Ancient Chinese
Architecture
Contents
Architecture,general introduction
architecture
architecture and culture
architectural systems
Ancient Chinese architecture
History of development
Classifications
Features
Cultural connotations
Architecture?
Lijiang City Huabiao (华表）
Architecture
A wider definition often includes the
design of the total built environment,from
the macro level of how a building
integrates with its surrounding to the micro
level of architectural or construction details.
Historical civilizations are often known
through their architectural
achievements,
Architecture and Culture
Ruins of
Pompeii
The mother art is architecture,
Without an architecture of our own we
have no soul of our own civilization.
--Frank Lloyd Wright
Architecture and Culture
Leaning Tower of
Pisa,Italy
Triumphal Arch in
Paris,France
Milan Cathedral,in Italy
Rome’s Coliseum
European
Architecture
Kipchak Mosque
Islamic Architecture
Pyramid in Egypt
Ancient Egyptian Architecture
Ancient Indian Architecture
Hindu Akshardham temple in Delhi
Ishtar Gate of Babylon
West Asian Architecture
Native American Architecture
A traditional Native-American fort
seven main
independent
ancient
architectural
systems
ancient Egyptian
West Asian
Indian
American
European
Islamic
Chinese
world's
three major
architectural
systems
Ancient Chinese Architecture
History of development
Classifications
Features
sheltered in trees and natural caves
Paleolithic Age
Neolithic Age
digging caves;
simple houses with
wood,stone,mud
and grass
From the primitive period to the Qin Dynasty
ruins of the cities of the ancient states
and the ancient palaces in this period
have been found
Qin Dynasty
Construction works on a massive scale.
E Pang Palace the Emperor’s Mausoleum
the Great Wall
the Dujiangyan
Water-Conservancy Project
Western-Eastern Han Dynasties
A thriving period for architecture:
coffin chambers
Wei Yang Palace (未央宫 ）
Chang Le Palace （ 长乐宫 ）
Wei-Jin-Southen-Northern Dynasties
“Buddhist style” took the place of the Han style,
temples,pagodas and grottoes
Sui-Tang Dynasties
Grand Canal
large scale civil
constructions
Changan city (长安城）
palaces and temples
were constructed
actively
Five Kingdoms-Song-Liao-Jin period
Functions of construction were stressed,
The architectures tended to be smooth
and beautiful.
The scale of the imperial palaces and the urban
constructions amazed the world,
The style followed the ancient tradition but was
affected by the introduction of the Tibetan and
Western architectural styles.
Yuan-Ming-Qing Dynasties
Classifications
Palace Architecture
Garden Architecture
Temple Architecture
Tomb Architecture
Civilian Residential Housing
Palace Architecture
imperial court architecture
grand scale
imperial sovereignty
entertainment of rulers
Garden Architecture
natural mountains-and- waters style
imperial gardens and private ones
Temple Architecture
Confucianism / Taoism / Buddhism/Islam
Confucian temples
Taoist temples
Buddhist temples
Islamic temples
Confucian temples
Confucian temples are called Miao
（庙） or Tan（坛） in Chinese.
Gong（宫）,Guan（观） or Miao（庙）
the holy hall where Taoists perform their
religious ceremonies,
Taoist temples
Buddhist temples
temple （寺）
pagoda （塔）
grotto （石窟）
Mosque（清真寺）
Islamic temples
Tomb Architecture
The craft merged with arts like painting,
calligraphy and sculpture,It eventually
became its own art form.
Civilian Residential Housing
Cave Dwelling（窑洞）
Hakka rammed earth house（土楼）
Tent dwelling /Yurt （蒙古包）
Flat-roof house（雕房）
Courtyard house （四合院）
Stilt House（吊脚楼）
Courtyard House（四合院 ）House A
Why do you
think there are
no windows on
the outside walls?
The walls around the house not only give privacy
and some protection from burglars,Inside the walls,
one is in a protected environment,where women,
for instance,can move about freely,without worries
about being observed by strangers,For men,the
outer world can be a burden,making the space
within the walls something of a sanctuary.
Do you know why these houses usually face south?
--These houses usually face south in
order to get more sunlight during winter.
