Oriental gardens – Online course

Oriental Civilizations

 The Orient differs from the West in terms of culture, philosophies, beliefs and, consequently, ways of living.

These differences are reflected in the study, planning and construction of gardens.

“Comparing the Western garden with that of the Orient, there were opposing compositions: the universe of reason and the universe of sensation. In no other art were two such distinct philosophies opposed as in the art of gardens.”

(PAIVA, Paisagismo I-Histórico, Definições e Caracterizações, 2004)

 Oriental gardens are built according to the existing topography, vegetation and climate, without being bound by rigid, symmetrical forms.

Their main foundation is the worship of nature and they were created with a vision of a garden focused on contemplation, stillness and silence.

Despite their apparent simplicity, oriental gardens are extremely elaborate and represent the cosmos in miniature, in which they try to recreate the image of an ideal nature through refined games of harmony between natural and artificial elements, which combine and create an atmosphere conducive to bringing man’s spirituality closer to nature.

The essence of oriental gardens tends towards a purification of all human presence, consisting of concentrating attention on the essential, in which minuteness is very important.

This is because oriental gardens are designed and based on the law of detail, such as the shape of a rock, a flower, a branch or the reflection of a stream.