CHINESE ARCHITECTURE PART 3

BUDDHIST TEMPLES - Follows the imperial style, but with green roof tiles

Main building - set on the central axis, facing the south, Strictly symmetrical

Annex structures - will be on the west and east flanks.

right side - Dorm, kitchen, dining hall, storehouse and antechamber usually cluster on the

left side - remains for the visitors

TAOIST TEMPLES - 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)

Taoist roofs - are generally blue

FAYUAN TEMPLE (Beijing) - Main Tower, Hall of the Divine Kings, Main altar, Scripture Hall

FOGUANG TEMPLE - “Temple of the Buddha's Light"; 3rd earliest preserved timber structure in China; Contains Manjusri Hall; 2nd oldest existing pagoda in China'.

LONGXING TEMPLE - Hall of 4 Heavenly Kings, Hall of Dajueliushi (Relics) Mani Hall (Móni-dián), Precept Platform, Pavilion of Zhuanlunzang and Pavilion of Maitreya Royal Stele, Pavilions, Tower of Great Mercy, Hall of Amitabha, 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 stores: Multiple stories were added to lend visual power and prestige Form: Chinese traditional pavilion + Indian stupa / shikhara.

Shape - Indian stupa + shikhara

Northern China - milder protruding eaves, and spike on top is sturdier

Southern China - steeper eaves and more pointed spikes

Wood - White Horse Pagoda at White Horse Temple, Luoyang. China's first pagoda. Futuci Pagoda in Xuzhou, built in the Three Kingdoms period (~220-265).

Brick - 40m pagoda at Songye Temple, Dengfeng Country, Henan - was built in 520 during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and has survived almost 1500 years.

Stone - 4-door pagoda at Licheng, Shandong, built in 611 during the Sui Dynasty, earliest large-scale stone pagoda

Brick and Stone - Porcelain Pagoda, Nanjing - famous brick and stone pagoda

TYPES OF PAGODAS - Multi-storeyed, Pavilion-shaped structures, Multi-eared Pagodas with flowery ornaments, Pagodas built on vajrasanas, Pagodas built across roads…

Pavilion shaped structures - representing the most popular and exquisite styles in ancient Chinese architecture

PAILOU - Also called Bailou or Paifang Ceremonial entrances / archways to temple, tombs or occasionally spanning a street

DIAN - Large single building in traditional Chinese architecture and generally referred to as Dadian (grand hall) Also called zhengdian (central hall) as it is invariably built on the axis of an architectural complex.

ORNAMENTAL PILLARS - Huabiao; - Often seen on the grounds of palaces, imperial gardens, and mausoleums. Also seen at some crossroads to mark the thoroughfares.

Imperial gardens - Spacious and grandiose with a variety of plants, symbolic trees and smaller gardens for specific purposes

Private Gardens - built in urban areas, neighbored with residences; generally small and simple due to expensive land

Monastic Gardens - 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

Elements of a Chinese Garden - 1. Rocks 2. Water 3. Buildings 4. Plants

ALTARS AND TEMPLES - Imperial temples and altars for worshiping heaven, earth, sun, moon and the Imperial ancestors, Commemorative temples for the dead people of great value

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

3 GROUPS - The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests - The Imperial Vault of Heaven of Prayer The Circular Mound Altar, the altar proper

SYMBOLISM - Earth (square) and Heaven (circle)

Temple complex walls - (outer wall) has a taller, semi-circular northern end (Heaven), and a shorter, rectangular souther end (Earth).

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Altar Mound - are round + standing on a square yard The number nine represents the Emperor

Circular Altar Mound- a round marble plate is surrounded by a ring of 9 plates, then by 18 plates, and so on for a total of 9 surrounding rings

Seasons + rituals - twice a year the emperor performed

15th day of the 1st lunar month - offer sacrifices to ensure an abundant grain harvest

Winter solstice - express his gratitude for the blessings from Heaven.

Temple have special dark blue roof tiles - representing the Heaven.

Red walls - imperial color

Abstinence Hall (Zhaigong) - 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.

seasons - 4 inner pillars (4 seasons)

solar system - 12 middle (12 months of the year) and 12 outer pillars (12 traditional Chinese hours respectively)

heavens - circular plan

MAUSOLEUMS / TOMBS - Examples of the highest architectural techniques of the time. The mausoleums are generally built against the mountain and divided by valleys along which walls are erected.

