The Inheritance and Creation of Regional Characteristics in Specialized Gardens: A Case Study of the Sanqingshan Botanical Garden

Addressing the common problems of severe homogenization in the planning and design of specialized gardens in domestic botanical gardens, as well as the insufficient integration of regional characteristics and cultural connotations, this study aims to explore a planning and design pathway that avoids homogenization and highlights regional and cultural distinctiveness. Taking the Sanqingshan Botanical Garden as an empirical case, the research employs methods such as systematic resource evaluation, regional cultural analysis, and comprehensive planning demonstration. The site is divided into five functional areas and 15 specialized gardens, featuring the systematic collection of distinctive plant resources including East Asian-North American disjunct genera, Chinese endemic genera, energy plants, rare and endangered plants, and space-bred plants. Innovative integration of Taoist cultural motifs such as “Harmony between Heaven and Humanity” and “Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands” is also incorporated. The results indicate that developing 15 regionally distinctive specialized gardens and four Taoist plant-themed landscapes significantly enhances the regional identifiability and cultural depth of the specialized gardens, effectively addressing the homogenization challenge in the industry. A replicable “resources–culture–space” trinity design paradigm is established. This paradigm provides systematic support for the scientific and localized development of landscape botanical gardens, facilitating their transformation from mere ornamental functions to composite roles in cultural heritage and ecological education, and reinforcing their functionality as core carriers of natural and cultural inheritance.