Winter Walking In the Gardens of Jiangshu and Zheijiang Provinces

Susan Rankaitis

srankait@scrippscol.edu

In December 2000 and January 2001 I walked through the landscape painted by southern Song Dynasty artists approximately a thousand years ago. I wondered whether the gardens, lakes and hills depicted in the now rare, remarkable works of art had inspired my own small backyard garden. I met dozens of Chinese people who shared my love of the winter landscape. By walking in the hills and forests of Eastern China, I came to appreciate more fully the conceptual and intellectual depth of the Song paintings. I wish that I had applied for five months instead of five weeks in that the Avery grant to China was truly one of the greatest experiences of my lifetime.