A hidden Chinese garden in the heart of the English countryside

CGTN Europe

England’s iconic gardens are celebrated for their wild blooms and natural harmony.   But they’re also deeply influenced by the ancient traditions of Chinese garden design.   Colin Little and Penny Sterling have transformed their family home into a stunning tribute to the 2,000-year-old art of Chinese garden design.   Join CGTN Europe on a journey of discovery.   #tracesofchina

Transcript

00:00English gardens are known for their wild blooming flowers and a harmonious embrace of nature.

00:12But the roots of these carefully crafted landscapes can be traced far beyond the British Isles,

00:18deep into the ancient traditions of Chinese garden design.

00:23Colin Little and Penny Sterling have completely reshaped their family home

00:28into the most remarkable homage to the 2,000-year-old art of Chinese garden design.

00:35Chinese gardens are supposed to be a mimic of the whole of nature.

00:40So that's why you need water, because you need a lake.

00:43You need mountains, so you have stones.

00:46And you need flowers and buildings as well.

00:49This is the Garden of Ten Thousand Shadows.

00:52Should the sun ever shine coming through the beech tree,

00:55you get more than 10,000 shadows coming through.

00:59This is a Tang Dynasty poem selected by a Chinese friend of ours

01:04who said, you need poetry in a Chinese garden.

01:08My evening raft journey starts in the lake near the woods

01:11when the insects sing and the reeds sigh.

01:15Ten thousand shadows are cast by the moon's light

01:18and a thousand sounds rise in the autumn air.

01:22Now I have reached the evening of my life

01:24and my longing for home is growing upon me.

01:27Beyond those floating clouds in the northwestern sky,

01:31what is the destination of the flowing river?

01:35Much more than just pagodas and bridges,

01:38Chinese gardens are an exploration of what a garden can be.

01:43Ideas of how to be in nature, how to see it.

01:47And take pleasure in it.

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