Table of Contents

Translator's Preface Introduction Part One -- The Symbolic World of Traditional Korean Gardens 1 | Korean Gardens and Their Distinctive Characteristics Comparisons with China and Japan Water Fountains 2 | Traditional Gardens and Traditional Beliefs and Values Confucianism Neo-Confucianism Daoism Belief in Mountain Immortals Feng-shui 3 | Pavilions and Nature Gardens Lotus Ponds and Lotus Flowers 4 | The Symbolic World of Korean Gardens Three Mountain Homes for Immortals The Twelve Peaks of Mt Wu Rocks and Unusual Stones Dizhu-type Rocks and Rock Inscriptions Saying that 'Integrity Shines for 100 Generations" Wine-cup Canals Carvings of Carp Carvings of Toads and Hares Gingko Trees Pine Trees, Bamboo Trees, and Plum Trees Bamboo 5 | Name Plaques and Names Carved on Stone Gwallan (Observing Waves) Gwaneo (Observing Fish) Yeonggwi (Return Home Singing) Sesim (Cleansing the Mind) Tagyeong (Washing Hat-strings), Changnang (The Canglang River), Taksa (Washing Them) Cheonyeon (Heaven and the Deep Blue Sea) Unyeong (The Shadows of Clouds) Hujo (The Last to Lose their Leaves) Musong (Caressing a Pine Tree) Gwangpung (Refreshing Breeze) and Jewol (Clear Moon) Gyeonggeum (Noble Interior, Humble Exterior) Mangyang (Looking at the Ocean) Wallak (Enjoyable) Seobyeok (Staying on the Green Mountain) Hwayang (The Sunny Side of Mt Hua) Part Two -- A Walk Through Some of Korea's Traditional Gardens 6 | Country Retreats Soswaewon: Living among Mountains and Streams, Breathing in Fresh, Pure Air Buyongdong Garden: A Space for Aesthetic Philosophy To Harmonise Poetry, Song, and Dance Seoseokji Pond Garden: Enjoying the Natural World with Stones, Trees, and Flowers The Thatch Cottage on the Tea Mountain-- Where Dasan Went for Walks The Old Mansion of Minister Yun Jeung: Savouring the Atmosphere of Mountain Life While Sitting in a Loft Green Rock Pavilion: Mesmerising effects of a Large, Elegant Rock Foundation 7 | Garden Homes Musan Sibibong Garden: Replicating the Realm of the Immortals with 12 Artificial Mountains The Garden at Boat-bridge Hamlet: Plucking the Geomun'go and Engaging in Studies, I Forget Worldly Sorrows The Myeong'okheon Pavilion Garden: Crape Myrtle Trees that Replicate the Realm of Immortals The Garden at the Old Yeonjeong House: Feeling like You are Deep in a Mountain Forest Mugi Yeondang Lotus Pond Garden: Why would Someone Trade a High Government Post for a Life of Ease? Gwanghalluwon Garden: Here you can find the Moon Palace, the Dragon Palace, and the Realm of the Immortals 8 | Palace Gardens The Secret Garden in Changdeok-gung Palace: Harmonising Nature and Art Anapji Pond: Appreciating the Sight of the Moon's Reflection in a Lotus Pond Poseokjeongji Watercourse: Poems and Floating Wine Cups Nongwoljeong Pavilion Garden: On a Night When the Moon is Full, the Shadow of the Moon Falls on Water Rushing over Rocks Banghwa Suryujeong Pavilion: The Apex of Architectural Beauty, Looking as if it is Floating in the Air 9 | Mountains, Water, and Nature Gardens Amseojae Hut: Building a Hut in an Opening in a Cliff Next to a Stream Jukseoru Pavilion: Unadorned Beauty in the Midst of Grandeur Choganjeong Pavilion: Studying at a Bend in a Stream Chimsujeong Pavilion: A Place Where Crystal-clear Waters Change Direction and Head Downhill Yeongmojeong Pavilion: The Filial Piety of a Son Hidden Among Magnificent Scenery Yong'yeonjeong Pavilion: A Pavilion Surrounded by Scenery that Takes your Breath Away Uisangdae Pavilion: Spending Time with the Crystal Clear Waters of the East Sea Stretching out to the Horizon Geoyeonjeong Pavilion: Fall Colours Glittering on the Surface of Jade-like Waters of a Mountain Stream Geumseonjeong Pavilion: Getting Rid of Stress by Relaxing Next to a Stream Running through a Mountain Valley Dongnakdang Hall: Living with Nature as Your Only Companion Bibliography Primary Sources Chinese Classics Korean Secondary Sources Japanese Secondary Sources Chinese Secondary Sources Index

About the Author

The Author: Heo Kyun ('Huh Gyun') has spent most of his adult life studying Korean aesthetics as seen in traditional paintings, architecture, handicraft and Buddhist art, paying special attention to the symbols used in those art forms as well as the ideas Koreans read into them. Over the many years he spent immersed in Korean aesthetics, Heo Kyun became interested in Korean gardens as well, recognising that gardens, too, are an art form. He realised that Korea's gardens, no less than other traditional art forms, reveal much about the Korean view of nature and the Korean philosophy of life. Heo studied the history of Korean art at both the undergraduate and the graduate level at Hongik University, Seoul. He has worked for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a specialist, identifying and appraising cultural properties, and has also served as the director of a Centre for Research on Korean Culture. Currently, he is an editor for the Academy of Korean Studies, where he continues to research attitudes and philosophies behind Korea's traditional culture. His publications in Korean include a number of books on Korea's traditional culture, including A Stroll around Korea's Old Palaces; Explaining the Ideas behind Korea's Old Paintings and The World of Symbols in the Art Decorating Korea's Temples. The Photographer: Lee Gapcheol ('Yi Gapcheol') has travelled to virtually every corner of South Korea, capturing the dynamic spirit of the Korean people in his photographs. Among the published collections (in Korean) of his photographs is Challenge and Response. The Translator: Donald L Baker taught English as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Gwangju in the early 1970s and obtained his PhD in Korean history from the University of Washington in 1983. Since 1987, he has been teaching Korean cultural history at the University of British Columbia, where he is the director of the Centre for Korean Research. He has published numerous articles on Korean religion, philosophy and traditional science, and was one of the editors of the Sourcebook of Korean Civilisation. He is currently working on a survey of religion in modern Korea as well as a study of the Joseon dynasty scholar, Dasan Jeong Yagyong. He was assisted in this translation by Javier Joohang Cha, a Korean Studies graduate student at UBC.