ThelandscapearchitectureoftheWestLakewasn'tbuiltovernight,butbasedontheancestors’protectionandconstructionandgatheredthehardshipsofthreegenerationswhodevotedthemselvestolandscapearchitecture.Overthepast60years,theprotection,inheritance,integrationandinnovationintheWestLakelandscapearchitecturehavebeenconsistentlyfollowed.
Protection:protectthelandscapepatternoftheWestLakeaswellasthegreenmountainsandclearrivers,protecthistoricalandculturalheritageandprotectfolkcustoms;
Inheritance:inheritthespiritandvalueofthelandscapecultureofChinesenationandinheritthenaturallandscapephilosophy,basiccharacteristicsandconstructionmethodsofChineselandscapearchitectureart;
Integration:constantlylearningandabsorbingtheexcellentcultureandtechnologyoflandscapearchitecturefromtheworld,integratingtheBritishlandscapearchitecturestylewiththeWestLake;
Innovation:advancingwiththetimes,creatinglandscapearchitectureworksthatmeetthelifedemandsandaestheticneedsofmodernpeople,providingadwellingwithbeautifulflowersandrefreshingairforthemasses;
In1949,theWestLakewasinmiserablesceneswithlakesblocked,monumentscollapsedandTenScenesoftheWestLakedisappearing.Itbegantoregulatemountainsandriversandimplementthedecisionofimprovingecologicalenvironment(ecologicalrestoration)in1950.Themountainareastookthemeasuresofbothreforestationandafforestation.During10years,morethan30milliontreeswereplantedinthemountainareas,andthemountainsbasicallyturnedgreen.ThedredgingoftheWestLakestartedfrom1952.By1958,7.2millioncubicmetersofsludgehasbeendredgedandthedepthofwaterhasbeenincreasedfrom0.5metersto1.8meters.Inthisway,theecologicalenvironmentoftheWestLakehasbeencompletelyimproved.Atthetimeofrestoringtheculturalrelicsandhistoricalsites,thenewparksandscenesaroundtheWestLake,withthesubjectofTenScenesoftheWestLake,whichhavebeenappreciatingformorethan800years,arerepairingandbuilding.Thecombinationofecology(efficiency)andart(effect),scienceandart,isinsistedon.
Fromtheperspectiveofinnovation,theWestLakewasforward-lookingandpioneering.Itwasaresultinfluencedbyhistorical,naturalandhumanfactors.
Thehumanfactors:Mr.YuSenwen,thepioneerandfounderofthemodernWestLakelandscapearchitecture,wasthefirstdirectorofHangzhoulandscapeconstructionaftertheliberationofHangzhou,andlaterthevicemayorinchargeofurbanconstruction.HestudiedatJinlingUniversityin1924andstudiedEconomicsandPoliticsattheUniversityofLondonin1934,andhewasproficientinEnglish.From1934to1936,hetraveledtomorethan20countriesinEurope,theUnitedStates,EastAsiaandSouthAsia,andhisexperienceguaranteedhimasuccessfulcareer.Mr.YuadvocatedthattheconstructionoftheWestLakelandscapearchitectureshould,basedonthenature,historyandculture,takeinadvancedenvironmentalviewsandlandscapearchitecturepracticesfromabroad,creatinganewlandscapearchitecturestylefortheWestLake.In1953,the"OverallConstructionPlanningofHangzhouCity",whichwaspresidedoverbyYu,statedthatmorethan333.5hectares(1mu=0.0667hectares)oflandwithinHuanhuRoadareashouldbebuiltintoanopennaturalpark.Itstipulatedthatnobuildingcouldbeconstructedinthisareaagain,buildingsintheareashouldbedemolishedandonlyfewcouldbesavedasvisitingservicefacilities.HuanhuParkprohibitedbuildingfences,andin1951,theparkwasthefirstoneinChinatobuildabotanicalgarden;in1952,itpreparedtobuildanopenparterre;in1956,itsetaside50metersofgreenbeltinthescenicareaonbothsidesofthemainroad.Whenbuildingthenewpark,ithasbeenclearlyclarifiedthattheroadsidesoftheparkcouldn'tplanttreesinrows,butrequiredtogrowplantsaccordingtotheirnaturalfeaturesandconstructedbuildingsaslessaspossible.WhenMr.SunXiaoxiangdesignedandclassifiedthesightseeingdistrictssuchasFishViewingattheFlowerPondandtheBotanicalGarden,hereflectedMr.Yu'sthinkinginaninnovativeandmodernway.ItcouldbesaidthatHangzhoucombinedinheritanceandinnovation60yearsago,creatinganewmodeofChineselandscapearchitecture.
After30yearsofreformandopeningup,thenewgenerationworkingforlandscapearchitectureinheritedthepioneeringspiritoftheoldergeneration,makingcontinuousprogressinprotectionandconstruction.
In1993,adirectorofNixon'sprivatelibrary,whoaccompaniedNixontovisitChinaagain,proposedtovisittheWestLake.IintroducedthesightseeingdistrictofFishViewingatFlowerPondtohim,andaftervisiting,hesaid:"inthepast,IthinktherepresentativeoforientallandscapearchitectureisJapanese,whilenowIknowthatthereallandscapearchitectureartisinChina."ItwasaremarkfromawestculturalscholartotheWestLake.
Inthehistoryofworldlandscapearchitecture,onlyChineselandscapearchitecture,experiencing3,000yearsofdevelopment,hasalwaysadheredtotheharmoniousco-existencebetweenhumanandnature,followedthestyleofnaturallandscapearchitectureandabsorbedthegoodfromforeignculturesandkeptourownculturalgenes,andtherefore,wehavereasonstobeconfidentinournationalculture.Chineselandscapearchitecturehasrichculturalconnotationsanddesignsystems,suchasthephilosophyof"harmonybetweenhumanandnature",theartisticthoughtof"manuallybuiltyetseemedtobecreatedbynature",thebuildingtheorythat"ingenuityliesinborrowingscenes,delicacycomesfromexquisitestructure",thelayoutprincipleof"openingandchanging",theecologicalethicsof"providinggreenmountains,clearwatersandnostalgia"andthegoalof"buildingapoeticdwellinginChina."Alloftheseremindusthat:inthenewera,wehavemorereasonstoseekprogressinthepathofChineselandscapearchitecture.
(Editor/WangYuanyuan)
Biography:
ShiDian-dong,male,bornin1939inChongmingofShanghai,SeniorEngineer,theformerDirectorandChiefEngineerofHangzhouLandscapeandCulturalRelicsBureau,winneroftheLifetimeAchievementAwardofCHSLA,theEditor-in-ChiefoftheLandscapeArchitectureVolumeofEncyclopediaofChina(3rdEdition),AdvisoryMemberoftheEditorialCommitteeofChineseLandscapeArchitecture