Traditional Chinese Architecture Notes

Liang Sicheng & the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture

  • Founded in 1929 as The Society for Research in Chinese Architecture (營造學社 ying zao xue she).
  • Renamed as 中国营 造学社 (zhong guo ying zao xue she) in 1930.
  • Zhu Qiqian 朱啟鈐
  • Liu Dunzhen 劉敦楨
  • Lin Huiyin 林徽因 (Left)
  • Liang Sicheng 梁思成 (Right)
  • Discovery of Yingzao Fashi (Treatise on Architectural Methods, 1103, Northern Song Dynasty) in 1918.
  • Fieldwork Research started in 1932.
  • Gradually became inactive and dissolved after not receiving funding after World War 2 in 1946.
  • Research of methods in traditional Chinese architecture through fieldwork and measured drawing.
  • Research on ancient literature and publication of the Bulletin of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture.
  • Publications include:
    • Bulletin of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture
    • A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture
    • Qing Structural Regulations
    • The Annotated Yingzao Fashi

Zi Ran & the Way of Traditional Chinese Art

  • 天地有大美而不言，四時有明法而不議，萬物有成理而不說. 《莊子. 知北遊》Zhuangzi. Zhibeiyou
    • The unspoken ultimate beauty lies within the Heaven & Earth.
    • The order of four seasons requires no utter.
    • The being of all things requires no further questioning.
  • 《道德經》第四十二章 Daodejing. Chapter 42 「道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。」
    • the Tao produced one; one produced two; two produced three; three produced all things. All things leave behind them the obscurity
  • Five elements:
    • Wood generates Fire
    • Fire generates Earth
    • Earth generates Metal
    • Metal generates Water
    • Water generates Wood
  • Taoism:
    • Achieving state of harmony with Nature.
    • Considers Nature as design element.
    • Associated with fluidities in architectural experience
  • Confucianism:
    • Achieving state of social order with a set of ethical & moral rules.
    • Affected the social hierarchy in design considerations, particularly spatial layout.
    • Associated with fixities
  • Examples of traditional Chinese art:
    • 唐. 李思訓 《江帆樓閣圖》 Tang Dynasty . Li Si Xun, Boats
    • 北宋. 范寬 《谿山行旅》 Northern Song Dynasty . Fan Kuan, Travellers among Mountains and Streams
    • 北宋. 郭熙《早春圖》Northern Song Dynasty. Guo Xi, Early Spring

Conception of Traditional Chinese Architecture

  • Key aspects:
    • Solid & Void- Conception of Space
    • Order, Hierarchy & Modularity
    • Fluidities & Fixities

Solid & Void- Conception of Space

  • 《道德經》第十一章 Dao De Jing Chapter 11
    • “Thirty spokes join at one hub, But it is the non-being (the hole) that gives the use of the cart. Lumps of clay are molded to form a vessel, But it is the non-being (space within) that gives the use of the vessel. Doors and windows are constructed to form a chamber, But it is the non-being (space within) that gives the use of the room. While the materials are the asset, But it is the non-being (within) that gives the function.”
  • Spatial composition:
    • Width:
    • Column Bay/ jian (間)
    • Seven Bays 七開間
    • Central Bay/ ming jian (明間)
    • Left Secondary Bay/ zuo ci jian (左次間)
    • Right Secondary Bay/ you ci jian (右次間)
    • Right Tertiary Bay/ you shao jian (右稍間)
    • Right End Bay/ you jin jian (右盡間)
    • Left Tertiary Bay/ zuo shao jian (左稍間)
    • Left End Bay/ zuo jin jian (左盡間)
    • Depth:
    • First depth/ jin (第一進)
    • Second depth/ jin (第二進)
    • Third depth/ jin (第三進)
    • Entrance Bay/ jian (間)
    • Horizontal axial span
    • Front eave gallery 前簷口
    • Eave column
    • Principle column
    • Front walkway 前步口廊
    • Central axial span jia-nei 架內
    • Rear walkway 後步口廊
    • Rear eave gallery 後簷口

