Plants of Chinese gardens as the quintessence of Chinese national culture

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the assortment of classical gardens of southeast China from the point of view of the origin of the plants used and their cultural significance in the life of ethnic groups living in this area. It has been established that the same species can be included in the list of the most important medicinal plants, have applications in cooking and in everyday life, and be used in traditional gardens. As an example, one of the oldest gardens in Nanjing, Xuyuan, was considered. It occupies an important place in the history of China and has been preserved almost in its original form during the reign of two dynasties and the period of the Republic of China. A comprehensive analysis of 49 plant species of the Xuyuan Garden was carried out, it was revealed that among them only 4 species are introduced that have no connection with Chinese culture, 42 species naturally grow exactly where Jiangsu Province is located, and only 3 species of Chinese plants originate from plant zones far from Jiangsu – on the Tibetan Plateau and Taiwan island. All Chinese types of the Xuyuan Garden have traditionally been used in medicine, cooking, construction and other industries vital to humans, and 42 have sacred meanings. This allows us to conclude that the ethno-cultural principle is at the heart of the assortment of Chinese gardens.