What Does It Mean for a Garden to Speak? 🌿 什么是“会说话的园林”？ 🌿 When we say Zuibaichi is a garden that speaks, we’re not talking about words. We’re talking about the way light and shadow move across a courtyard, the way a stone path unfolds a new perspective, the way silence itself can resonate like a conversation. In this video, we explore the deeper language of Zuibaichi — a garden shaped by the spirit of Dong Qichang, a scholar and artist influenced by Chan Buddhism and the Southern School of painting. Discover how the garden uses space, texture, and light to quietly articulate something profound. And learn why in Chan Buddhism, silence isn’t emptiness — it’s a kind of fullness that can only be heard by those who know how to listen. Tap in, slow down, and experience a garden that invites you to see — and hear — differently. 当我们说醉白池是一座会“说话”的园林， 我们指的不是言语，而是光影流动于庭院之间的方式， 是石径随着步伐而展开的新视角， 是无声之中，静谧却如对话般回响的空间。 在本视频中，我们深入探索醉白池的另一种语言—— 它承载着董其昌的精神，一位深受禅宗与南宗画派影响的学者与艺术家。 你将看到这座园林如何通过空间、纹理、光影，悄然传递深邃的意境。 而在禅宗中，沉默并非空无，而是一种充盈。 只有学会用心去听的人，才能听见那份无声之中的丰盈之音。 放慢脚步，打开感官， 在这座园林中，体验一种看见与聆听的全新方式。

In Chan Buddhism, enlightenment is said to arrive suddenly — but only after years of quiet cultivation. Zuibaichi performs this idea beautifully, using light and shadow to illustrate the process of perception. In this video, we explore how the garden creates moments of sudden illumination: A moon gate that frames light in one direction but reveals cool shadow in another A lattice window that casts ink-wash patterns on a wall A stone path that appears to flicker as sunlight moves through bamboo leaves Just as Dong Qichang’s paintings ask us to look deeper, to linger longer, the garden invites us to slow down and let insight unfold naturally. This is a lesson in presence, in patience, in letting the world reveal itself — one step, one breath, one moment at a time. 在禅宗中，有一句话：顿悟源于长期修炼，刹那间觉醒。 醉白池巧妙地演绎了这一理念， 用光影交错的变化，呈现出感知的过程。 在本视频中，我们探讨园林如何通过光影，创造出那些瞬间的启发： 一座月洞门，从一个方向照亮光线， 但稍微转身，便步入一片清凉的阴影长廊 花窗格子，在墙上洒下一幅幅如水墨画般的影子 石径在竹林间，光影交织，仿佛闪烁不定 正如董其昌的画作邀请我们停驻、细看、慢品， 醉白池亦在暗示我们： 放慢脚步，让顿悟自然到来。 这是静心、等待与感知的练习—— 让世界在每一步、每一次呼吸、每一刻之间，缓缓呈现。

南宗画派：文人的园林，思想者的栖居 Zuibaichi isn’t just a garden — it’s a philosophy in physical form. For Dong Qichang, the Southern School of painting was more than a style; it was a way of seeing, a way of being. Instead of focusing on strict technique, the Southern School emphasized inner cultivation and intuitive expression — values that are woven into every turn and corner of Zuibaichi. In this video, we explore how the garden’s asymmetry, its layered design, and its reflective spaces mirror the layered, meditative nature of Dong’s art. Each corridor is like a brushstroke. Each pavilion, a moment of stillness. Each pond, a space for reflection — both literal and metaphorical. Discover how Dong Qichang used the garden as a living canvas for Chan Buddhist principles, inviting us to slow down, look deeper, and let space teach us the art of presence. 醉白池不仅仅是一座园林——它是一种理念的具象表达。 对于董其昌来说，南宗画派不仅是一种绘画风格，更是一种观照世界与自我的方式。 南宗画派不强调技法的精细，而是注重内心的修炼与直觉的表达。 这些理念，深深融入醉白池的每一处转角与布局之中。 在本视频中，我们将探索园林中的非对称布局、层次分明的设计以及冥思般的静谧空间， 它们如同董其昌的画作般充满禅意与层次感。 每一条回廊，像一笔挥洒的墨痕； 每一个亭子，是节奏中的停顿； 每一方池塘，都是真实与虚幻之间的映照。 董其昌将园林视为一幅禅宗画卷， 引导我们放慢脚步、深入观照， 在空间的静谧中，感受当下的存在。

