ARCHITECTURE

IN
CHINA
(3rd century B.C. to present day)
INFLUENCES
GEOGRAPHICAL
Republic of China
• 23 provinces and the autonomous regions of inner Mongolia and Sinkiang-vigur

• covers an area larger than the whole of Europe

• Equal to nearly one-thirteenth of the total land area of the world.

• The country is mountainous

• In the middle and southeast- extensive fertile valleys

• North-great plains

• Excellent harbours-promoted maritime contact with southeast asia and with the west
during the last 2 centuries.
GEOLOGICAL
• South- tin, copper, zinc, antimony, tungsten, manganese, and mercury

• North- soil is chiefly loses and alluvium with absence of trees.

• South of the Yangtze gorges- many pine trees, chestnuts and maples

• Timber- principal material

• Bamboo, pine and the Persia nanmu--the tallest and Straightest of all the trees in China- columns in
palaces and temples in Peking

• Bricks from the clay of the river plains

• limestone and sand stone

• Brick and stone were never considered as important as timber

• Roofs were covered with clay tiles, coloured and glazed with symbolic colours, black, red, azure, white
and yellow.
CLIMATIC
• Mountain ranges leave the North unprotected from the cold strong winter winds from Mongolia, which
sweeping down from Asia produce severe winters with an average January temperature in Peking of
5°C

• South is warmer

• Winter temperature is equivalent to an English the country extends from latitude 45° to latitude 20° North
of the equator, it experiences a range of climate varying from extreme cold to almost tropical

• These climatic conditions are partly responsible for the characteristic Chinese roof with its accentuated
curved eaves.

• Heating of buildings was often provided by charcoal burners without flues or fireplaces

• Beds, raised on a dais (kang) were heated underneath with burning charcoal
HISTORICAL, SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS
• The great Yao- the most outstanding of a succession of emperors who with his successor shun
-model of all wisdom and sovereign virtue.

• Hsia, Shang or YIN followed until the Chou and first emperor Wu Wang
-started an era of great expansion of culture and territory
-Expansion-disintegration:power of central government declined
-Feudalism flourished-breakdown of the empire into a number of warring states

• 6th century B.C.-Confucius- code of Ethics and education

• Lao Tzu- founder of Taoism and the contemporary of Confucius

• Shih Huang Ti- styled himself feas the first emperor

-founded a new and homogenous empire on the ruins of the old feudal system
-thirty-six provinces
-vast palace-forced laborer at Hsien Yang
-constructed by forced and convict labour fortifications including part of the Great Wall
against barbarian invasion.
• Chinese goods- sale in Baghdad

• Chinese- forbidden by imperial rescript from going abroad

• Buddhism

• Painting -reached the highest point in Chinese history with an emphasis on

calligraphy and the use of the brush printing was introduced

• Hung-wo - first Ming Emperor

-established his capital at Nanking
-Yung-Lo - Northern capital Peking, one of the outstanding architectural
conceptions of the world.
• Jesuit missionaries- Initiated a gradual infiltration of western culture and ideas, which
eventually transformed the social structure of the Empire

• 1840- England's declaration of war against China

-beginning of active European intervention

• 1873- foreign minister secured the right of audience with the Emperor

• 1912- formation of the Republic

-calendar of the west
-education substantially inspired by American theories

• Old culture and philosophies yielded to western methods

• Industrialization gained a tentative foothold.

• Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism - main religious and ethical influences in
China

• Confucianism- new code of social conduct and a philosophy of life

-not a religion
-laid stress on the family and ancestor warship
-doctrine of the 'middle way‘

• Taoism- attempted to transcend Confucianism

-founded by Lao Tzu who offered a doctrine of universal love as his
solution to social disorder.
QUESTION
AND
ANSWER
1.One of the materials abundant in
china.

a.Tin
b.Gold
c.Silver
a. Tin
2. It is considered as the principal
material in china.

a.Timber
b.Stone
c.Metal
a. Timber
3.It is the tallest and the straightest of
all trees in China and is also used as
columns in temples and palaces.

a.Persia nanmu
b.Pine trees
c.Bamboo
a. Persia nanmu
4. It is not considered as
important as timber in China.

a.Brick and stone

b.Wood
c.Steel and concrete
a. Brick and stone
5. What kind of eaves does
Chinese structures have?

a.Accentuated curved eaves

b.Accentuated round eaves
c.Accentuated triangular eaves
a.Accentuated curved eaves
6. He is the founder of
Taoism.

a.Lao-tzu
b.Confucius
c.Shi-Huang-ti
a.Lao-tzu
7. He founded a new and
homogenous empire on the ruins of
the old feudal system.

a.Shi-Huang-ti
b.Emperor Wu Wang
c.The great Yao
a.Shi-Huang-ti
8.It reached the highest point in Chinese
history with an emphasis on calligraphy and
the use of the brush printing was
introduced.

a.Painting
b.Printing
c.Lettering
a. Painting
9.They Initiated a gradual infiltration of
western culture and ideas, which
eventually transformed the social
structure of the Empire

a.Jesuit missionaries
b.Chinese
c.Foreign minister
a.Jesuit missionaries
10. It gained a tentative foothold
in China.

a. Industrialization
b. Feudalism
c. War
a. Industrialization