The Secret Gardens of Korea: Exploring Traditional Korean Gardens

Explore the serene beauty of traditional Korean gardens, where nature and philosophy intertwine. Discover how these gardens reflect the principles of harmony and balance, and where to find the most exquisite examples across Korea.

 

The traditional Korean gardens are in-depth reflection countries that have developed culture through the careful setting of nature. They make the deepest possible connection to philosophical ideas, especially those related to harmony and balance. Designed as places both of aesthetic pleasure and reflection, these gardens are the reflection of largely Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian ideals.

 

The philosophy behind traditional Korean gardens is the imitation and production in miniature of natural landscapes. On the contrary, stiffness and the symmetrical designs that are to appear in some of the Western gardens are fairly regarded in the Korean gardens in respect of asymmetry and the natural irregularity of the ground.

 

Where rocks, water, and vegetation are placed with calculated spontaneity to embody the idea of "borrowed scenery," where the surroundings of the garden are made to be part of the composition. It uses water at one time or another as an integral part of the Korean garden in the form of ponds, rivulets, or waterfalls adding life and renewal to the kinetic refractive quality of the garden.

 

The fine placing of stones is yet another feature seen in the garden, usually used in such a way that one can see their special forms and texture to show the everlasting qualities of nature.

 

Amongst the most beautiful examples of a traditional Korean garden, the Secret Garden of Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul takes one of the first places. The garden was designed to allow the royal family to rest. It is designed very well, possibly by an architect with the environment. In the garden, pavilions and halls stand in harmony with each other among chosen and properly formed elements of nature.

 

Another place of interest is Soswaewon Garden in Damyang: this is one of the most famous private gardens during the Joseon Dynasty, radiating all grace and philosophical power in classic Korean landscaping. The place itself is open in a design of simplicity and harmony with nature, presented in bamboo groves, clear streams, and pavilions, all welcoming to meditate. Gardens such as those from the Garden of Morning Calm and those at Bulguksa Temple afford modern-day visitors a fair idea of the timelessly classic aesthetic and the philosophical principles defining traditional Korean garden design.

 

Its spaces are designed to not only be beautiful but to have a deep cultural and spiritual meaning that gives one a sanctuary away from peaceful, deeper understanding in a contemporary manner of Korea's relationship to the natural world. Starting from the first step in these gardens, discovery unfolds to the visitor not only the beauty of Korean landscapes but also values of Korean culture bestowed since time immemorial. It is this cocktail of art, philosophy, and nature that keeps enchanting visitors.