Ge et al. / J Zhejiang Univ-Sci A (Appl Phys & Eng) 2013 14(3):219-229 219 Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A (Applied Physics & Engineering) ISSN 1673-565X (Print); ISSN 1862-1775 (Online) www.zju.edu.cn/jzus; www.springerlink.com E-mail: [email protected] Soundscape of the West Lake Scenic Area with profound cultural background—a case study of * Evening Bell Ringing in Jingci Temple, China Jian GE†1,2, Min GUO1,2, Miao YUE1,3 (1Deptartment of Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China) (2State Key Lab of Subtropical Building Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China) (3Deptartment of Architecture and Art, Zhejiang College of Construction, Hangzhou 311231, China) †E-mail: [email protected] Received June 25, 2012; Revision accepted Sept. 27, 2012; Crosschecked Feb. 22, 2013 Abstract: From the case study of Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill, one of the West Lake Cultural Landscapes in Hangzhou, China, we investigated the soundscape of a scenic area with a profound cultural background. First, we conducted the soundscape physical index of the area in both winter and spring seasons to analyze its objective graphical expression. Second, we focused on people’s reactions to the soundscape in order to obtain a subjective evaluation of each component in the soundscape and integrated environment. Then, the relationship between the objective data and the subjective evaluation was analyzed. Finally, the impacts of the natural environment, history, and cultural factors on the evaluation of the Jingci Temple soundscape were studied. It was found that natural sounds, cultural sounds, and historic sounds were widely acclaimed in people’s subjective feelings, which indicated the close relationships among historical and cultural background, soundscape, and natural environment. Thus, the conclusion was made that soundscape should be consistent with the local natural environment and the historical and cultural background. Key words: Soundscape, Culture, Evaluation, West Lake, Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill doi:10.1631/jzus.A1200159 Document code: A CLC number: TU986 1 Background tween culture and soundscape is rarely mentioned. This is particularly significant in Chinese sites of 1.1 Concept of soundscape profound cultural background. Different from the long-term focusing on visual 1.2 Soundscape evaluation research elements in traditional landscape design, the concept of soundscape suggests “sound” as an important 1.2.1 Objective evaluation of soundscape landscape component, and comprehensive sound- The objective evaluation of sounds capes cannot scape design can improve the compatibility of an be simply supported by physical parameters of audi- acoustic environment in a landscape. tory sense (Genuit, 1999; Raimbault et al., 2003). Soundscape research mainly focuses on evalua- Based on background and transport noise, sound- tion and application. However, the relationship be- scapes can be classified into the following five classes: very quiet area, quiet area, elevated loudness in the area, loud area, and very loud area (Lebiedowska, * Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of 2005). For quantitative description of soundscape, China (No. 51078325), and the State Key Lab of Subtropical Building Science, South China University of Technology, China Botteldooren et al. (2006) researched the descriptors © Zhejiang University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 for the temporal structure of urban soundscape and 220 Ge et al. / J Zhejiang Univ-Sci A (Appl Phys & Eng) 2013 14(3):219-229 especially focused on traffic noise. Rychtáriková and ceiver’s implication of the sound environment, and Vermeir (2013) proposed a soundscape assessment the degree to which visual and sound information method based on multi-parameter analysis of 13 coincided. Due to the increased prevalence of sensory acoustic parameters which directly related to human overloading in modern society, people need sufficient perception of sound. The temporal element is com- sensory stimulation to keep engaged, but also need posed of stabilization time, short-term temporal opportunities for the reflection and relaxation. variability, and sound pressure level (SPL) impul- Pheasant et al. (2010) researched audio-visual inter- siveness. Torija et al. (2011) studied the effect of action of the tranquility perception, and then identi- temporal composition on urban soundscape descrip- fied acoustic information as an integral part in tion and perception. perception. 