Architecture in China

Jitrawan(Ning) & Katechaya(Lukkate)

features
characteristics
chinese garden
roof
examples
styles

Features
-Flexible Structure
-Wonderful and Elegant Appearance
-Regular Layout
-Gorgeous Ornaments
-Symbolized Decoration

Flexible Structure
-The ancient buildings use wood as chief material. And the components are mainly
columns, beams, and purlins, which are connected by tenons and mortises. As a
result, the wooden structure is quite flexible.
-design only found in China named Dougong (a system of brackets inserted between
the top of a column and a crossbeam), which is one of the most important character
in ancient Chinese architecture.

Wonderful and Elegant Appearance

It is a good model of a combination of practicality and beauty.
for example, the overhanging eaves, upward roof corners, and different shapes of
roofs.
The unique outside has not only fit and satisfid the practical functional need of
building, but also exhibited its wonderful appearance.

Regular Layout
-In China, buildings such as palaces, temples and folk houses are basically in a
combined complex.
-The building complex can be divided into buildings centered on different courtyards
and then into single rooms.
-the buildings is symmetrical on the left and right sides. Such layout of ancient
Chinese architectures has reflected the aesthetic standard of harmony and symmetry
in ancient China.

Gorgeous Ornaments
-They use different colors or paintings according to the particular need or local
customs. Some buildings use multiple colors to make strong contrast. Others use
soften color to make it simple but elegant.
-Carved beams, painted rafters, various patterns, inscribed boards, couplets hung on
the pillars, and wall paintings are used to add to the colorful and beautiful style.
-Stone lions, screen walls, ornamental columns, as well as flowers are used in the
outside of a building to make ornaments.

Symbolized Decoration
Chinese architecture prefers to use the symbolized decoration on the surface of the
building.
-The most frequent used standards are dragon and phoenix. They are the principal
motifs for decorative designs on buildings and clothing.
-The throne hall is supported by columns entwined by gilded dragons, the central
ramps on marble steps were paved with huge slabs carved in relief with the dragon
and phoenix, and the screen walls display dragons in brilliant colors.

Characteristics
Readability
Introversion
Super-Stability
Interdependence

Readability
Ancient Chinese architecture reveals Chinese beliefs in life and society.
For instance, houses belonging to people of higher social status will definitely have
different types of roofs, steles, and couplets, compared with those of lower-status
people.

Introversion
- Chinese ancient buildings are simple externality but enjoy internal richness. Two
typical examples are the Chinese Quadrangle (Siheyuan) and Gardens in Suzhou of
East China's Jiangsu Province.

Super-Stability
Ancient Chinese architecture has remained almost unchanged over thousands of years
due to a long history of feudal society in which people embraced similar values and
lifestyles.

Interdependence
the reason why ancient Chinese buildings are made of wood rather than stones lies in
the Chinese belief that wood symbolizes spring, green, and new life and therefore is
used to build houses for the living.
Stones are usually used for mausoleums and graves.
the Eight Diagrams (Bagua, relating to divination), the Yin-Yang Principle (concerning
opposing elements, Widely used in Taoism Architecture), and Feng Shui (dealing with
attracting positive energy. The energy of the universe, is carried in the wind and
retained within water.) all have exerted great influences on ancient Chinese
architecture

Chinese garden architecture

- providing a place for rest and sightseeing to people.
-The essential buildings of Chinese garden architectures include
hallspavilionscorridors and bridges, etc.
-The garden architectures should satisfy the requirements both for practical purposes
and aesthetics purpose.

Style in North China and South China

Gardens in south of China are mainly private gardens, while in north of China are
mainly imperial gardens.
Gardens in north of China is magnificent and stress the intense colors of paintings,
and the structure is much more official.
Garden in the south has green tiles, white walls and wood carvings.

examples
Suzhou Gardens
Suzhou garden has a history of two thousand years.
-combining Chinese landscape and flowers and birds and adding the Tang poem Song
poems ideal condition to increase the cultural connotation.
Ex :Canglangting Garden, Shizilin Garden, Zhuozhengyuan Garden, Liuyuan Garden,
etc.

Yuanmingyuan Garden
- use western architecture style for reference. Unfortunately, the Yuanmingyuan
Garden was destroyed by British and French troops in 1860. People only have to
imagine its beauty from the relics.
- its the most eminent gardens in China at that time and it was famous to Europe by
missionarys letters and introductions. To some extent, the style of garden
architecture in Europe was affected by Yuanmingyuan Garden in 18th century.

