A Study on Relationship of Courtyard Plants in Ming Dynasty Engravings and “Elegant Names” in Qun Fang Pu

The engravings of the Ming Dynasty reflected the folk customs of that time. The “elegant names” in Qun Fang Pu, written by Wang Xiangjin of late Ming Dynasty, were quintessence of the planting practice in Chinese traditional gardens. On the basis of briefing Qun Fang Pu and the engravings of the Ming Dynasty, this paper focuses on studying the types and planting relationship of courtyard plants as illustrated in representative engravings of the Ming Dynasty from the perspective of landscape architecture, and compares them with the “elegant names” in Qun Fang Pu to explore the connections between the two. The result shows that the plants in the engravings were largely identical with the configuration of plants as summarized by the “elegant names” of Qun Fang Pu. But because of the differences between the two in the modes of presentation and the knowledge background of the creators, the two differed in species of plants and the modes of appreciation. This paper aims to reveal the values of the engravings of the Ming Dynasty and the “elegant names” of Qun Fang Pu in garden planting, so as to provide technical reference for the design of plants in Chinese traditional courtyards.