mountains are prevalent, surrounding the garden space, and water bodies are mostly banded, surrounded by mountain features. Group D is the largest, with concentrated characteristics. The construction of shanshui in these gardens is more abstract and concise, influenced by the style of private gardens in the south.
