近代中国私园公用现象的再思考——以无锡为中心

Rethinking the Public Use of Private Gardens in Modern China:Centered on Wuxi

关键词:  风景园林  无锡  转型  公园史  民族资产阶级

Key words:  landscape architecture  Wuxi  transformation  park history  national bourgeoisie

摘要:

私园公用是近代中国园林转型中的特殊现象，其发生动因与社会关联有待深入认知。以文本与图像史料为线索，对无锡园主的造园过程、心态和选择进 行考证、分析与解读。发现荣德生梅园由私及公的转折点并非1912年，而是在1915—1916年，其建立之初的性质不是公园，而是保护荣氏家族墓园的防护梅 林。杨园、万顷堂是传统祠堂公共空间，但兼具清遗民身份下的私属性；横云山庄在建前已预设私园公用，这源于杨翰西自我身份认同转变。由于所处场域位置 不同，王禹卿、王亢元及陈梅芳无力实现社会事业理想，故蠡园和渔庄追求营造奇幻景致来进行商业逐利。所以，无锡的私园公用是经过深思熟虑的主动结果， 折射出民族资产阶级通过造园参与社会重塑、践行地方发展理想的自觉追求。

Abstract:

Public use of private gardens is a special phenomenon in the development and transformation of modern Chinese gardens, and the underlying causes and social connections of its occurrence require further understanding. The gardens of Wuxi are a representative microcosm of modern Chinese gardens, not only reflecting important transformations in the development trajectory of Chinese gardens, but also showing the apparent characteristics and styles under the domination of the national bourgeoisie, and concealing longunexamined gardening concepts, motives, and intentions. Centered around Wuxi, using textual and visual historical materials as clues to verify, analyze, and interpret the process, mentality, and choices of garden owners such as Rong Desheng, Yang Hanxi, Wang Yuqing, Wang Kangyuan, and Chen Meifang. Research has found that the turning point of Plum Blossom Garden's transition from private to public was not in 1912, but during the period of 1915-1916. At the beginning of its establishment, the nature of Plum Blossom Garden was not a park, but a protective plum forest for the Rong family cemetery. The original motivation for creating Plum Blossom Garden stemmed from familial bonds, embodying the wish for descendants to thrive and the family line to endure. A period existed where the garden served both private and public purposes, evolving through a process: first inviting distinguished guests, then publicly announcing its existence, subsequently hosting garden parties to welcome friends and guests, and finally attracting visitors to this rural retreat. Although Yang Garden and Wanqingtang belong to the public spaces of traditional Chinese temples, they had private attributes under the identity of Qing Dynasty residents. When Rong Desheng declared Plum Blossom Garden's modern park identity, Yang Hanxi, though not immediately embracing this concept in 1915, gradually shifted from the detached perspective of Qing Dynasty residents to a deepened focus on Wuxi's local autonomy and regional interests-a process marked by reflection and discovery. Thus, when Hengyun Mountain Villa was established in 1918, its design inherently blended private garden with public utility-a transformation rooted in Yang Hanxi's evolving self-identity. Due to the different positions in the power field, Wang Yuqing, Wang Kangyuan, and Chen Meifang, as representatives of their respective groups, found themselves unable to achieve the social career ideals. Adapting flexibly to changing circumstances, they re-rooted themselves in their merchant identities as a means of livelihood. Therefore, Li Garden and Fishing Villa pursued fantastical, colorful garden worlds that stood in contrast to the realities of society, using them as platforms for commercial profit-seeking. This greatly propelled the development of Wuxi's tourism industry. During the Nationalist Government period, they accumulated substantial economic capital, which is the fundamental reason for charging admission fees. Modern Western parks and ancient Chinese public gardens were never of the same lineage. The impact of foreign ideas continually reshaped people's original perceptions, inevitably involving a process of misinterpretation and convergence. The public use of private gardens in Wuxi was proactive, or rather, the result of careful deliberation by the garden owners. The national bourgeoisie actively participated in reshaping the social fabric of the Republic of China era. Amidst an era of profound ideological transformation, they pursued their vision for hometowns, cities, and commercial development by creating new public spaces for citizens - areas characterized by beautiful environments, strong tourist appeal, and educational significance. This endeavor not only carried forward ancient Chinese traditions of benefiting one's hometown but also bolstered the momentum for modern urban and rural economic development.