(Changchun, May 4) – Plants not only provide humans with material nourishment but also serve as spiritual symbols. In literature and art, plants are portrayed or symbolized in ways that reflect differing perceptions of nature across civilizations. Recently, Mu Jing, an associate professor at the School of Literature, Northeast Normal University, was interviewed by China News Service to decode the cultural codes hidden in the plant world of Eastern and Western civilizations. Below is a summary of the interview:
China News Service (CNS): How were plant images perceived and represented in early human civilizations?
Mu Jing: Plants existed long before humans. Over 200 million years ago during the Triassic period of the Mesozoic era, ginkgo trees flourished on Earth. Early humans relied on plants for sustenance and shelter, which led to plant images appearing in early human civilization. Pottery from the Banpo site of the Yangshao culture features grass and tree patterns, while pottery from the Miaodigou site depicts large leaf designs. These patterns show that Neolithic people had a sensory understanding of the structure of plants.
Mu Jing: Plants existed long before humans. Over 200 million years ago during the Triassic period of the Mesozoic era, ginkgo trees flourished on Earth. Early humans relied on plants for sustenance and shelter, which led to plant images appearing in early human civilization. Pottery from the Banpo site of the Yangshao culture features grass and tree patterns, while pottery from the Miaodigou site depicts large leaf designs. These patterns show that Neolithic people had a sensory understanding of the structure of plants.
Over time, driven by emotional needs, aesthetic pursuits, and the desire to build collective memory, plants transitioned from the material world into the spiritual realm, appearing in literary and artistic works. Pre-Qin Chinese literature mentions numerous plants, with hundreds recorded in texts like The Book of Songs, Classic of Mountains and Seas, and Songs of Chu.
Similarly, ancient Greek civilization, the cradle of Western culture, features plants prominently in its literature and art. Olive trees appear in early Minoan frescoes, where people danced beneath them. Numerous Greek deities are associated with plants, such as Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, and Artemis, the goddess of the wild. Ancient Greece also produced Theophrastus, known as the "Father of Botany," whose works Enquiry into Plants and Causes of Plants are foundational texts that systematically document plant characteristics, classifications, habitats, and medicinal uses.
CNS: How do plant representations in Eastern and Western literature and art differ?
Mu Jing: Both Eastern and Western cultures exhibit plant worship. In The Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Fusang tree is colossal, with nine suns resting on its branches—one on top and eight below. Similarly, sacred trees in Indian mythology, Frazer's The Golden Bough, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge in the Bible, and others reflect humanity's reverence for cosmic trees.
Mu Jing: Both Eastern and Western cultures exhibit plant worship. In The Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Fusang tree is colossal, with nine suns resting on its branches—one on top and eight below. Similarly, sacred trees in Indian mythology, Frazer's The Golden Bough, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge in the Bible, and others reflect humanity's reverence for cosmic trees.
However, plants also evoke fear. Forests, representing disorder and the unknown, house beasts, monsters, and spirits. For instance, in Songs of Chu, a mountain goddess clad in ivy awaits her lover in a mysterious forest. In Journey to the West and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, spirits and monsters often inhabit wooded areas. In the West, the Epic of Gilgamesh features Humbaba, a monster guarding a cedar forest, and Dante’s Divine Comedy begins with the protagonist threatened by wild beasts in a dark forest.
A key difference is how the relationship between humans and plants is viewed. Chinese literature emphasizes unity between plants and humans, as seen in poetic imagery like “rising with the flowers” in The Book of Songs. Western art often treats plants as part of a landscape to be observed, focusing on geometry, perspective, and realism.
CNS: What factors influence the aesthetic preferences for plants in the East and West?
Mu Jing: The utility and aesthetic value of plants significantly shape human preferences.
Mu Jing: The utility and aesthetic value of plants significantly shape human preferences.
In China, the peach tree's abundance made it a food source and cultural symbol, appearing in early literature as a metaphor for beauty and prosperity. Westerners, meanwhile, prized oak trees for their strength and durability, essential in building homes and ships.
Aesthetically, Eastern traditions emphasize moral connections, with plants like the pine, bamboo, plum blossom, and lotus symbolizing virtues like resilience, purity, and integrity. Western traditions often highlight the visual beauty of plants, such as lilies, which symbolize purity and divinity due to their elegant forms.
CNS: What philosophical roots underlie Eastern and Western plant cultures?
Mu Jing: Chinese philosophy advocates harmony between humans and nature, with plants symbolizing moral ideals. In contrast, Western philosophy centers on the human as the measure of all things, focusing on defining plants’ aesthetics from a human perspective.
Mu Jing: Chinese philosophy advocates harmony between humans and nature, with plants symbolizing moral ideals. In contrast, Western philosophy centers on the human as the measure of all things, focusing on defining plants’ aesthetics from a human perspective.
Recent works by American philosopher Michael Marder challenge anthropocentric views, advocating for equality between humans and plants in philosophical discourse. This reflects growing Western recognition of the importance of plants in human life and thought.
Ultimately, both Eastern and Western traditions underscore the profound bond between plants and humans, prompting us to rethink how to coexist sustainably with the natural world.