Research On Ecological Esthetic In The Tang Dynasty

The article analyzes five kinds of mode in which people coexisted with nature in the Tang dynasty, interprets people’s natural esthetic activities in those modes, on the basis of which studys people’s attitude towards nature, and then judges whether those kinds of natural esthetic activities have ecological implication, and whether they can be called ecological esthetic.The first chapter firstly centers on "eight rivers embracing Chang-an City" and "champaign", gives an generalization of overall geographical environment of Chang-an, and points out its influence on the construction of Chang-an. Secondly, analyzes Chang-an’s transformation and utilization of the natural environment. Chang-an was turned into a livable artificial green environment by establishing green channels represented by water canals, streets and drainages, and green patches represented by multiple garden ponds. Finally, takes Qu-jiang Pond as an example of public garden, analyzing its four characteristics:nourishing, ornamenting, entertaining and moralizing. So Qu-jiang Pond can be seen as a typical case, through which people in the nature were protected and prospered. Esthetic activities surrounding the Qu-jiang Pond, in this sense, had ecological significance.Contrasting of Qu-jiang Pond, the urban public garden, in the first chapter, the second chapter selected Bai Juyi’s private garden in Lv-dao Lane to study. In his poetry, Bai Juyi often showed his kindheartedness, treating natural things as his friends, and thought his Lv-dao garden as a paradise both for himself and those natural things. However, by deeper study, it is found that different natural things had different moral value in Bai Juyi’s view. He often misunderstood the physical properties of nature and the morality in nature. So Lv-dao garden is not a paradise for natural things, but a pseudophase with an unstable ecosystem, in which Bai Juyi occupied those natural things, and sometimes this capture can be seen as infringement for some natural things, such as Hua Ting crane. So the natural esthetic activities by Bai Juyi in his private garden have limitation in ecology.Firstly, the third chapter summarizes the trend of constructing villa surrounding Chang-an City, and especially focus on Fan-chuan area in the south of the city. Then, takes Wang Wei’s half-seclusion life in the suburb, and analyzes his natural esthetic activities there. Wang Wei had hermit complex with a tendency to return to the nature, far away from the hustle and bustle city. Mostly, Wang Wei appreciated nature in the way of contemplation. However, influenced by Buddhism, such as "karma" and "emptiness" and Lao-Zhuang’s thoughts, such as "Dao" and "non", his contemplation contained his respect to nature, organic holism in nature and the equality between nature and human, and all of this entertained him. So this natural esthetic contemplation has its ecological significance.The fourth chapter selected two pieces of country life, life beside Huan Hua River in Cheng-du City and life in Kui-zhou City. Beside the Huan Hua River, Du Fu kept close relationship with nature, walked into nature, empathized with nature, and indentified himself with nature. He praised the mighty of nature’s nourishment, hoped all things can group by their own way and be vigorous. At the same time, he lamented that the natural things were treated extravagantly without benevolence in the turbulent times. In Kui-zhou, Du Fu survived himself by farming. He advocated of taking appropriate use of nature to make a life, and his natural esthetic activities reflects his several ideas that people should treasure all those nature things, be righteous to nature, and use the nature in moderate way. So in his both two pieces of country life, Du Fu’s natural esthetic activities had a deep ecological implication.The fifth chapter analyzes Li Bai’s natural esthetic activities when he was roaming in nature. Like those common natural esthetic way, when Li Bai appreciated the nature, he can’t forget himself. However, he didn’t mingle the esthetic activities with his social emotions. In other words, he didn’t forget himself, but he didn’t judge the nature in social terms. He appreciated all the magical creation and change in nature, feel the greatness of nature, and then knew that human were negligible. However, Li Bai was not a humble one faced with nature. He wanted to be immoral beyond the nature’s constraint, which was anti-ecological and boomed to fail. When he failed and come back to the nature, making friends with nature and roaming with nature, his natural esthetic activities, to some extent, turned out to be ecological.In all, esthetic activities in Tang dynasty have various ecological applications and their eco-esthetic realms are diversiform, which can be exemplified by artificial green environment in city represented by Qu Jiang Pond, private garden represented by Bai Juyi, villa life represented by Wang Wei, country life represented by Du Fu, and roaming life represented by Li Bai.