This article examines the interaction between northern Chinese Qing dynasty garden spaces and women from a female perspective. Gu Taiqing was a prominent female poet of the Qing dynasty, often compared to Nalan Rongruo and hailed as one of the most outstanding representatives of both male and female poets of the Qing era. With her steadfast and unyielding character, diverse poetic themes, unique and natural poetic style, and profound rational thought embedded in her works, Gu Taiqing became the foremost female poet of the Manchu Qing dynasty, earning widespread acclaim from later generations.
Using the method of literature mining, this study investigates the formation and development of gender dynamics from the perspective of social relationships. It explores the representation of gender ethics in garden spaces and interprets the social gender implications of northern Qing dynasty domestic garden spaces from three aspects: the representation of social gender order in residential garden spaces, the influence of social identity on defining women's activity spaces, and the impact of societal aesthetics on the spatial characteristics of women.
By analyzing the emotional connotations of the poetic imagery in Gu Taiqing's works, her poetry is broadly categorized into three themes: poems inspired by paintings, poems about objects, and poems reflecting on history and reality. Based on textual analysis, the study examines the landscape elements within each type of content. Consequently, it analyzes the interaction between northern women's lives, feminine qualities, and garden spaces from the perspective of social life. It further explores women's wisdom in spatial practices such as garden creation, management, visiting, and appreciation. By investigating the reciprocal relationship between ancient women and domestic garden spaces, the study uncovers the influence of women on the construction and cultivation of these spaces.