The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course 2019 – 2020

China: Culture, State and Society
Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture 01 (22/01/2020)

Origins and Principles of Chinese Dwelling and Landscape

A. Introduction

1. Man, Nature and Physical Environment

2. Culture and Geography in Early Dwellings
i. Material Culture developed along Yellow River
ii. Material Culture developed along Yangtze River
3. Culture Formation in Early History

B. Concept and Principles

1. Rituals (Li) 禮 and Humaneness 仁: Social Orders and the Influence of Confucianism
i. Rites of Zhou 周禮: Orders in Social Relationship reflected in Kaogongji 考工記
for Layout of City and Dwellings
ii. From Oneself to Family, City, State and the Universe 修身齊家治國平天下
iii. Axis, Symmetry, Enclosure, Hierarchy and Sequence in Spatial Layout

2. Yin-yang 陰陽 and Feng-shui 風水: Nature and the Influence of Daoism

i. Yin-yang 陰陽, Five Elements 五行 and Seasonal Division Points 節氣
ii. Feng-shui 風水: Site and Environment
iii. Response to Nature: Harmony of Man and Natural Environment 天人合一

3. Technology, Materials and Craftsmanship

i. Material and Natural Resources: Timber, Mud and Stone
ii. Technology: Methods and Cultural Practice in Construction
iii. Culture and Material: Stone and Wood

C. Chinese House and Garden

1. Elements and Systems of Chinese Houses

i. Roof, Columns/Wall and Base
ii. Spatial and Structural Modules (Kaijian) 開間
iii. Courtyard 合院 and Spatial Sequence (Jin) 進
1
 2. Concepts and Characteristics of Chinese Gardens
i. Landscape and Painting
ii. Literati’s Gardens
iii. Royal Garden and Regional Landscape

Required Reading List:

Boyd, Andrew. Chinese Architecture and Town Planning 1500 B.C. – 1911 A.D.. Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press, 1962. (Chapter I, II and IV)
Knapp, Ronald G.. Chinese Houses: The Architectural Heritage of a Nation. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing,
2005. (Part One)
Wu, Nelson Ikon (Wu No-sun). Chinese and Indian Architecture: The City of Man, the Mountain of God,
and the Realm of the Immortals. New York: George Brasiller, 1963.

Recommended Reading List:

Soper, Alexander. The Art and Architecture of China. Britain: Penguin Books Ltd., 1956. (Part Two)
Steinhardt, Nancy Shatzman. Chinese Traditional Architecture. New York: China Institute in America,
1984. (Chapter I: Survey by Fu Xinian)
程萬里，《中國傳統建築》， 香港:香港萬里書店, 中國建築工業出版社， 1991. (第一章至第四章)
李允鉌，《 華夏意匠 – 中國古典建築設計原理分析》， 香港: 廣角鏡出版社，1982. (第一章至第
六章)
陸元鼎， 楊谷生， 《中國民居建築》， 廣州:華南理工大學出版社， 2003.
趙廣超， 《不只中國木建築》， 香港: 三聯出版社， 2000.
王其亨，《 風水理論研究》， 天津: 天津大學出版社， 1992.
王其鈞， 《圖說民居》， 北京:中國建築工業出版社，2004.
《 中國地域文化大系》， 香港: 商務印書館， 1998.