What Landscape Meant for the Early Medieval Chinese Gentry

The emergence of landscape appreciation in early medieval China has received extensive attention from disciplines such as literary and history. However, it can be discerned that existing studies have not examined the part played by suburb in the evolution of landscape appreciation. What landscape meant for the Jin gentry also needs investigation. The aim of this study is to fill these gaps by investigating landscape appreciation in the suburban settings, from the third to fourth centuries. Specifically, this study explores the meaning of landscape for the early medieval Chinese gentry, and traces the derivation and formation of these meanings. The research results enhance a holistic understanding of landscape appreciation as a leisure pursuit in that period.