Order, Hierarchy & Modularity

  • Geomancy principles or Fengshui in Chinese culture was developed from Yi-jing (The Book of Change).
    • Its essence works around the interaction of yin and yang, elements of total opposite attributes and characteristics that achieve balance to bring harmony.
    • The intention of the ideal landform for dwelling is to attract and maintain good energy (Qi).
    • A south facing site with enfolded surrounding hills with an open space with a lake or a meandering river is favourable to keep the Qi
  • Hierarchy of spaces:
    • Primary space
    • Secondary space
  • Modular measurement:
    • qi
    • Complete module cai
    • Examples:
    • 4 fen
    • 10 fen
    • 6 fen
    • 15 fen
    • 9” x 6”
    • 8.25” x 5.5”
    • 7.5” x 5”
    • 7.2” x 4.8”
    • 6.6” x 4.4”
    • 6” x 4”
    • 5.25” x 3.5”
    • 4.5” x 3”
  • Modular assembly of dou-gong
    • A set of bracket with 3 components (Song Dynasty model):
    • Dou 斗
    • Gong 拱
    • Ang 昂
    • To transfer load from horizontal member above to vertical member below
    • Enables extension of roof eaves for shading.
    • Mostly used on large & significant buildings e.g. palace, temples; a symbol of status and affluence.
    • Function of structural support evolved into decorative elements in later time
  • Mortise-and-tenon

Fluidities & Fixities

  • Fluidities: “…abundance of moving parts that comprise the Chinese correlative view of the cosmos”
  • Fixities: “…certain fixed conventions necessarily emerge in the fluid correlative whole”

Timber Frame Structure

  • Architectural components:
    • Roof 屋頂
    • Gabled 硬山|懸山
    • Hipped 廡殿
    • Half- gabled & half hipped 歇山
    • Pyramidal 攢尖
    • Column & wall 牆柱
    • Base 台基
  • Roof forms:
    1. Overhanging gable roof
    2. Flush gable roof
    3. Hip roof
    4. Gable and hip roof
    5. Pyramidal roof
    6. Gable and hip roof
    7. Double-eave pyramidal roof
    8. Double-eave gable and hip roof
    9. Double-eave hip roof
  • Tectonic
    • Yingzao Fashi 營造法式
    • Compiled by Li Jie (李誡) during the Song Dynasty and published in 1103
    • Consists of 34 chapters: 13 chapters devoted to design rules of foundations, fortifications, stone masonry and ornamental carving, major carpentry, brick & tile masonry, painted decoration
    • Gong Cheng Zuo Fa Ze Li 工程做法則例
    • Published by the Ministry of Construction of the Qing Dynasty in 1734.
    • Qing Structural Regulations
    • Grammar of architecture
  • Structural Systems:
    • Chuan-dou 穿斗式 (pillars-and-transverse tie beams system)
    • Components are connected via ‘joint-through’ method.
    • Native tectonic of the Southern regions
    • Purlins are supported by columns directly
    • Column size can be smaller.
    • Limited span due to number of columns
    • Tai-liang 抬樑式 (lifted- beams system)
    • Components are connected via ‘stacked’ method
    • Commonly used in the Northern regions.
    • Beams are lifted by columns, followed by placement of short posts on beams.
    • Purlins are not supported by columns
    • Allows larger span with lesser columns used.
    • Cha-liang 插樑式 (hybrid system)
    • Components are connected via ‘stacked and joint-through’ method
    • A hybrid system transformed from chuan-dou and tai-liang systems
    • Purlins are supported by short posts/ stacked dou
    • Commonly adopted in the Fujian and Cantonese regions

Traditional Chinese Architecture in Malaysia

  • Regional Variations
    • Northern & Southern Chinese Architecture

Beijing Courtyard House

  • Quadrangle as part of the city’s grid arrangement
  • Spatial layout is based on social hierarchy and geomancy principles
  • social hierarchy
    • Main room: Ancestral hall, Parents
    • Backyard rooms: Daughters + maids, 2nd, 4th sons’ rooms, 1st,3rd sons’ rooms
    • Grand Parents
  • No. of courtyard (jin 進) can be used as module :
    • 1 courtyard- 一進四合院
    • 2 courtyards- 二進四合院
  • Some courtyard houses have 3 sections forming the courtyard
  • South facing preferable
  • Axial arrangement with main entrance placed at South-East
  • Floral-pendant gate marks entrance into the private domain
  • Entrance gate:
    • Brilliant gate 廣亮大門
    • Golden column gate 金柱大門
    • ‘manzi’ gate 蠻子門
    • ‘ruyi’ gate 如意門
    • Social status & ranking

