| While the European and Middle-Eastern designers | | | | development of the garden. The Chinese garden's |
| were applying their technological capabilities and | | | | basic feature is water, and the desired presentation |
| cultural influences to water fountain design and | | | | is to have the appearance of a perfectly natural |
| function, the Chinese were also developing their own | | | | setting, designed to evoke a sense of calm. |
| approach to the use of water. | | | | One of the most beautiful examples of this is the |
| The ancient, and somewhat universal, thought that | | | | West Lake of Hang Chou developed in the 8th |
| water is the source of life has continued into the | | | | century (T'ang Dynasty). This lake was created |
| present and we now know that our physical bodies | | | | through dredging out a large shallow "bowl" |
| are composed of substantial quantities of water, | | | | encompassing many acres of land and diverting |
| without which we would not survive. There are | | | | water into it. Meticulous landscaping around the lake |
| qualities sometimes attributed to water that almost | | | | completed the 'natural' effect. This beautiful marvel |
| make it seem to be alive. We say it moves, runs, | | | | of engineering and aesthetic design was first |
| even jumps over objects in its path, all of which | | | | reported to the Western world in the early 14th |
| imply that water has "sentient" qualities. It may be | | | | Century by Marco Polo and continues to be a |
| trained, guided, or forced to move around corners or | | | | destination for tourists today. |
| bends and even to flow upwards. | | | | There is quite a bit of evidence that the Chinese also |
| The Chinese have harnessed water in these and | | | | harnessed the capabilities of water for air cooling |
| other ways for thousands of years. At first they | | | | based on evaporation and had developed early |
| made water work for them to irrigate crops, much | | | | versions of water fountains that may have been |
| like the Romans did-that is they used gravity as the | | | | either gravity or chain pump powered. This seems to |
| primary means of moving water from a mountain | | | | call into question the notion that water fountains |
| stream through systems of ditches down to the | | | | were unknown in China prior to the arrival of Jesuit |
| growing fields. During the Han Dynasty, some time | | | | missionaries who incorporated water fountains in the |
| around the first century BC, some historians attribute | | | | courtyards of their missions. |
| the invention of the chain pump to the Chinese, | | | | As the Chinese integrated and expanded the use of |
| although this is not universally accepted. | | | | water fountains within their culture, they tended to |
| These first pumps were mechanisms that could raise | | | | depart from the European multi-spouted variety, |
| water about 15 feet via a series of buckets or pallets | | | | preferring rather to focus on simpler displays. Chinese |
| attached to a chain looped around a top and bottom | | | | aesthetics emphasized the shapes / arcs of water as |
| wheel. A water source at the bottom permitted the | | | | a complement to the overall design of the fountain, |
| buckets to fill, and the turning wheels guided the | | | | again, with the purpose of evoking a sense of |
| buckets upward to be emptied at the top. The | | | | tranquility through simple shapes. |
| efficiency of the system was dependent on the size | | | | When we consider water features for our gardens |
| of the containers and the degree to which they | | | | and yards today, the most adopted design is the |
| were sealed against leakage. Power was supplied first | | | | natural setting - a direct connection to the ancient |
| by human effort, later by harnessed animals; the | | | | Chinese perspective. Also, many contemporary indoor |
| steady power source allowed the height of the | | | | water fountain designs feature natural appearance or |
| raised water to be increased. (Some historians believe | | | | produce a simple stream of water, both having their |
| that this may have been the mechanism that | | | | aesthetic origins in China. So, today's water fountain is |
| irrigated the Hanging Gardens in Mesopotamia, raising | | | | a device that brings together centuries of |
| water from the Euphrates River to a reservoir at the | | | | technological development, esthetic and cultural |
| top of the structure.) | | | | perspectives from all parts of the world. I believe |
| All this early activity had the purpose of boosting | | | | that is why today's water fountain, with its seemingly |
| economic benefits. It wasn't until later that the | | | | endless variety of designs, styles, and materials, can |
| Chinese began to utilize water for aesthetic or | | | | be integrated into any setting in a very personal way |
| recreational purposes, when they ventured into their | | | | to reflect the personality of its owner. |