Archive for category Chinese Architecture
Chinese Corridor
Posted by sharon in Chinese Architecture on August 25, 2010
Chinese Corridor, also called Lang in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese architectural style. It refers to the covered aisle with low railings and long benches. Traditional corridor in China usually consists of Hui Lang (the winding Corridor) and You Lang (the Corridor of connecting pavilions).
The history of Chinese corridor can date back to the period of Western Han Dynasty (202BC~9AD), when it was first mentioned in relevant historical records.
As a beautiful sight in China, corridors are built for multiple purposes. They may provide places for rest, protect the people from the sun and rain, etc. As the part of Chinese architecture, it becomes the important means of partitioning spatial patterns.
The railings and benches of traditional corridors usually come with beautiful geometric patterns. They are often decorated with assorted lights windows, leaking windows, etc.
Based on the sides of corridors, Chinese corridors can be classified into different categories including double sides Corridor, single side Corridor, etc.
Of all the existed corridors, the most charming one is Summer Palace Corridor, which was built during the period of Qing Dynasty (1636~1911) and is regarded as the longest corridor in the world.
Suzhou Gardens
Posted by sharon in Chinese Architecture on August 1, 2010
As an old saying goes, gardens to the south of Yangtze River are the best in the World and Suzhou gardens are the best among them. Suzhou gardens play a unique and irreplaceable role in the history of world landscape gardening. In 1997, Suzhou Gardens was listed as World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The earlist garden in Suzhou，which belonged to the King of Wu, can date back to the period of Spring and Autumn Warring States (770BC~221BC). Suzhou gardens experienced its golden age during the Ming Dynasty (1368~1644) and Qing Dynasty (1636~1911). It is said that during its heyday, there were about 200 gardens in Suzhou city.
Suzhou Gardens are the carrier of Chinese traditional culture and are best known for its cultural features, including unique inscribed boards, excellet couplets, exquisite engraving and poetic Garden halls’names, etc. All these stand as the proof of the creativity and wisdom of ancient Chinese. Handwritings of some ancient Chinese calligraphy celebrities, which are of high literary value, are also well-presevered in these gardens.
Suzhou Gardens fully reflect the profound importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture. The “borrowed scenery”, a technique of garden design that merges the surrounding natural scenery into the garden itself, is often used in in the art of garden construction in Suzhou. Nowadays, we still can enjoy the beauty of some famous ones, such as Zhuozheng Garden (also called Humble Administrator’s Garden), Liu Garden (also called Lingering Garden), etc.
Yellow Crane Tower
Posted by sharon in Chinese Architecture on July 25, 2010
Yellow Crane Tower is one of the three most famous and historic towers in China. Located on Snake Hill in Wuhan, Hubei Province, it has been regarded as “The First Scenery under Heaven”. Also, it is regarded as a symbol of Wuhan.
Legend goes that, a young man named Xin opened a wine shop. One day, a Taoist priest came to the shop to buy wine, but he could not afford it. So he asked for the free wine and the owner accepted. Xin served the free wine to the Taoist priest everyday for half a year. In order to thank him, the Taoist priest drew a crane on the wall of the shop. It was a magic crane which could dance when it heard clapping. Thousands of people came to the shop to see the magic crane. In this way, the owner’s business became so prosperous that he became a rich man. Ten years later, the Taoist priest visited the shop again. He played the flute and then rode on the crane to the sky. In memory of the Taoist priest, Xin built a tower and named it Yellow Crane Tower.
According relevant records, Yellow Crane Tower was first built during the period of Three Kingdoms (220~280) and was rebuilt during 1981 to 1985. With five stories high, it looks very magnificent. Both internal and external parts of the tower are painted with the patterns of crane, clouds, flowers, etc. In ancient times, it was one of the most inspirational for celebrities and poets. It is said that during the period of the Qing Dynasty (1636~1911), 300 poems were written about the tower.
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Chinese Architecture category.
