History of Architecture 3

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The architecture of China is as old as Chinese civilization. From

every source of information — literary, graphic, exemplary — there is
strong evidence testifying to the fact that the Chinese have always
enjoyed an indigenous system of construction that has retained its
principal characteristics from prehistoric times to the present day.

— Liang Sicheng, 1984

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Over the vast area from Chinese Turkistan to Japan, from Manchuria to
the northern half of French Indochina, the same system of
construction is prevalent; and this was the area of Chinese cultural
influence. That this system of construction could perpetuate itself
for more than four thousand years over such a vast territory and
still remain a living architecture, retaining its principal characteristics
in spite of repeated foreign invasions — military, intellectual, and
spiritual — is a phenomenon comparable only to the continuity of the
civilization of which it is an integral part.
— Liang Sicheng, 1984
Chinese Architecture
 Introduction…

Styles of Chinese ancient architecture are rich and

varied, such as temples, imperial palaces, altars, pavilions,
official residencies and folk houses, which greatly reflect
Chinese ancient thought - the harmonious unity of human
beings with nature.
Since ancient times, Chinese culture has been heavily
influenced by conservative philosophies like Confucianism,
Taoism etc. Over the centuries, the structural principles of
Chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged,
the main changes being on the decorative details.
 Introduction…

Traditional Chinese buildings are always found in pairs or

groups, whether they are residences, temples or palaces.
Traditional Chinese architecture, unlike that of other
cultures, uses wood-frame construction as one of its most
distinctive features.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

GEOGRAPHICAL and GEOLOGICAL

• China is larger than Europe in area, and is 1/13 of the total

land area of the world.
• Characterized by mountainous with extensive fertile valleys,
great plains and deserts, and has excellent harbors.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

GEOGRAPHICAL and GEOLOGICAL

• In the South - tin, copper, zinc antimony, tungsten,

manganese and mercury are abundant.
• Timber is the principal material in Chinese architecture.
• Brick from the clay of the river plains were used, as well as
limestone and sandstone.
• Roofs were covered with clay tiles, colored and glazed with
symbolic colors of black, red, azure (bet. cyan and blue) ,
white and yellow.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

CLIMATIC

• Severe winter in the North; the South is warmer.

• Experiences a range of climate varying from extreme cold to
almost tropical.
• These conditions were responsible for the characteristic
Chinese roof, with its accentuated curved eaves.
• Heating of buildings was often provided by charcoal burners
without flues or fireplaces; for example, beds raised on a dais
(kang) were heated underneath with burning charcoal.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

HISTORICAL, SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS

• The only ancient civilization that has continued to this day.

• Consisted of succession of emperors and dynasties, thus
started an era of great expansion of culture and territory.
• Lasted 1000 years, but later broke up into many smaller
kingdoms.
• The power of central government declined and feudalism
flourished resulting in the break-down of the Empire into a
number of warring states.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

HISTORICAL, SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS

• 221 BC, Shi Huangdi of Chin, took control and became the
first emperor of China.
• Founded a new and homogenous empire on the ruins of the
feudal system. Divided the empire into 36 provinces.
• He later built the Great Wall of China to repel northern
enemies.
• Shi Huangdi died in 210 BC, Chin dynasty was then later
replaced by Han and western Jin dynasties.
• Terra-cotta army of 6000+ life-size soldiers, horses and
chariots was buried with the emperor.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

HISTORICAL, SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS

• Foreign trades came by land and sea.

• 6th century BC, political deterioration contributed to the
emergence of theorists, thinkers and schools of
philosophy.
• Confucius – code of ethics and education; Lao-Tzu – founder
of Taoism.
• Painting as important part of history with an emphasis on
calligraphy and the use of the brush printing was introduced.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

HISTORICAL, SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS

• Hung-wo, first Ming emperor, established his capital at

Nanking and his successor Yung-lo, founded the Northern
capital Peking, and laid out the city as one of the outstanding
architectural conceptions of the world.
• Jesuit missionaries initiated gradual infiltration of the western
culture and ideas.
• England’s declaration of war against China in 1840 marked
the beginning of the active European intervention.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

HISTORICAL, SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS

• After the formation of the Republic in1912, China adopted

the calendar of the west and began introduced a system of
education inspired by the American theories.
• The old culture and philosophies yielded to western
methods, and industrialization gained tentative foothold.
 Chinese Architecture
Influences

HISTORICAL, SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS

Religious and ethical influences:

• Confucianism, code of social conduct and philosophy of
life, family and ancestor worship.
• Taoism, universal love as solution to social disorder.
• Buddhism stimulated the arts and influenced architectural
form.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

• Painting as the only fine arts recognized by the Chinese.

