Artificial Rock Landscape Construction The artificial rock landscape, a key feature in gardens, is crafted with the philosophy of creating scenery. It is modeled after natural mountain stones, constructed using concrete or natural stone to form small hills for admiration. Today, the most common types of artificial rock landscapes are divided into two categories: cement artificial rock landscapes and natural stone artificial rock landscapes. Artificial rock landscapes possess multifunctional landscaping capabilities, such as forming the main scene or the skeletal structure of the garden, distinguishing and structuring garden spaces, and arranging water features, revetments, slopes, and retaining walls in private gardens. They also set the stage for natural-style flower beds. Moreover, they can integrate with garden architecture, pathways, gardens, water features, and garden plants to create a dynamic and ever-changing scenery, thus reducing the artificial atmosphere, enhancing the natural charm, and blending garden architecture with the surrounding natural landscape. The artificial rock landscape has become one of the characteristics reflecting the essence of Chinese natural landscape gardens. Two: Techniques for Landscape Construction with Artificial Rock Landscapes 1. Site Planning Integrate the Real with the Artificial (i.e., selecting and combining environmental conditions to determine the framework and layout of mountains and rivers). Clearly Define the Role of the Artificial Rock Landscape, accompanied by other plants, small landscape stones, and the main body. Coordinate the Three Distances: The Song Dynasty painter Guo Xi in "The Emphasis on Forest and Spring" said, "Mountains have three distances. Looking up from the bottom of the mountain to the peak is called 'high distance'; looking from the front to the back of the mountain is called 'deep distance'; looking from a close mountain to a distant mountain is called 'level distance.'"; harmonize the mountains according to the natural creases of water veins and stones. By stacking scattered stone materials according to their natural creases, create artificial rock landscapes with a sense of unity and specific stone types, giving them a 'presence' from a distance and a 'quality' and contrast up close. The key to engineering planning is a solid and durable foundation, layer upon layer, with stones interlocking, evenly distributed, achieving the result of "dreadful in appearance, full of confidence." 1. Deliberate Artificial Rock Landscapes and Abstract Artificial Rock Landscapes Deliberate Artificial Rock Landscapes: Crafted with the natural mountains and peculiar peaks as a model but not simply a copy, instead, capturing their essence and meaning, and organically combining with artistic means to create works of art that 'though made by man, appear as if from nature.' For example, the Lake Stone Artificial Rock Landscape in Suzhou's Ringed Villa, modeled after Suzhou's large stone mountains, does not rely on peculiar mountains but focuses on the whole, starting with parts, and in an infinite space, creates a lifelike limestone mountain landscape. Through the changes of high, level, and deep distances, it creates a continuous range of mountains, crossing stone caves, stepping over bridges, scaling cliffs, winding paths, and continuous after-images, allowing visitors to enjoy the rich taste of the mountains and forests in the bustling city. Gardeners use contrast, emphasis, and visual differences to create the majestic atmosphere of thousands of peaks and valleys. Abstract Artificial Rock Landscapes: Modeled after the poses and expressions of various animals and plants in nature, they are fascinating for their similarity yet difference, attracting visitors to linger and imagine endlessly, achieving the artistic effect of authenticity. The Lion Forest, known as the "Garden of Artificial Rock Landscapes," is an example. The artificial rock landscapes in the Lion Forest, all resembling lions, are in a thousand different poses. They have the grandeur of a wilderness of lions but are not intentionally realistic. The designers seek a perfect balance between similarity and dissimilarity, revealing and concealing, mystery, and an ambiguous beauty. The methods are diverse, and the changes are abundant, giving a sense of magnificent and beautiful charm. 2. Dispersed Stones Dispersed stones are an artistic method of arranging stones of different sizes according to the natural rules of stones appearing and emerging on the slopes. Dispersed stone landscaping is widely used in Suzhou's classical gardens, often used in courtyards, at the sides of gates, corridors, or by pools. The key to dispersed stone landscaping is "scatterness." "Therefore, scatter it and you will achieve a wonderful landscape," or "rely on fine trees and plants, scatter and arrange." For example, the dispersed stones in the round gate of the耦园 show the result of "the courtyard is full of autumn grass, suddenly appearing as peaks and valleys; the roots and twigs are dense and intricate, resembling the creation of heaven rather than human work."