Tang Dynasty garden ruins found in SW China

The site of an ancient Buddhist garden dating back more than 1,200 years has been discovered in downtown Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, a local excavation team said Monday.

The classical Chinese garden landscape of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) discovered 
at a construction site in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province,
 July 12, 2015 [Credit: Liu Chenping/Huaxi Metropolis Daily-CFP]

The recently discovered ruins of a garden dating back to the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907)
 at a construction site in Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province 
[Credit: Liu Chenping/Huaxi Metropolis Daily-CFP]

Excavation of the garden, which dates back to China's Tang Dynasty (618 A.D.- 907 A.D.), was completed earlier this month near a construction site in downtown Chengdu. Archaeologists uncovered 2,500 square meters of garden relics, including a 90-meter-long canal and a pond.

The ruins of a 90-meter-long, 1.6-meter-deep winding irrigation canal. It is 
six meters at its widest point and less than one meter at its narrowest 
[Credit: Liu Chenping/Huaxi Metropolis Daily-CFP]

The discovered ruins of ancient irrigation canal at the site [Credit: Liu Chenping/
Huaxi Metropolis Daily-CFP]

The excavation revealed 18 tombs,one well, eight pits, three canals and one pond 
[Credit: Liu Chenping/Huaxi Metropolis Daily-CFP]

Yi Li, who heads the excavation project, told Xinhua that the garden may have been part of a man-made landscape adjacent to a Buddhist temple during the same period. Many Buddhist sculptures were found near the temple during the Qing Dynasty more than 110 years ago.

Pictured are several porcelain vessels unearthed at the site. Large amount of china 
and a few stone carvings and stone Buddhist architectural features were also discovered. 
Archaeologists conclude that the relics may have come from the Wanfo Temple, 
an ancient monastery, between the Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) 
and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) [Credit: Liu Chenping/
Huaxi Metropolis Daily-CFP]

Pottery fragments recovered at the site [Credit: Liu Chenping/
Huaxi Metropolis Daily-CFP]

Pottery and stone Buddhist sculptures were also uncovered from the site. According to archaeologists, gardens were built in royal courts, temples and private residences during the Tang Dynasty. Judging from the rustic quality of the pottery remains, archaeologists concluded that the garden belonged to a temple rather than a court or private residence, where pottery tended to be more elaborate.

Source: Xinhua [July 13, 2015]