1.2.2 Subjective evaluation of soundscape 1.3 Soundscape application The subjective evaluation of soundscape is also 1.3.1 Noise control an important aspect. Yang and Kang (2005) indicated two important indexes in subjective soundscape Previous studies on urban noise have been criti- evaluation in urban open public space. One was sound cized for a number of inherent weaknesses. These level, and the other was the sound source types. It was surveys were categorized into four types. Some sug- found that a pleasant sound can be felt more acous- gestions were given to make the noise surveys more tically comfortable even it is of a high sound level. efficient, such as disaggregation of noise by source According to the research of semantic differential type (Brown and Lam, 1987). The road traffic noise analysis of soundscape, the major factors of descrip- condition in Curitiba was investigated by the im- tion and evaluation can be identified as relaxation, proved German Standard RLS-90 noise statistical communication, spatiality, and dynamics. Compared modeling (Calixto et al., 2003). Soundscape studies to the general public, designers have more diverse can theoretically and technically benefit noise con- evaluation criteria and stronger preferences to green trol. Noise level reduction alone will not necessarily spaces and natural sounds (Kang and Zhang, 2010). lead to improved quality of life and economy effi- By the multiple surveys done in Europe and China, it ciency. Soundscape approach pays attention to the is indicated that social, demographical, physical, relationship between human beings, ear, sound envi- behavioral, and psychological factors should be the ronments, and society (Kang, 2011). Zhou and Gai ones that influence sound preference in urban open (2005) provided a new paradigm of noise control space (Yu and Kang, 2010). Brown et al. (2011) con- combining creativity, relationship, and sociability. sidered that soundscape study involved diverse laws, 1.3.2 Design application approaches and fields of practice. The fields over- lapped not only in environmental noise management, Raimbault and Dubois (2005) assessed the sound human acoustic comfort in buildings and sound qual- phenomena in daily life and discussed the concept of ity, but also in landscape planning and management, soundscape as structuring the sound space category. urban and building design and wilderness and rec- Yamada (2006) proposed a new method based on a reation management. Hall et al. (2013) used statistical soundscape approach to improve walking routes methods to examine a range of psychoacoustic, per- layout in forests. ceptual and acoustic properties. The perceived 1.3.3 Relative works soundscape quality as an individual subjective ex- perience was influenced by personal preference, so- Ge and Hokao (2004) conducted several surveys cial, cultural and historical factors. on the Saga Forest Park soundscape. The surveys purposed to identify the structures of the soundscapes 1.2.3 Visual environment and soundscape evaluation of urban parks as well as preference and congruence Viollon et al. (2002) found negative sound rat- of each component in a soundscape. They also ana- ings for a natural sound environment within an urban lyzed the soundscape spatial formation and the rela- visual setting. Meanwhile, if the sound included hu- tive importance of each component. The presence of man sounds, the evaluation depended on the per- ground traffic, air traffic, and human voices Ge et al. / J Zhejiang Univ-Sci A (Appl Phys & Eng) 2013 14(3):219-229 221 negatively impacted environmental assessments, and midnight clock chimed at my ship” reflects that peo- increased ratings of hostility, especially in scenic ple are also affected by artificial sound. beauty (Benfield et al., 2010). Szeremeta and Zannin Musical and poetic expressions of landscape (2009) investigated the sound environment using a appreciation have been present as emotional expres- soundscape study model, and concluded that park sions before the concept of soundscape was put for- sound environments were determined by those factors ward. “Two yellow orioles in the tender green willow, jointly interfering in their perception and in the a line of herons crosses the blue sky” (Sun, 1994), and soundscape. The factors included the urban sur- “the stream embraces pebbles and makes ring-bell roundings environment, the space of parks and the sounds; beautiful birds sing to each in chirpy melody” sounds originating inside the parks. (Qian, 1988) both vividly express the blending of sound and scene. There are also some deliberately 1.4 Humanism of soundscape and environment described sounds, e.g., “one does not live in vain to 1.4.1 Humanism of soundscape worldwide have heard the sound of chess in daytime, the sound of flute in moonlight, the sound of winds whistling In the management of the soundscape of US through the pines in the mountains, and the sound of National Parks, the conflict between the natural sound rowing oars