jiǎshān
- Scope note
- The term jiashan 假山, literally “simulated mountain,” refers to a man-made mountain built from rocks and/or earth, that is usually located in a garden. Beginning in the Ming dynasty, jiashan in private gardens increasingly had interior spaces, and large jiashan constructions continued to be popular throughout the Qing period. The term jiashan first appeared in the mid-Tang dynasty and the earliest example of jiashan is found in the title of a poem by the Tang dynasty literatus Quan Deyu 權德輿 (759-818 CE). It was widely used in the Tang and Song dynasty literature to refer to small “mountains” made of stone and placed in gardens or even on desks. In this context, jiashan were thought to abstract the form of real mountains and bore a strong literati style.
- Date of creation: 02-Dec-2024
Accepted term: 02-Dec-2024