ABSTRACT

An aesthetics of nature in China can be traced back to 3,000 years ago, as recorded in literature such as the Book of Poetry, also known as Book of Songs or Book of Odes (Shi Jing 䀽㍧). This is when the environment started to be conceived as a means to express one’s aspirations (zhi ᖫ), morality (de ᖋ) and emotions (qing ᚙ), as well as a way to purify and please the mind (changshen ᱶ⼲); and to realize or be awakened to the Tao (wudao ᙳ䘧). In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), Liu Zongyuan (᷇ᅫܗ, 773-819) contributed significantly to the shaping of Chinese environmental aesthetics; as did Su Shi (㯛䓒, 1037-1101), also known as Su Dongpo, in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE).1