Chinese Architecture_Part-3_Building Types

Copyright 2023 by the UST College of Architecture HOA3 Sub-cluster Lecture Notes based on those by Arch. C. Avendano and updated in 2023 by Arch. C. Paredez Santillan

Painted Pottery

Cultures in central china along the yellow river were known for their?

Square and Round Shape

2 kind of shapes found in Residential Architecture in China

Sloping Roof, House Body, Terrace

Ancient Chinese Architecture Timber Frame is composed of?

Sloping Roof

Ancient Chinese Architecture time frame with standing pillars formed a relatively fixed structure, while the walls only form the role of fencing

House Body

Ancient Chinese Architecture timber frame that provides the living space

Terrace

Ancient Chinese Architecture timber frame that is solid or hollow formed by timber frame

Rammed Earth

Foundation of a House is made of?

Bricks

In the absence of wood what is used in construction of walls?

Wealth

Roofing materials depends on the _____ of the family

Clay

Is a common material for making tiles for roofing

Thatch and Bamboo

Common materials for the poor

Wood

If Available or Affordable, was used for framing and roof support

Ming Dynasty

Wood framework systems for Chinese homes and other buildings were standardized by the?

Tailang and Chuandou

Two main kinds of Wooden Framing systems developed are?

Tailang

Pillars-and-Beams

Chuandou

Pillars-and-transverse-tie-beams

Reverse Assembly

Use of ____ because the roof and its ties are still carried on post, rigid, load bearing, walls having proved more liable to fail in earthquakes

Dougongs

Chinese timber buildings do not rely on triangular bracing to create rigidity, but use instead elaborately jointed corbelled brackets known as?

Hutong

A type of narrow street or alley commonly associated with northern Chinese cities

Hutong

In Beijing, These are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences.

Neighborhoods

These were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, and then joining one hutong to another.  

Siheyuan

Quadrangles / Courtyard Houses

Side halls

The young generation occupied the _____ facing east and west

North-South Axis

The main axis to have the best ventilation and sunshine for Halls for the elders and for important ceremonies

Tulou

A large, enclosed and fortified earth building; Rectangular or circular in configuration; 3-5 storeys high; With very thick load-bearing rammed earth walls; Can house up to 800 people (Hakka people)

Fujian Tulou

Set amongst rice, tea and tobacco fields; 46 earthen buildings; Built along an inward-looking, circular or square floor plan as housing for up to 800 people each. For Defense purposes, structured around a central open courtyard with only one entrance and windows to the outside only above the first floor. Known as "a little kingdom for the family" or "bustling small city."

Elaborate Cupolas

These were reserved for the ceilings of the most important structures such as tombs and altars

Nails

Traditional Chinese architecture roofs and ceiling were constructed without?

Zaojing

(coffer or caisson ceiling) Elaborate wooden coffers bordered by a round, square, or polygon frame with its brackets projecting inward and upward from its base  

Upturned Eaves

These gave the roofs their distinctive graceful curved shapes

Rounded Tiles

Commonly used; rows interlocked with one another

Hierarchy

Different types of roofs - become symbol of _____.

Graded according to the size and differences in images - high to low; big to small, important to less important 

Makara

Below the zoomorphs are the criss-crossing layers of cylindrical tiles that recall the wood-and-bamboo origins of the Chinese roof; below that, in the lower left-hand corner, a _____, a water-dragon who protects the structure against fire.  

Hip, Resting Hill, Hanging Hill, Hard Hill

4 Types of Decorative Roofs

Roof Covering

A Roof Component; roof surface; the part between the top and the eaves

Edging Roof

A Roof Component; roof near the eaves often had a different color from the upper part

Full-Face Ridge

A Roof Component; ridge at the highest point of the building roof formed by the intersection of the front and back slopes; viewed as a horizontal line from the front

Full-face Ridge Decoration

A Roof Component; various decorations are often set on the roof ridge; common roof crown (in the middle of the full-face ridge); different decoration carvings in the shape of flowers, grass, or dragons are also found on the front and back elevations of the full-face ridge.  

