Wight wrote I wouldn't say I'm fascinated by it but it probably has something to do with the culture and philosophical ideologies that the west is exposed to in TV and movies.
When we see these gardens we picture peaceful monks or martial artists practicing their craft with deadly precision, but a peaceful flow.
We picture grand masters kneeling on cushions, teaching their students how to live a fulfilling life with honor and integrity.

Some of the most peaceful philosophies have made their way out of the eastern world and many of them use nature in their analogies and writings.
Take Taoism for example. A philosophy, put forward by Lao Tzu, which says that you can only become enlightened if you become one with nature.

I'm not an architect, but I wouldn't be surprised if the angles used to build these structures were designed specifically to make it look more peaceful and natural.

So it's not a surprise that people are astounded and fascinated by these structures and gardens.
The media, your college studies, and the architecture itself has made it so that this feeling is almost inevitable.