Vernacular architecture of Southern China

  • Tai Fu Tai Mansion/ Man Chung-luen Residence, Hong Kong
  • De Xing Tang Encircling Dragon House Meizhou City, Guangdong
  • Lin An Tai Historical House, Taipei
  • Zhen Cheng Lou, Yonding District, Longyan City, Fujian
    • Migration route to Southeast East Asia
    • Types of architecture:
  • Ancestral Halls / Temples
  • Shophouses
  • Mansions/ bungalows
    • Cantonese architecture
  • Ng Clan Ancestral Hall Georgetown, Penang
  • Five Mountains Adoring Heaven gable wall 五嶽朝天 山牆
  • Bo-gu roof ridge 博古脊
  • Granite bow shape tie- beam 蝦弓梁
  • Green brick wall 青磚牆面
  • Granite eaves column 花崗檐柱
  • Granite guardian lion 看樑獅子
  • Kuan Ti Temple Jln Tun H.S. Lee , Kuala Lumpur
  • Fire element gable wall 火形山牆
  • Sek-wan porcelain roof ridge 石灣花脊
  • Wok ear shaped gable wall 鑊耳山牆
  • Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall Petaling St., Kuala Lumpur
    • Teochew architecture
  • Hiang Thian Siang Ti Temple Carpenter St., Kuching, Sarawak
  • Johor Old Chinese Temple Johor Bahru, Johor
  • ‘Rolled grass’ ridge end 捲草
  • Dragon head cantilever beam 龍頭屐
  • Cut-and-paste porcelain shards 剪黏
  • Granite eaves column 花崗檐柱
  • Curve ridge 垂脊
  • Wak Hai Cheng Bio Temple Singapore
    • Southern Fujian (Minnan) architecture
  • Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Jalan Tokong, Malacca
  • Malacca Hokkien Association Jonker St., Malacca
  • Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple Lebuh Armenian, Georgetown, Penang
  • Swallowtail roof ridge 燕尾脊
  • Curved ridge 垂脊
  • ‘san-chuan- dian’ roof form 三川殿屋頂
  • Pai-tou 牌頭
  • Prayer pavilion 拜亭
  • Cut-and- paste porcelain shards 剪黏
  • Stone- carved dragon column 石雕龍柱
    • Components:
  • Roof tiles
  • Tiles board
  • Battens
  • Eave purlin
  • Fascia board
  • Floral pendant
  • Stacked dou
  • Walkway beam
  • Yuan-guang bracket
  • Eave column
  • Column base
  • Central purlin
  • Lantern beam
  • Purlin
  • Bracer
  • Bracer-end
  • Gutter beam
  • Short post
  • Beam
  • Que-ti bracket
  • Principle column
    • Timber Frame Structure Variations
  • Southern Fujian (Minnan) origin
    • Main hall of the Malacca Hokkien Association (Cha-liang system)
    • Main hall of Poh San Teng Temple, Malacca (Chuan-dou system)
  • Teochew origin (Cha-liang system)
    • Front hall of the Wak Hai Cheng Bio Temple
    • Main hall of the Johor Old Chinese Temple
  • Cantonese origin (Cha-liang system)
    • Main hall of Ng Clan Ancestral Hall, Georgetown, Penang

Shophouse & Mansions

  • Shou-jin-liao (手巾寮) is a urban street residence prototype often found in Southern Chinese port cities established in response to the maritime silk road development- Quanzhou city (泉州), Zhangzhou city (漳州) and Guangdong.
    • It is referred to as zhu-gan-cuo (竹竿厝) in Zhangzhou; bamboo-tube house (竹筒屋) in Guangdong.
    • This prototype appeared during the late- Ming dynasty.
  • Shophouse as urban fabric
  • Shophouse as contextualized traditional Chinese architecture
    • Timber louvre shutters for ventilation
    • Balcony- cultural and climatic adaptation of the vernacular Malay house’s Anjung for ventilation and social space
    • Fan-light windows and Western column styles- a reflection of the aesthetics development
    • Hai Ji Zhan (Penang Peranakan Mansion)
    • Chee Mansion Malacca

Conclusion

  1. Traditional Chinese architecture has a long and rich history, based on the philosophical conceptions of Zi Ran.
  2. Regional variations of traditional Chinese architecture reflect the diversed cultural representations of architecture in different geographical locations.
  3. Traditional Chinese architecture in Southeast Asia is a result of outward expansion brought by emigration.
  4. Traditional Chinese architecture in Malaysia preserves its fundamental elements with adaptation to local climatic and cultural conditions, forming an integral part of the country’s heritage.