• Sculpture and architecture and the crafts were regarded as
artisan work.
▪ artisan - a worker who practices a trade or handicraft
• Their art was poetic rather than material.
• They reveled in the beauty of nature and had little feeling for
architectural design.
• The Chinese had little religious zeal, and therefore few great
temples.
• No territorial aristocracy, therefore no noble country houses.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

the Roof

• Regarded as the chief feature, supported

on timber uprights and independent of the
walls.
• The Chinese roof-ridges were laden with
elaborate ornamental cresting and the
up-tilted angles are adorned with
fantastic dragons and grotesque
ornaments.
Nanfeng Ancestral Temple at Hokkien
Hua Si Gongbei (the mausoleum
of Ma Laichi) in Linxia City, Gansu
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

the Roof

• It is considered a sign of dignity to place

roofs one over the other.
• This system serves to protect the interior
from extremes of heat and cold.
The yellow roof tiles and red wall in the
Forbidden City (Palace Museum) grounds A Chinese pavilion instead of a
minaret at the Great Mosque of Xi'an.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

the Roof

• Roofs are concave in section, covered with

enameled tiles of S-shape (pantiles) set in
mortar, which is also used to form cover
joints as a protection from the driving
winds.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

the Roof

• The roof framing consists of a system of trusses in rigid rectangles formed

of bamboos held together by wooden tenons, and thus the weight of the
roof acts vertically and no oblique thrust comes on the walls.
• The lightness and strength of bamboos were important factors in
influencing a system of different construction.
• The connection between the roof and pillars is often strengthened by
brackets and the soffits are often divided into square or octagonal coffers
by means of raised ribs with brass socketing at their intersection.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

dougong

• A bracket system used in traditional

Chinese construction to support roof
beams, project the eaves outward and
support the interior ceiling.
• The absence of a triangular tied frame in
Chinese architecture made it necessary
to multiple the number of pillars this
would normally require, the area of
support afforded by each pillar was
increased by the use of this system.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

ang

• A lever arm in traditional Chinese

construction, placed parallel to the
rafters and raked at an angle to
counterbalance the forces applied by
the inner and outer purlins.
• The ang supports the outermost
purlins by means of a bracket or cross-
beam and is pinned at the inner end
against a purlin.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

PAGODA
• Buddhist temple, most typical Chinese building of
religious significance.
• Later gained a secular nature: as monuments to victory
or a memorial structure to hold relics.
• Based on the Indian stupa and stambha.
• Pagodas are usually octagonal in plan, containing odd
number of stories, 9 or 13.
• Roofs are projecting from each of its many floors,
forming turned up eaves.
• It slopes inwards to the top.
The Fogong Temple Pagoda
located in Ying county, Shanxi province,
built in 1056 during the Liao dynasty, is
the oldest existent fully wooden
pagoda in China
The Nine Pinnacle Pagoda
built in the 8th century during the Tang
dynasty
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

pai-lou (paifang)

• A monumental, ceremonial gateway and the

basic symbolic structure in Chinese
architecture.
• Sometimes erected as memorials to eminent
persons.
• Leads to temples, palaces, tombs or sacred
places.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

pai-lou (paifang)

• It is related to the Indian torana and Japanese

torii.
• It has a trabeated form, constructed in stone or
wood.
• It has bold projecting roofs.
• Characterized by an openings of 1, 3 or 5s.
Ornamental Gateway
(Pai-lou)
from Han Dynasty (202 BCE –
220 CE) across a Street Lined
with Small Shops.
Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province,
China, 1875 WDL2092
paifang
At the Cemetery of
Confucius, tomb of Lady
Yu, wife of Kong Xianpei
(72nd generation)
in Qufu, China
Decorated paifang at
the Summer Palace in
Beijing
paifang
Liberty Square, Taipei,
Taiwan
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

HOUSES
• Generally of one storey, constructed with timber supports,
filled in with brickwork.
• Governed by building regulations limiting the dimensions
and number of columns, had an effect on the plan and
arrangement of Chinese houses:
• emperors –has 9 bays
• princes - 7 bays
• mandarin – 5 bays
• ordinary citizen – 3 bays
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

HOUSES
• Front doors open to courtyard with rooms on either side
and a hall at the end.
• The windows open inside and there are three principal
divisions:
a) vestibule or porter’s lodge on the street
b) audience chamber and family rooms
c) kitchen and servants room
Chinese Architecture

Model of a Chinese siheyuan in

Beijing, which shows off the
symmetry, enclosed heavy platform
and a large roof that floats over this
base, with the vertical walls not as
well emphasized.
 Chinese Architecture

siheyuan

A historical type of residence that was

commonly found throughout China, most
famously in Beijing and rural Shanxi.
Throughout Chinese history, the
siheyuan composition was the basic
pattern used for residences, palaces,
temples, monasteries, family businesses,
and government offices.
➢ Bird-eye-view of the
Zunsheng Temple
in Mount Wutai.
 Chinese Architecture

siheyuan

In ancient times, a spacious siheyuan would be

occupied by a single, usually large and extended
family, signifying wealth and prosperity.
Today, remaining siheyuan are often still used as
subdivided housing complexes, although many
lack modern amenities.
siheyuan belonging to the
wealthy usually feature an
elaborate doorway
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