--People believe that facing south will
bring good feng shui.
Hakka Rammed Earth House （土楼）House B
Do you know why high walls and small windows
are built?
--It is to protect the people against enemies.
Cave Dwelling（窑洞）House C
1,Why people live in caves instead of houses?
--Where there is a lack of wood and much poverty,people
cannot afford houses.
2,What are the advantages of living in the caves?
--They protect people from the cold wind of winter and
the hot sun of summer.
3,What are the disadvantages of living in the caves?
--Cave humidity is high; Lighting is inadequate; Ventilation is
poor; Water seepage
Stilt House （吊脚楼）House D
1,Do you know anything about the climate of these areas?
--The climate is humid and rainy.
2,Can you explain the relationship between the climate and
the way people build their houses?
--The houses are built in this way in order to avoid flooding
and insects.
Flat-roof House （雕房）House E
These houses are found mainly in Tibet,Xinjiang
and Yunnan,They are usually three to four storeys tall,
each occupied by one single household,The external walls
are made of stone and are flat and square,The roofs are
flat,The houses blend in with the contours of the mountain.
In a typical four- storey house,the lowest storey is for
keeping livestock; the second storey is where people cook
and store food and hay,the third storey consists of a living
room,bedroom and mini storeroom,and the top storey
serves as a drying deck and worship hall which is beautifully
decorated.
1,What is/are the purpose(s) of
flat roofs?
--To receive more sunlight;
--To provide space for drying food
2.Why are multi-storey houses
built in these areas?
--There is very little flat land,so
people build multi-storey houses to
create more living space.
3.Which part of the house is the
most important?
--The worship hall.
4.Why is it so important to the
Tibetans?
--They are devout Buddhists.
Tent Dwelling/yurt （蒙古包）House F
1,Why do people need to set up and dismantle
their houses from time to time?
--These people need to move from place to place
in search of new grassland.
2.Where is the kitchen? Can you get a clue
from the picture to support your answer?
--The kitchen is inside the tent,The chimney is
the clue.
3,What is the purpose of letting the round hole on
the roof open at day time and closed at night?
--It is let open during the day for ventilation and
closed at night to keep the tent warm.
Main features
Wooden Framework
Collective Layout of Structures
The Artistic Treatment of the
Architectural Image
1,Wooden Framework
Bears all the weight of the building
Shock-resistant
Easy to construct
pillar
beam
roof
2,Collective Layout of Structures
The courtyard house or quadrangle in Beijing
Imperial Palace
Forbidden
City
China’s Three Ancient
Building Complexes
The Mountain Summer Resort in
Chengde,Hebei Province
The Confucius Temple in Qufu,
Shandong Province
3,The Artistic Treatment of the
Architectural Image
Great roof and eave with
corners
sloping curing
sticking up
Decorations,cultural connotation&
esthetic ones
The use
of color
Cultural connotations
Architecture is the carrier of culture.
Traditional ethical idea
Unity of heaven and man
Communication and blending of cultures
relationships between people in social
life and the political
ethical standards to be observed
Traditional ethical idea
天子之堂九尺,诸侯七尺,大夫五尺,士三尺 。
----,礼记 ·王制,
Main house,head of the family
Wings,junior members
Feudal family moral principle
the unity of nature and man
the organic combination of buildings and
nature
the injection of human feelings and spirit
into the natural environment,
Unity of heaven and man
Garden:
Imitating nature
Layout of a city
凡立国都,非于大山之下必于广川之上 。
高毋近旱而水用足,低毋近水而沟防省 。
----,管子,
What is Fengshui?
Principles of Fengshui:
Use of Fengshui:
Fengshui
What is Fengshui?
direct the process of architectural construction
the Book of Change
the way in which human beings co-exist in
harmony with nature
Principles of Fengshui:
The unity of human beings with nature
The balance of Yin and Yang
The attraction and repulsion of five
elements - metal,wood,water,fire and
earth,
Qi avoid evil qi and gain auspicious qi
Use of Fengshui:
--Fengshui gives people many suggestions
on how and where to build houses,
--Fengshui has strict requirements on the
proper positioning of the central axis in
building cities,
Religious constructions
Communication and blending of
cultures
Architecture
Contents
Architecture,general introduction
architecture
architecture and culture
architectural systems
Ancient Chinese architecture
History of development
Classifications
Features
Cultural connotations
Architecture?