Roof
-

Curved roofs
Brilliantly painted wall and pillars and strange carvings
Odd details like free-standing gates and round doors
Nothing could look more alien to Western eyes than traditional Chinese
buildings
more picturesque, more exotic ; representative of a culture that is
nothing like ours

Example of Famous Architecture

: The Forbidden City
-

Rule of 9 & 5 : Number used in

construction of the Forbidden City.
9 represents emperor
5 springs up because its significant of
the 5 elements and other concepts.
Yellow Color : The Chinese believe to
be made out of yellow Earth. Used in
imperial roof decoration where yellow
gaze is used solely by palatial
structures.
Earth represents by a square.
Axial symmetry : The Forbidden citys
palatial structures are on a north and
south axis.

: A Stone-carved pillar-gate (Que)

-

6 m. in total height
Located at the tomb of Gao Yi in
Yaan, Sichuan province, Eastern Han
Dynasty (25-220AD)
Notice the stone-carved decorations
of roof tile eaves, despite the fact
that Han Dynasty stone que (part of
the walled structures around tomb
entrances) lacked wooden or ceramic
components (but often imitated
wooden buildings with ceramic roof
tiles).

Temple of Heaven,
Beijing
Moonlight and
Breeze Pavilion,
Suzhou

Features
-

The most significant characteristic is the use of

timber framework.
Paintings and carvings were added to the
architectural work to make it more beautiful and
attractive.
Ancient Chinese buildings have a long history
which can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty
(16th century BC - 771 BC).
It has its own principles of structure and layout.

Styles
Imperial Architecture
The long Chinese feudal society saw the construction of numerous palaces, built to satisfy the
emperors' extravagant lifestyles and protect the stateliness of their reign. Served as the venue
where public affairs were dealt with and where the royal family lived. Most of them are axial
symmetrical, with splendid buildings standing at the middle axis and smaller attached houses located
along both sides.

Traditional Chinese Residence

Traditional Chinese residences reflect the national culture, the sub-culture of a specific region and
that of the ethnic group within it. The traditional domestic architecture of China has five major
styles.

-Seal-like Compound in Yunnan

-Earthen Buildings of Hakkas in
Fujian
-Courtyards in Beijing
-Farmers' Caves in Northern
Shaanxi

Garden Architecture

During this era, the construction of beautiful architecture evolved into what would include
man-made hills, pools and fountains. As time went on, and craftsman became more accomplished, this
man-made beauty was able to successfully blend in well with the beauty of the natural environment.

Buddhist Architecture

The architectural styles of Buddhist temples in China were mainly formed in three periods: Han
Dynasty, Northern and Southern Dynasties, and Tang Dynasty. The first period sees the retention
of Indian styles. In the second period, wooden framework was added to the original styles. In the
third period, the styles of Buddhist temples were totally Sinicized and the pavilion-like pagoda,
which is unique to China, became popular.

Taoist Architecture

Taoism pursues the harmonious unity of humans and nature. Starting with inherited Chinese
traditional ideas of construction, they added their own concepts. Splendorous symmetric
architectural complexes are composed of many ordinary yards spreading orderly along a central axis.
In every single yard, there are neatly located attached architectural structures. The whole layout
reflects Taoists' emphasis on order and equability.

Chinese Temples

Chinese temples are well kept cultural artifacts of every dynasty. And temple culture has influenced
every aspect of Chinese people's life such as painting, calligraphy, music, sculpture, architecture,
temple fairs, folk-customs and many others. The following are typical religious architectural styles
in China.

Buddhist Temples

Dome-shaped structure called a stupa as its principal part. A lecture hall, refectory, sutra
depository and monks' rooms are distributed along the central axis. Unlike the paintings and
decorations in Christian churches which present a heavenly afterlife, Chinese Buddhist temples
reveal an atmosphere closer to worldly life.

Taoist Temples

Taoist temples of different scales are scattered all over China. Generally, they can be divided into
three kinds: palace-like and ordinary temples, and simple hut or caves. Though of various sizes, they
are built to serve the same function.

Islamic Mosques

Their layout is asymmetric. Main hall is located facing the gate. Two round spires stand on each side
of the large gatehouse. The top of the spire is shaped into a new moon, the symbol of mosque. The
flat-topped Hall of Prayer is supported by a number of wooden props. Vaulted roofs, doors and
windows are decorated with colorful flower patterns and delicate paintings, full of distinctive Uygur
features.

Confucius Temples

The Confucian temple in Hancheng in Shaanxi Province has a

glazed-tile five dragons screen wall which add much color to the
temple and also declare the high statue of Confucius.
The Confucian Temple in Nanjing has a section of Qinhuai River
as its pool, which is unique in design. In Wenchang City in Hainan
Province, the Confucian temple does not have Lingxing Gate.
In Yunnan Province, the pool in the Confucian temple is also called
'the sea of study', where in the middle is a small island, and on
the island, there is a wooden structure Pavilion 'Sile Pavilion'
(Missing Happiness Pavilion).