Composition of scenery in Japanese pre-modern gardens and the three distances of Guo Xi

Wybe Kuitert explores in this article traditional East Asian landscape composition through Chinese and Japanese sources and drawings, supplemented by investigative research at the rock garden at Daisen-in, Kyoto, and the larger seventeenth-century garden without rocks at Jiko-in, in Nara. In doing so he enhances our understanding of the spatial illusion of the Japanese pre-modern garden. Part of the …

Cherry Blossoms in San Francisco: Hakone Gardens and the Japanese Tea Garden

There are more than 300 public Japanese gardens in North America and the West Coast of the United States is the home of many splendid Japanese or Japanese-inspired gardens. If you ever pass through San Francisco I can recommend two remarkable Japanese gardens for a visit. The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park in …

Outback Australia – Sydney to Alice Springs

There is no shortage of great outback adventures in Australia. To get a good taste of the outback, without needing a four-wheel drive, the trip from Port Augusta via Uluru and Alice Springs, all the way to Darwin, is an unforgettable experience through the heart of the red continent. Part 1 of the trip describes a route …

Seoul as Landscape System

Wybe Kuitert analyses in this article how the early historical settlement and development of Seoul, which started in the 1390s, had a strong connection with the natural landscape, and how this is still readable in the landscape. Particularly Seoul’s rolling hills were favourable and secure places to live. In contrast many water-induced areas and flood …

40 years UNESCO World Heritage Convention

In 2012 the UNESCO World Heritage Convention celebrates its 40th Anniversary. Here a reminder of how it all began and some of the purposes and philosophies behind the Convention and the UNESCO World Heritage List. For the full article see under this link. It can be said that the World Heritage Convention and the World Heritage …

Continuity in Landscape – West and East

In this article by Wybe Kuitert, the author reminds us that many historic gardens may at present appear like rather isolated green spaces, but that such gardens and parks were often laid-out as an integral part of a wider, continuous landscape. The author gives examples of historic gardens in Japan and The Netherlands to illustrate …

Tunnel Controversy in Fiordland, New Zealand

Controversy exists in Fiordland in New Zealand over a proposal for a new tunnel to shorten travel time for tourists to the famous Milford Sound. The region is part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read the article online at the Daily Mail. Text by Jan Haenraets. Photo: dailymail.co.uk.