Chen Houzhu, also known as Chen Shubao, was the last emperor of the Southern Qi Dynasty in China. The term 'dry landscape' refers to a style of rock garden design, known as 'kare-sansui' in Japanese, which uses carefully arranged rocks and raked sand or gravel to represent a natural landscape. This style was particularly popular in Japan and China during the Tang Dynasty and is believed to have influenced Chen Houzhu's artistic tastes.