A Study on the Landscape Elements and Distribution Characteristics of Mount Tai Appearing in Poems

Abstract

Mount Tai, with an elevation of 1,532 meters, has a reputation as 'The Most Revered of the Five Sacred Mountains(五嶽 獨尊)', despite not being the highest mountain in China. The literati of the past dynasties created a multitude of works based on the landscape of Mount Tai. Traditional literature is a part of national culture that directly reflects the national characteristics and styles, and is an important part of humanities, which can be linked to landscapes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the landscape elements and characteristics of Mount Tai by analyzing the landscape types and elements and the Kernel Density, Mean Center and Standard Deviational Ellipse of the landscape elements appearing in the representative poems of traditional literature. The research results of this study are summarized as follows. First, Mount Tai is a scenic spot dominated by human activities, different from the natural landscape of prior research related to scenic spots. Second, among the landscape elements of Mount Tai, the importance of "sunrise", "cyan", "towering" and "majestic", "Divine Dragon" is confirmed, symbolizing the hope, brightness, vitality, national stability and prosperity represented by Mount Tai, which can explain the leadership position of Mount Tai. Third, it can be found from the poems about Mount Tai that various landscape elements were embodied in belief (the behavior of gods or emperors) in the Pre-Qin, Sui and Tang dynasties, while in modern times, landscape elements are shown by action (climbing and looking far into distance), so it can be said that the landscape elements have changed from belief landscapes to experience landscapes. Fourth, the spatial distribution of landscape elements in the past dynasties was widely distributed in the Daiding(岱顶). Approaching the modern times, the mean center moved from south outside of Mount Tai to the summit of Mount Tai, and the spatial distribution changed from a widely scattered distribution to narrow linear distribution centered on Mount Tai. The present study is of great significance to provide key factors or spaces for future landscape protection and restoration of Mount Tai.

‘Thousand Years of Charm’: Exploring the Aesthetic Characteristics of the Mount Tai Landscape from the Cross-Textual Perspective

“…Researchers and scholars have long focused on its natural and cultural heritage value, while often overlooking its landscape aesthetic value and significance [7]. While the tangible heritage landscape of Mount Tai is currently well-preserved, the acceleration of processes means that, like other scenic areas, economic benefits in its development are being actively pursued [8]. As a result, the landscape structure has become homogenized, with some sites closely resembling one another.…”

“…Landscape is the feeling of (aesthetic subject) towards certain landscape elements that (aesthetic objects) evoke in human beings [8]. The space represented by landscape is not only material space but also contains deep aesthetic meaning.…”

“…Compared with other research materials such as landscape paintings and photographs, texts can be detached from the limitations of time and space, and accurately express the creator's present views and intentions. Moreover, it is easier to provide readers with an immersive experience perception and landscape mood [8,10,11]. To date, landscape studies have relied primarily on diverse textual data sources such as ancient documents, poems, big data analysis, interviews, garden travelogues, and academic papers [8,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21].…”

“…Moreover, it is easier to provide readers with an immersive experience perception and landscape mood [8,10,11]. To date, landscape studies have relied primarily on diverse textual data sources such as ancient documents, poems, big data analysis, interviews, garden travelogues, and academic papers [8,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. The research methods and contents can be summarized into the following three aspects.…”

“…The landscapes depicted in these poems gradually became renowned scenic spots celebrated through the ages, subtly influencing subsequent generations' appreciation of these landscapes. Therefore, we regard the poets and notable figures who composed these texts as the initial enlighteners and discoverers of beautiful landscapes, hence termed 'landscape enlighteners' [8,36]. Guidebooks are representative texts produced by scenic area managers to promote attractions.…”