Vertical Ridge

A Roof Component; for Hip Roofs, Hanging Hill Roofs, and Hard Hill Roofs, any ridge other than the "positive ridge" is called a?

Diagonal Ridge

A Roof Component; in Resting Hill Roofs, the ridge starting from the Eaves gable board below the vertical ridge and ending in the entangled animal heads

Eaves

A Roof Component; the part of the roof that protrudes beyond the truss

Ridge Beast

A Roof Component; a protruding beast head is fixed on the lower corner end of the eaves to protect the beam head from rain

Baoding

A Roof Component; Roof Crown

Shanhua

A Roof Component; the triangular wall formed on both sides of the Resting Hill Roof

Dougongs

structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, one of the most important in traditional Chinese architecture, evolved into a structural network that joined pillars and columns to the frame of the roof.

Dougongs

Helps make the buildings highly resistant to earthquakes

Grottoes

There are two forms: Small cave in square shape, gate in front within the cave are niches arranged in parallel on three sides, which are for the monk to sit in and meditate. Bigger with pagoda built in the center of the rear part, the place in front of the pagoda is for the disciples to get together to pay respects to the Buddha.

Yungang Grottoes

Datong of Shanxi Province - 50,000 statues from the 52 caves survive.

Longmen Grotto

Also called Dragon's Gate Grottos; Location: Northern Wei capital of Luoyang; cave-chapels

Indian

Chinese Temples resembles _____ temples, consisting of open courts, porticos with kitchen, refectories and sleeping cells of priests.

Buddhist Temples

Temple that follows the imperial style, but with green roof tiles, strictly symmetrical, usually main buildings will be set on the central axis, facing the south, Annex structures will be on the west and east flanks. Dorm, kitchen, dining hall, storehouse and antechamber usually cluster on the right side left side remains for the visitors

Taoist Temples

Temple where the Architecture is a little less grand, Main deity is usually represented in the main hall which is at the front, in contrast to Buddhist layout where the main hall will be to the rear. Entrance is usually at or to the side which is believed to confuse entry by demons (a Feng Shui guideline)

Blue

Taoist Roofs are generally color what?

Green

Buddhist Temples follows the Imperial Styles but with what color of roof tiles?

Foguang Temple

“Temple of Buddha's Light”; 3rd earliest preserved timber structure in China and it contains Manjusri Hall

Foguang Temple

2nd oldest existing pagoda in China

Longxing Temple

Hall of 4 Heavenly Kings, Hall of Dajueliushi (Relics), Mani Hall (Moni-dian), Precept Platform, Pavilion of Zhuanlunzang and Pavilion of Maitreya, Royal Stele Pavilions, Tower of Great Mercy, Hall of Amitabha, Hall of Hall of Vairocana

Pagodas

Originally attached to monasteries to preserve relics; “Residences of the immortals”, Secular in character (but became victory monuments in the latter period) Vary from 3-15 storeys: Multiple stories were added to lend visual power and prestige

Northern China

A style of Pagoda in _____ with milder protruding eaves, and spike on top is sturdier

Southern China

A style of Pagoda in _____ with steeper eaves and more pointed spikes

White Horse Pagoda

China's first pagoda in Luoyang

Futuci Pagoda

Wood Pagoda in Xuzhou, built in the three kingdoms period

Dangfeng Country, Henan

was built in 520 during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and has survived almost 1500 years.

Songye Temple

40m Brick Pagoda is found at what temple?

