Chinise Architecture

DEPARTMENT OF
ARCHITECTURE
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE – I
CHINESE ARCHITECTURE
C H I N E S E ARCHITECTURE
General characteristics
 For the most part
mountainous
 Has great treading rivers
 Excellent harbor
promoted intercourse
with India
 Abundance of
minerals(stone lime red,
coal)
 Try to fit buildings in to
natural settings and are
known for their beautiful
gardens
Religion
 Three main religions
A. Confucianism (Confucius BC
551-479)
B. Buddhism (AD 90 from India)
C. Taoism ( lao tzu 600 BC)
Religion
Confucianism
 develop a
moral
sense of
responsibi
lity
toward
others
 The
Golden
Rule ‘what
you do not
like done
to yourself
Religion
Taoism
 Taoism is a traditional
Chinese native religion
 Started by lao-tsu who lived
a little before confucius
about 600BC
 Tao means the way or the
path
The Yin and The yang
 China has an ancient legend that in the beginning the

supreme Lord sent out two opposite forces, the YIN and
the YANG to share control of the Universe
Historical Periods
 2205 –1523 BC –Hsia Dynasty
 1027 –256 BC –Chou Dynasty
– Confucius thought his philosophy
 25 –220 AD –Han Dynasty
– GF supported on plinths or stilts
 220-589 AD
– Buddhism, Pagodas and Grottoes
 618-1279 – Tang and Sang Dynasties
– Matured buildings – Palaces and Pagodas
 1368-1911 – Ming and Qing Dynasties
 – Layout and arrangement of buildings
 Built chiefly in timber or brick even where stone was

plentiful –cared little for permanence
 No distinction between buildings eg. House and temple
 The roof was the chief feature (curved upwards) –colored
tiles were used concave roofs
 Widely projecting roof with steep surfaces to throw off
rain water –heavy rain of the monsoons
 Roofs are turned up at the eaves to admit light while
excluding heat and glare
 Elaboration was produced by constant repetition of
roofs
one above the other
 Unity of structure with architectural art

 Good anti-seismic function
 High degree of standardization
 Bright colours – Palaces and temples
 red
 yellow
 blue/green
 Systematic grouping of buildings courtyards (basic unit),
axial arrangement
 The forbidden city was the

imperial palace of china since
the mid-ming dynasty to the
end of the qing dynasty.
 960x 760m
 73 ha
 Surrounded by a wall 7.9 m
high
 24 emperors lived in the
Forbidden city and ruled China
 Royal palace had an outer and
inner court
Outer court
 many halls
– Emperor to receive his
ministers
– Receptions
– Administration of the
empire
– Celebration of
important
festivals
Inner court
 Emperor’s and Empress’s
Bed chambers
 Small stages
 Gardens and halls for the
worship of Buddha
Hall of Taihedian
 Largest Hall in the
Forbidden City
 Hall of supreme
harmony
 Roof with double
eaves
 Raised on a 3-
tiered terrace
 Red walls and
pillars
 Yellow roof tiles
 Dark green designs below
 To make sacrifices to ancestors

 To make sacrifices to historical personages
 To make sacrifices to gods
Tiantan Shrine, Beijing
 280 ha
 Built for emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties
 2 groups of buildings
 Huanquitan
 Qiniandian
 Huanquitan
 3 tiered circular marble terrace
 Marble balustrade

Qiniandian
 Circular wooden hall of
Prayer
 Stands on a 3-tiered
circular terrace
 Triple conical roof of
deep blue glazed tiles
 Red columns and door-
window frames
 are covered
structures with out
surrounding walls.
Type of pavilion
 Round
 Square
 Triangular
Imperial tombs
 Below ground (Earlier tombs)
 Wood framed
 Stone/ brick
 Above ground (Later tombs)
 Combined underground chambers with commemorative
buildings above the ground
Pagodas with closely layered eaves

Storeyed pagoda
Vase shaped pagoda
Groups of pagodas
Longhua pagoda, shanghai city

 Standing opposite the
longhua temple,
 the pagoda was built as early
as the 3rd century.
 The pagoda is octagonal
 seven-storied with 40.64
meters height.
Monasteries
 Hipped and gabled roofs
 Earthquake resistant
 Arranged around
courtyards
 Sometimes many
storeyed
Grottoes
 Rock cut and carved
shrines
 Often chiseled in to
cliffs.
 Inside caves Buddha
carvings
 Examples of grottoes in
china are longmen
grottoes, yungang
grottoes
Great Wall of China
 The longest fortified line wall ever
built-2425 km
 Built in 220- 206 BC– Yan built
separate sections
 To resist the nomadic
incursions
 Qin empire unified the country
connecting the walls
 Ming period – walls strengthened
and refaced with stone blocks
 7-8m high, 14m high at strategic
points
 Base thickness – 6-7m
 Top thickness – 5m

Chinise Architecture

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Chinise Architecture

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DEPARTMENT OF

 Three main religions

The Yin and The yang

 China has an ancient legend that in the beginning the

 Built chiefly in timber or brick even where stone was

 Unity of structure with architectural art

 The forbidden city was the

 To make sacrifices to ancestors

Tiantan Shrine, Beijing

Tiantan Shrine, Beijing

Tiantan Shrine, Beijing

Pagodas with closely layered eaves

Longhua pagoda, shanghai city

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