Lijiang City Huabiao (华表）
Architecture
A wider definition often includes the
design of the total built environment,from
the macro level of how a building
integrates with its surrounding to the micro
level of architectural or construction details.
Historical civilizations are often known
through their architectural
achievements,
Architecture and Culture
Ruins of
Pompeii
The mother art is architecture,
Without an architecture of our own we
have no soul of our own civilization.
--Frank Lloyd Wright
Architecture and Culture
Leaning Tower of
Pisa,Italy
Triumphal Arch in
Paris,France
Milan Cathedral,in Italy
Rome’s Coliseum
European
Architecture
Kipchak Mosque
Islamic Architecture
Pyramid in Egypt
Ancient Egyptian Architecture
Ancient Indian Architecture
Hindu Akshardham temple in Delhi
Ishtar Gate of Babylon
West Asian Architecture
Native American Architecture
A traditional Native-American fort
seven main
independent
ancient
architectural
systems
ancient Egyptian
West Asian
Indian
American
European
Islamic
Chinese
world's
three major
architectural
systems
Ancient Chinese Architecture
History of development
Classifications
Features
sheltered in trees and natural caves
Paleolithic Age
Neolithic Age
digging caves;
simple houses with
wood,stone,mud
and grass
From the primitive period to the Qin Dynasty
ruins of the cities of the ancient states
and the ancient palaces in this period
have been found
Qin Dynasty
Construction works on a massive scale.
E Pang Palace the Emperor’s Mausoleum
the Great Wall
the Dujiangyan
Water-Conservancy Project
Western-Eastern Han Dynasties
A thriving period for architecture:
coffin chambers
Wei Yang Palace (未央宫 ）
Chang Le Palace （ 长乐宫 ）
Wei-Jin-Southen-Northern Dynasties
“Buddhist style” took the place of the Han style,
temples,pagodas and grottoes
Sui-Tang Dynasties
Grand Canal
large scale civil
constructions
Changan city (长安城）
palaces and temples
were constructed
actively
Five Kingdoms-Song-Liao-Jin period
Functions of construction were stressed,
The architectures tended to be smooth
and beautiful.
The scale of the imperial palaces and the urban
constructions amazed the world,
The style followed the ancient tradition but was
affected by the introduction of the Tibetan and
Western architectural styles.
Yuan-Ming-Qing Dynasties
Classifications
Palace Architecture
Garden Architecture
Temple Architecture
Tomb Architecture
Civilian Residential Housing
Palace Architecture
imperial court architecture
grand scale
imperial sovereignty
entertainment of rulers
Garden Architecture
natural mountains-and- waters style
imperial gardens and private ones
Temple Architecture
Confucianism / Taoism / Buddhism/Islam
Confucian temples
Taoist temples
Buddhist temples
Islamic temples
Confucian temples
Confucian temples are called Miao
（庙） or Tan（坛） in Chinese.
Gong（宫）,Guan（观） or Miao（庙）
the holy hall where Taoists perform their
religious ceremonies,
Taoist temples
Buddhist temples
temple （寺）
pagoda （塔）
grotto （石窟）
Mosque（清真寺）
Islamic temples
Tomb Architecture
The craft merged with arts like painting,
calligraphy and sculpture,It eventually
became its own art form.
Civilian Residential Housing
Cave Dwelling（窑洞）
Hakka rammed earth house（土楼）
Tent dwelling /Yurt （蒙古包）
Flat-roof house（雕房）
Courtyard house （四合院）
Stilt House（吊脚楼）
Courtyard House（四合院 ）House A
Why do you
think there are
no windows on
the outside walls?
The walls around the house not only give privacy
and some protection from burglars,Inside the walls,
one is in a protected environment,where women,
for instance,can move about freely,without worries
about being observed by strangers,For men,the
outer world can be a burden,making the space
within the walls something of a sanctuary.
Do you know why these houses usually face south?
--These houses usually face south in
order to get more sunlight during winter.