4-door Pagoda

Stone Pagoda at Licheng, Shandong, built in 611 during the Sui Dynasty - earliest large-scale stone pagoda

Porcelain Pagoda

Famous brick and stone Pagoda in Nanjing

Pailou

Also called Bailou or Paifang

Pailou

Ceremonial Entrances/Archways to temple, tombs or occasionally spanning a street

Toranas

Pailou is a formal inspiration derived from Indian _____

Dian

Large single building in traditional Chinese architecture and generally referred to as Dadian (grand hall)

Dian

Also called zhengdian (central hall) as it is invariably built on the axis of an architectural complex.

Dian

Grandest of all buildings, being symbolic of the supreme power of the emperor.

Dachengdian

The Great Hall in the Confucius Temple of Qufu

Taihedian

The Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City

Huabiao

Ornamental Pillars, often seen on the grounds of palaces, imperial gardens, and mausoleums, also seen at some crossroads to mark the thoroughfares

Winter Solstice

Symbolism; express his gratitude for the blessings from Heaven.

Imperial Gardens

Garden Classification; Spacious and grandiose with a variety of plants, symbolic trees and smaller gardens for specific purposes

Private Gardens

Garden Classification; built in urban areas, neighbored with residences; generally small and simple due to expensive land

Monastic Gardens

Garden Classification; found in monasteries against quite and verdant mountains; with natural beauty - solemn within the sacred atmosphere

Garden Architecture in scenic resorts/public areas

occupy large public areas since they are based on the combination of natural scenes and man-made landscape and structures in suburb area or mountains

Rocks, Water, Buildings, Plants

Elements of a Chinese Garden

Altars and Temples

In Imperial Architecture these are for worshiping heaven, earth, sun, moon and the Imperial Ancestors

Sacrificial Offering

kind of worshipping activities in the form of showing and offering material objects

Temple of Heaven and Earth

Sacrificial altar for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties; To worship heaven and pray for good harvest. Winter's Solstice & New Year

Square and Circle

The Shapes used to symbolize Earth and Heaven

Nine

The number representing the Emperor

Zhaigong

The Abstinence Hall where the emperor lives before he presents himself at the rites of Heaven worship

Triple Gate

Set between the Round Altar and the Imperial Vault. The central gate was reserved for the gods. The emperor used the east (right) gate, and officials used the west gate.

Imperial Vault of Heaven

Resembles the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests but is smaller. Single-gabled circular building, built on a marble stone base, Surrounded by a smooth circular wall, the Echo Wall, that can transmit sounds over large distances. Place where the tablets of god of heaven are stored

Mausoleums/Tombs

Examples of the highest architectural techniques of the time.

Stone Monument

What stands in front of the deceased emperor in mausoleums?

Shendao

Mausoleums have Broad ways called _____ or “the Sacred Way” at the Entrance

Qin Tombs

Tombs; Terracotta warriors, Qin Shi Huang

Han Tombs

Tombs; Inherited Qin system, (underground) Tomb chambers, (ground level) halls built for worship, Built with brick and stone in rectangular shape, Long stone slabs or hollow bricks - the floor, ceiling and the walls. Walls and ceilings are carved with all kinds of designs — human figures, images of animals, scenes, etc.

Tang and Song Tombs

Tombs; Tang dynasty - powerful in the middle period. Built its capital Chang'an according to strict plan including magnificent palaces and gigantic mausoleums. Also inherited the tomb system of the Han, Shendao in front, with stone sculptures of men and animals lined on both sides, Above-ground halls.

Ming Tombs

Tombs; are located about 30 miles from Beijing, and contains the tombs of 13 of the 16 Emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The site was was used from 1409 until 1644 and contains a number of gates and buildings as well as displaying a selection of artifacts from the Ming period.

Great Palace Gate

3 passageways

Stele Pavilion

Inside is a 6.5 meters high stele resting on the back of a stone tortoise weighing 50 tons. The stele was named Tablet of the Divine Merit and Sage Virtue of Changeling of the Great Ming.

Lattice Gate

also known as the Dragon and Phoenix Gate

Changling, Dingling and Zhaoling

What are the three Ming tombs that are open to visitors?