Comment on "Urban design and Chinese culture spirit: the symbolic significance of mountain factors in shaping cultural park"
Zinan Yue[1]
Commented article: XIA, X. M.; ZHOU, J. J. Urban design and Chinese culture spirit: the symbolic significance of mountain factors in shaping cultural park. Trans/Form/Ação: Unesp journal of philosophy, v. 47, n. 5, e02400179, 2024. Available at: https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/14868.
Xia; Zhou (2024) provide a novel perspective for the design of urban public spaces by deeply analyzing the symbolic significance and practical roles of mountainous factors in the design of urban cultural parks. They not only elaborate on the basic concepts and design principles of urban cultural parks but also delve into the contributions of mountainous factors to the ecological, cultural, and social values of urban parks at both micro and macro levels.
The construction of urban cultural theme parks serves as a vital avenue for interpreting urban cultural images, regional characteristics, and ecological environments. The cultural connotation is the soul of a cultural theme park, where the design of cultural theme landscapes encompasses the systematic planning of human landscapes and ecological environments within the park's territory. It must meet the fundamental requirements of a regular park while creating leisure and recreational spaces with distinctive park attractions and special garden environmental features through the focused embodiment of a particular cultural theme (Han; Duan, 2012). In China, research on this topic often centers on the modern presentation of historical features and contemporary expressions of historical allusions, primarily focusing on the design of humanistic culture. However, there has been limited study on the integration of natural scenery into cultural park designs. Xia and Zhou's research is precisely a groundbreaking contribution by selecting "mountains" as the cultural theme.
In designing urban cultural parks themed around "mountains," it is imperative to aim to better interpret the concept of cultural parks and the spirit of Chinese culture through the symbolic significance of mountains. Mountains have always played a pivotal role in Chinese culture, symbolizing perseverance, stability, and natural beauty. For instance, the Gen Trigram in the I Ching represents mountains, which are also associated with "hardness," "grandeur," and "steadfastness," culturally embodying a down-to-earth and steady demeanor in one's conduct. Similarly, the Confucian classic Analects, in its chapter Yong Ye, states, "The wise delight in water; the virtuous delight in mountains. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived." This quote alludes to the fact that water, with its fluidity and adaptability, mirrors the agility of the wise, whereas mountains, with their unwavering grandeur, resonate with the composure of the virtuous. Thus, in the Analects, "mountains" and "water" serve as emblems of the noble virtues of the gentleman, their spirits aligning with the merits of the "wise" and the "virtuous."
This research article, while expounding on this symbolic meaning, tends to be somewhat general, failing to delve deeply into the unique cultural connotations of mountains, cultural differences across diverse ethnicities and nations, and even the specific manifestations and cultural nuances of different mountain types (such as famous mountains and hills) in various urban cultural parks. Consequently, there is scope for further refining the symbolic significance of mountainous factors and exploring their unique expressions within different geographical and cultural contexts.
Regarding the design of urban cultural parks, the author outlines four principles: regionality, culturality, sustainability, and scientificity. These principles are comprehensive and profound, offering a clear guiding framework for urban cultural park design. However, the article relies heavily on previous research findings when explaining these principles, lacking concrete design cases to support its arguments. For instance, when elucidating the principle of culturality, the author could have incorporated successful domestic and international cases of urban cultural parks, analyzing how they embody and transmit regional culture through the utilization of mountainous factors. Such an analysis would be more persuasive and practical.
Xia and Zhou (2024) discuss the role of mountains in urban parks from a comprehensive perspective. From the micro level, the mountain landscape keeps a rich ecological environment to protect biodiversity. And on the macro scale, they play an important role in improving the urban climate and regulating the balance of the ecosystem. However, the long-term impact of mountain landscapes in urban planning still leaves room for further exploration. For example, with the progress of urbanization, feasible ways need to be found to balance development and conservation in urban planning.
Moreover, while designing a mountain culture theme park, modern technology should be fully used to show a better artistic effect. Designers are increasingly applying VR and AR in landscape design, so that visitors will gain a more immersive experience. In the process, visitors can deeply perceive the grandeur and mystery of the mountains. This will make urban cultural parks more attractive. On the other hand, the active participation and interactive experience of visitors is crucial to the development of urban cultural parks. In the future, the design of urban cultural parks should give priority to enhancing the interaction between themselves and tourists' activities. By designing interactive landscape nodes and activity areas, the participation and satisfaction of tourists can be improved, and the interest and enthusiasm of tourists can be stimulated.
References
HAN, M.; DUAN, Y. G.: Discussion on Landscape Design for Urban Parks of Culture Theme. Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin, v. 28, n. 16, p. 310-316, 2012.
XIA, X. M.; ZHOU, J. J. Urban design and Chinese culture spirit: the symbolic significance of mountain factors in shaping cultural park. Trans/Form/Ação: Unesp journal of philosophy, v. 47, n. 5, e02400179, 2024. Available at: https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/14868.
Submission: 30/09/2024 – Decision: 05/10/2024
Revision: 09/10/2024 – Publication: 20/10/2024
[1] Researcher Assistantx(Zinan Yue), College of Art and Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210000-China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5875-600X. Email: 18816213158@163.com.