Zuibaichi, or “The Garden of the Drunken Poet Bai,” was named not for its designer, but in honor of Bai Juyi – the Tang dynasty poet known for his luminous simplicity and deep compassion. This video explores why Dong Qichang, a contemplative, abstract thinker and painter, chose to name his personal retreat after a poet whose voice was direct, accessible, and grounded in the lives of ordinary people. What may seem like a contrast is in fact a profound complement. Dong’s layered inner world and Bai’s outward clarity together create a garden that speaks in two registers: one meditative, the other plainspoken. In a space shaped by Chan philosophy, where even silence is a form of discipline, clarity itself becomes a spiritual act. By naming the garden after Bai Juyi, Dong Qichang made space for voices beyond his own – inviting all who enter to see differently, speak honestly, and perceive deeply. This is a garden not only of design, but of generosity. A quiet place where truth can be both whispered and declared. “醉白池”这个名字的来源， 并非来自造园者本人，而是为了纪念唐代大诗人——白居易。 他以简洁明快的语言、关怀百姓的情怀，以及“人人能懂”的诗风而闻名， 即使是家中的仆人，也能读懂他的诗。 那么，为何一位深沉而抽象的禅宗思想家、艺术家董其昌， 会选择以这样一位平易近人的诗人为园命名？ 看似反差，其实正是互为补充。 董其昌的艺术内敛、层次丰富、如禅中沉思； 而白居易的诗作则将那份内在的宁静化为可感可知的文字， 让所有人都能领会其中的真意。 在这座受禅宗思想影响极深的园林中， 清晰、坦率的表达，也是一种修行—— 穿透幻象，直指真实。 通过“醉白池”这一命名，董其昌不仅表达了敬意， 也为不同的声音腾出了空间， 邀请我们以不同的方式去看世界、想问题、说话语。 这不仅是一种空间上的设计， 更是一种精神上的包容与慷慨。 在这个意义上，醉白池不仅是董其昌的隐居之所， 更是一个多种声音交汇的园林。 而白居易的声音，至今仍在这里回响—— 提醒我们：真正的智慧，不必深奥难解； 有时，最深的真理，恰恰藏在最清澈的语言里。

步步皆景：园林中的故事叙述 Zuibaichi doesn’t simply display beauty – it reveals it over time. Like a story unfolding scene by scene, the garden offers discovery through movement: a turn reveals a rock formation, a corridor opens into still water, a pavilion appears just as you’re ready to pause. But this isn’t a Western-style story with a beginning, middle, and end. It’s more like a Chan parable – a quiet journey meant to awaken, not explain. Insight, in this space, comes not from information but from shifts in perception – from noticing what has always been there. This video explores how Zuibaichi teaches us not just to look, but to see: To be aware of how we move through space To let rhythm, stillness, and shadow guide our attention To engage with our surroundings as participants, not just observers As Dong Qichang understood in both his paintings and his garden design, the deepest insights arise not from control, but from openness. In this final reflection of the series, we invite you to experience Zuibaichi not just as a place to visit, but as a space that continues to visit you – each time with new meaning, depending on what you're ready to perceive. Because in the end, the garden doesn’t just speak. It teaches us how to listen. 醉白池不只是用来“看”的园林， 它更是一段随着行走而展开的故事。 你不会一次看见全部， 而是随着每一步的移动，慢慢发现： 一转身，露出假山的轮廓； 一条回廊，通向静谧的池水； 一个亭子，在你正想停下时悄然出现。 但这并不是西式的“开端—发展—结尾”的情节结构。 它更像是一则禅宗寓言—— 不是用语言解释，而是通过感知唤醒你。 本视频带你思考：醉白池如何教我们不仅仅是“看”，而是“看见”： 意识到自己在空间中的行走节奏 让节奏、静止与光影引导注意力 不只是观众，而是园林叙事的参与者 董其昌深知这一点。 无论在他的绘画中，还是在园林的布局中， 他都强调：真正的洞见，并非来自控制，而是来自开放。 作为本系列的最后一集， 我们邀请你把醉白池视为一个不断来访你的空间， 每一次走近，都会带来新的意义， 只取决于你准备好看见多少。 因为到最后，你会发现—— 这座园林不仅会说话， 它更教会我们如何去倾听。

In Jiangnan, gardens are more than ornamental spaces — they are declarations of identity and belonging. For the salt merchants, crafting a garden was an act of self-definition, a way to claim a place in a society that often overlooked them. Though they lacked the classical education of the literati, they poured their resources into creating intricate, poetic spaces that spoke for them. In this reflection, we explore how these gardens were not just displays of wealth, but acts of agency — statements of belonging built stone by stone. As we walk through these spaces, we’re invited to consider: What do we build to express our own sense of belonging? How can beauty be a way of saying, “I am here. I matter.” 在江南，园林不仅仅是观赏之地——它们是身份与归属的宣言。 对盐商来说，打造一座园林不仅是财富的展示，更是自我定义的一种方式。尽管缺乏文人的文化背景，他们依然倾注心血，建造出精致而富有诗意的空间，用这些园林为自己发声。 在这段反思中，我们将探讨这些园林不仅是财富的象征，更是一步步建立归属感的见证。走过这些景致，我们也被邀请思考： 我们如何用自己的方式建构归属感？ 美，是否也是一种无声的宣言：“我在这里，我的存在有意义。”

What does it mean to be at peace? And how many forms can peace take? In this quiet reflection, we turn to the garden — to a still pond and a flowing stream — as metaphors for the different ways calm can manifest. Drawing from Chinese garden philosophy, the video explores how stillness and movement offer complementary lessons: the peace of presence, and the peace of resilience. Whether you are seeking clarity, rest, or renewal, this short meditation invites you to ask a simple but powerful question: What kind of water do I need to be today? 什么是“平静”？而平静，又是否只有一种形式？ 在这段静谧的视频中，我们走进园林，走向一潭静水与一股活泉，体会中国园林哲学中的对比美学。静水如镜，引人反思；流水前行，顺势而动。两者都揭示出不同的安定之道。 无论你此刻正在寻找的是清明、休息，还是自我更新，这段冥想都邀请你思考一个简单却深刻的问题： 今天，我要成为什么样的水？