• Traditional forms and designs are preserved – flowers, foliage, birds,

fairies, dragons and clouds, which dominated their architecture,
paintings, sculptures and textile designs for centuries.
• Each motif has its own symbolic identification:
tortoise and pine – for longevity
pomegranate – fertility or fecundity
five-clawed dragon – reserved for the emperor
four-clawed dragon – symbolism that can be used by the rest of the
imperial family
phoenix – empress
crane and unicorn – for important functionaries
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

• Rafter ends in homes are carved and lacquered to look like dragon’s
claw or mouth.
• Columns, balustrades and posts are sculptured monuments in
marble.
• Entrances were designed in brick, carved stone and glazed tile roofs.
• Grille works in metal.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

• Chinese homes follow a symmetrical plan typical to all buildings.

• It is built around a courtyard planned frequently on North-South axis,
but changes according to the owner’s zodiac sign demands.
• Windows are covered in lattice-work and surfaces with glass or
paper.
• Railings as well as door frames are also designed in lattice patterns.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

The sizes of courtyard houses vary greatly depending on the

wealth, size, and the taste of the family, but generally the
compounds had an inner courtyard (or a series of inner
courtyards) and were built on a north-south axis.
Like the simple three-bay house, the door of the main
building faced south.
diagram of a three-sided courtyard house

diagram of a four-sided courtyard house

diagram of a two-courtyard house
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

TEMPLES

• Consists of successive open courts and porticoes,

kitchens, refectories, and sleeping cells for
priests.
• The normal type consists of three lofty pavilions
of one storey, with parallel open timber roofs
approached by broad flights of steps, gateways
and bridges.
Nanshan Temple
in Longkou, Shandong
A group of temples at the top of Mount
Taishan, where structures have been built
rd
at the site since the 3 century BC during
the Han dynasty.
 Chinese Architecture
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

PALACES

• Imperial palaces and official residences were

erected as isolated, 1-storeyed pavilions
resembling temples in general design and
crowned with the typical roof.
➢ The Forbidden City, viewed from Jingshan Hill.
Chinese Architecture

The Forbidden City

• The Forbidden City is a palace

complex in Beijing, China, at the
center of the Imperial City of
Beijing.
• It is surrounded by numerous
opulent imperial gardens and
temples
 Chinese Architecture

The Great Wall of China

• A series of fortifications that were built across the

historical northern borders of ancient Chinese
states and Imperial China as protection against various
nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe.
• Several walls were built from as early as the 7th
century BC, with selective stretches later joined
together by Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BC), the first
emperor of China. Little of the Qin wall remains.
The Great Wall in 1907
 Chinese Architecture

The Great Wall of China

• Later on, many successive

dynasties have built and
maintained multiple stretches of
border walls. The most well-known
sections of the wall were built by
the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
• The Ming Great Wall crosses 9
provinces and municipalities.
Ming dynasty Great Wall at Jinshanling
 Chinese Architecture

The Great Wall of China

• The snakes, loops and double back on itself,

meandering across plains and valley, scaling
mountains, plunging into deep gorges and leaping
raging rivers.
• The official length is 21,196.18 km and is more than
2,300 years old.
• It is constructed of gray-granite blocks to a height of
6-9meters, surmounted by 1.5 meter high parapets,
between which rungs a paved road wide enough for
five horses to gallop abreast.
 Chinese Architecture

Xian Tomb

• It is the burial place of the first sovereign emperor,

Shihuangi of the Qin dynasty, near the city of Xian.
• After its completion, it was covered by a man-made
150-foot hill of earth with the entrance so cleverly that it
has escaped detention for 22 centuries.
The mound where the tomb is located.

The museum complex containing

the excavation sites.
Chinese Architecture

Xian Tomb

• Lined up in battle array in the vast

700-foot long 200-footwide
chamber stands a life-size army of
some 6000-8000 terracotta
armed soldiers and arches, along
with houses and chariots.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Hall 1
 Chinese Architecture

Xian Tomb

The tomb itself, which may have been looted shortly after
its completion, remains unexcavated. It lies within an inner
wall and beneath a four-sided pyramid mound that was
originally landscaped to appear as a low, wooded
mountain. The interior is reputedly a vast underground
palace that took about 700,000 conscripted workmen
more than 36 years to complete.
 Chinese Architecture

Xian Tomb

The compound was declared a

UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
Archaeological excavations on the site
continued into the 21st century, and
archaeologists anticipated that it would
take years to unearth the entire tomb
complex.
References:

A history of architecture on the comparative method HISTORY: Chinese Architecture 1.0

for the student, craftsman, and amateur
https://www.slideshare.net/ArchiEducPH/history-chinese-
by Fletcher, Banister, 1833-1899; Fletcher, Banister F architecture-10-62122142

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture Chinese architecture

by Francis D.K. Ching https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-architecture

Architectural Character & the History of Architecture

by George S. Salvan

*Images. © Wikimedia Commons