Principles and Intertextuality:How to Title Scenic Spots for Chinese Classical Gardens

Chinese classical gardens are often depicted as being picturesque on the face and literary in the heart. To title a garden or name the scenery spots of a garden is a poetic character of Chinese gardens. Certain principles exist for such titling or naming: to show how propitious the place or location is; to imply the most wonderful seasons or special moments the spots enjoy; to declare what suitable activities are at certain places; to tell the feelings directly or by using a metaphor. There are stories or ways of thinking about titling the gardens which have become both traditional and stereotypical. Titling gardens and spots is not only like titling an article but also shows the owner's philosophy of living. The meaning of the titles or names is not self-enclosed; instead they extend to infinity through poetry, essays and other types of literary works by later generations.