Analysis of the Characteristics of Academy Garden Construction in Ningbo Area during the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Academies have always been places for ancient Chinese scholars to collect books, offer sacrifices and conduct academic research. Their garden environment is also an important place for scholars and literati to cultivate their character and refine their nature. The Ningbo area has a flourishing literary atmosphere and occupies an extremely important position in the development process of academy gardens in Zhejiang. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the academy gardens in Ningbo, while inheriting the garden-making techniques of traditional gardens in the Jiangnan region, were influenced by popular academic thoughts such as the Yangming School and the Zhe Dong School, as well as the geographical and humanistic environment, presenting distinct regional characteristics. This article takes the generation background and garden-making characteristics of the academy gardens in the Ningbo area during the Ming and Qing dynasties as the research object, attempts to sort out the development context of the traditional garden culture in Ningbo during this period, and provides theoretical support for the protection of the material culture and the inheritance of the spiritual connotation of the gardens in this area.