Shendao (the Sacred Way) - The mausoleums have broad ways called ““ at the entrance. - ornamental columns and stone sculptures of men and animals which guard the tombs on either side

QIN TOMBS - Terracotta warriors, Qin Shi Huang

HAN TOMBS - Inherited Qin system (underground) Tomb chambers (ground level) halls built for worship Built with brick and stone in rectangular shape.

TANG AND SONG 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

BAISHA TOMBS - late song dynasty tombs, Location: Yuzhou, Henan Province Underground chambers divided into two rooms Built of bricks, but pattern was more like wooden structures

MING TOMBS - contains the tombs of 13 of the 16 Emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The site 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

Three of the Ming tombs - Changling, Dingling and Zhaoling

The Minglou (the Soul Tower) - which contains a stele inscribed with the name of the emperor

GONG - (palace) Designs related with nine appeared almost on every imperial structure -

Gates of the Forbidden City - there are 81 gold-plating bronze studs which were arranged in nine columns and nine rows.

Sangiang gong - The temples of Taoist priests are generally called ““ (palace of triple purity)

TING - (pavilion or kiosk) Built of wood or stone or bamboo with any of several shapes - square, triangle, hexagon, octagon, a five-petal flower, a fan, and more.

Liangting - (cooling kiosk) The wayside pavilion to provide weary wayfarers with a place for rest

Stele pavilion - gives a roof to a stone tablet to protect the engraved record of an important event.

Baoyunge Pavilion of Precious Clouds in Beijing's Summer Palace - entire structure including its roof and columns is cast in bronze. It is popularly known as the "Gold Pavilion" for its elegance and dignity

TAI - elevated terrace with a flat top; mostly built of earth, stone, and surfaced with brick In some Tai, some palatial halls are also built on top.

LOU - is a building of two or more storeys with a horizontal main ridge. They housed a big bell or drum which was used to toll hours

zhong-lou - bell towers

gu-lou - drum towers

GE - Similar to the Lou (both multiple levels) Ge has a door and windows only on the front side with the other three sides being solid walls. Enclosed by wooden balustrades or decorated with boards all around Used for the storage of important articles and documents.

TA - Pagoda; symbol for a monastery; Indian influences The tower is multi- storied and more or less decorated on the surface Tapers from bottom to top Top is crowned with something that looks like a flower bud, in Buddhism an expression for the lotus flower Sometimes topped with an honorific umbrella with up to ten layers.

FORTIFICATIONS - Great Wall of China Series of great fortifications built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China Built to protect against intrusions by various nomadic groups. Not a continuous wall but it is a collection of short walls that often follow the crest of hills on the southern edge of the Mongolian plain.

WALLS - major portion, height: 6 to 9 m. width at the base stretches to 6.5 meters width at top 5.8 m.

PASSES - Secure intersections of Great Wall + major trade routes, 10 meters high, with a width of 5 meters at the top.

SHANHAI PASS - "where the mountains meet the sea"; Eastern-most point

JIAYU PASS - Westernmost point

Imperial Cities - highest and biggest, quare form, encircled by city walls on all sides 3 gates, 9 vertical and 9 horizontal streets crisscross the inside city.

Da Du - Imperial palace established by Genghis Khan.

Beifung Fu - Ming capital constructed on top of the Mongol City.

Capitals of fiefdoms belonging to the vassal lord - Each social function should have its appropriate place. HIERARCHY + PROTECTIVE WALL

(Primary sites) - Imperial palace, temples and mansions of the princes

(Secondary sites) - Lesser activities such as markets and mercantile shops

Cities of imperial relatives in the locality - Important buildings were raised up on paved terraces, the number of terraces increasing with the building's importance, faced with gray brick and intermittently bordered by white marble balustrades

ORNAMENTATION - Use of color was restricted according to strict social status classification.

Gold - noblest color

Green - 2ND to yellow

Hexicaihua - Often applied on palace painting, called ““(Imperial-style decorative painting).

Dragon or phoenix - was painted on green background with mass gold powder or gold foil.