Garden Entrances
A particular entrance into a different reality was a gate ("moon-gate", or gourd-shaped passage) or
corridor, frequently used in garden design.
In philosophical Taoism, entering the separate reality of the Taoist vision is conjunction of the
inward, and outward: a passage to the seat of the spiritual (ling fu) and through the gateway (-
men) of ten thousand mysteries (miao), as explained by Lao Tzu (chapter 1). This means
returning to the source (or root).
"Garden walls were the principle device to create spatial mystery and psychological anticipation in
Kiang-nan gardens. As such, they were more powerful than the corridors and walkways. A moongate carried a
potent symbolic connotation as an opening into another world and possessed a strong attractive force to draw
people onwards."
