A unique Oriental beauty is hidden within the Chinese circle.
The belief that heaven is round and the earth is square was the worldview of the ancient Chinese; the doctrines and thoughts of the I Ching, the Book of Documents and other classics were based on it. It can be said that without the circle, there would be no Chinese-style design. The circle takes on the meaning of harmony and completeness; while expressing the traditional humanistic ideal, it also accords with the traditional aesthetic view of the unity of heaven and humanity, passed down in one continuous line from ancient times to the present. The circle was used with particular breadth in Chinese garden architecture, and as an important spiritual element of Chinese culture, it carries the beautiful aspiration of the traditional spirit of completeness.
In traditional Chinese garden landscapes, the circle is often combined with framed scenery and peep scenery, set off by mountains, waters, pavilions and terraces, and embellished with flowers, birds, fish and insects. Framed scenery allows a full view, while peep scenery appears and disappears in faint glimpses, and the "circular moon gate" is the most widely used vehicle of all.
The "circular moon gate" is also called the moon gate; it is both a passage and a picture frame. Inside and outside the gate are planted green bamboo, red flowers, curious stones and potted landscapes, and through the gate one sees a scene within a frame, a painting within a frame; as the four seasons change, so does the scenery. Half hidden and half revealed, full of tender feeling, a trace of spring color is turned into poetic charm. One scene at every step, with the scenery changing as one moves, creates a unique Chinese aesthetics.
The roundness of the moon gate carries the meaning of "harmony and completeness." It is not only an aesthetic attitude, but also a philosophy of dealing with the world. Heaven, earth, people, character, things and self are highly unified; it is a profound cultural accumulation. The flower window also embodies this same connotation.
The flower window is a decorative form of window in Han Chinese garden architecture. The circular window opening extends the interior space by framing the scenery outside the window, and also reflects the boundlessness of the "circle."
In the modern architectural system, the circle remains an important design source. Behind its expression of Chinese architectural art lies the inheritance of the traditional Chinese spirit of completeness and reunion, and its combination with modern architectural art is a re-creation of this spirit, giving it renewed life.