--People believe that facing south will
bring good feng shui.
Hakka Rammed Earth House （土楼）House B
Do you know why high walls and small windows
are built?
--It is to protect the people against enemies.
Cave Dwelling（窑洞）House C
1,Why people live in caves instead of houses?
--Where there is a lack of wood and much poverty,people
cannot afford houses.
2,What are the advantages of living in the caves?
--They protect people from the cold wind of winter and
the hot sun of summer.
3,What are the disadvantages of living in the caves?
--Cave humidity is high; Lighting is inadequate; Ventilation is
poor; Water seepage
Stilt House （吊脚楼）House D
1,Do you know anything about the climate of these areas?
--The climate is humid and rainy.
2,Can you explain the relationship between the climate and
the way people build their houses?
--The houses are built in this way in order to avoid flooding
and insects.
Flat-roof House （雕房）House E
These houses are found mainly in Tibet,Xinjiang
and Yunnan,They are usually three to four storeys tall,
each occupied by one single household,The external walls
are made of stone and are flat and square,The roofs are
flat,The houses blend in with the contours of the mountain.
In a typical four- storey house,the lowest storey is for
keeping livestock; the second storey is where people cook
and store food and hay,the third storey consists of a living
room,bedroom and mini storeroom,and the top storey
serves as a drying deck and worship hall which is beautifully
decorated.
1,What is/are the purpose(s) of
flat roofs?
--To receive more sunlight;
--To provide space for drying food
2.Why are multi-storey houses
built in these areas?
--There is very little flat land,so
people build multi-storey houses to
create more living space.
3.Which part of the house is the
most important?
--The worship hall.
4.Why is it so important to the
Tibetans?
--They are devout Buddhists.
Tent Dwelling/yurt （蒙古包）House F
1,Why do people need to set up and dismantle
their houses from time to time?
--These people need to move from place to place
in search of new grassland.
2.Where is the kitchen? Can you get a clue
from the picture to support your answer?
--The kitchen is inside the tent,The chimney is
the clue.
3,What is the purpose of letting the round hole on
the roof open at day time and closed at night?
--It is let open during the day for ventilation and
closed at night to keep the tent warm.
Main features
Wooden Framework
Collective Layout of Structures
The Artistic Treatment of the
Architectural Image
1,Wooden Framework
Bears all the weight of the building
Shock-resistant
Easy to construct
pillar
beam
roof
2,Collective Layout of Structures
The courtyard house or quadrangle in Beijing
Imperial Palace
Forbidden
City
China’s Three Ancient
Building Complexes
The Mountain Summer Resort in
Chengde,Hebei Province
The Confucius Temple in Qufu,
Shandong Province
3,The Artistic Treatment of the
Architectural Image
Great roof and eave with
corners
sloping curing
sticking up
Decorations,cultural connotation&
esthetic ones
The use
of color
Cultural connotations
Architecture is the carrier of culture.
Traditional ethical idea
Unity of heaven and man
Communication and blending of cultures
relationships between people in social
life and the political
ethical standards to be observed
Traditional ethical idea
天子之堂九尺,诸侯七尺,大夫五尺,士三尺 。
----,礼记 ·王制,
Main house,head of the family
Wings,junior members
Feudal family moral principle
the unity of nature and man
the organic combination of buildings and
nature
the injection of human feelings and spirit
into the natural environment,
Unity of heaven and man
Garden:
Imitating nature
Layout of a city
凡立国都,非于大山之下必于广川之上 。
高毋近旱而水用足,低毋近水而沟防省 。
----,管子,
What is Fengshui?
Principles of Fengshui:
Use of Fengshui:
Fengshui
What is Fengshui?
direct the process of architectural construction
the Book of Change
the way in which human beings co-exist in
harmony with nature
Principles of Fengshui:
The unity of human beings with nature
The balance of Yin and Yang
The attraction and repulsion of five
elements - metal,wood,water,fire and
earth,
Qi avoid evil qi and gain auspicious qi
Use of Fengshui:
--Fengshui gives people many suggestions
on how and where to build houses,
--Fengshui has strict requirements on the
proper positioning of the central axis in
building cities,
Religious constructions
Communication and blending of
cultures
