Transcript The Glimpse of Chinese Culture

A Glimpse of Chinese Culture
Chapter 11
Architecture
本章教学的目的
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1. 掌握中国古代建筑的特点
2. 了解中国古代建筑的主要类型
3. 介绍中国桥梁
4. 辨认典型的中国风格建筑
本章教学的重难点
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1. 中国古代建筑的特点
2. 中国古代建筑的主要类型
3. 中国的桥梁
4. 典型的中国风格建筑
本章教学的时间安排
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教师课堂讲解 (60 minutes)
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1. Architecture in Ancient China (10 minutes)
2. Famous Styles of Ancient Chinese
Architecture (20 minutes)
3. Chinese Bridges (15 minutes)
4. Typical Chinese Structures and Ornaments
(15 minutes)
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讨论 (10 minutes)
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学生课件展示 (30 minutes)
Architecture in Ancient China
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The Characteristics of Chinese Ancient
Architecture
Traditionally, Chinese architecture, from the
village houses to imperial palaces, features
the following characteristics:
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Timber framework
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Ancient Chinese architecture
featured timber framework
as the supporting structure.
Walls were not load bearing;
they were only used to
separate spaces. The timber
frame supported most of the
weight of the house, so
windows, doors, and walls
were not restricted to certain
locations.
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Plain, flexible and beautiful layout
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Chinese structures are based on the principle
of balance and symmetry. The main
structure is the axis. The secondary
structures are positioned as two wings on
either side to form the main room and yard.
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The building materials
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Wooden ancient Chinese buildings
and structures were the most common
but some were built with either red or
grey bricks.
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The artistic roof
design
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Ancient buildings tend
to have huge roofs with
extended eaves. This
was to ensure enough
lighting and avoid the
dampening of the walls.
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The colorful
decorations
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Colored paint not only
functions as decoration,
but also as a sign or
symbol of protection.
Initially, paint was used
on wood for antisepsis
while later it became an
architectural ornament.
Famous Styles of Ancient Chinese
Architecture
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There are various architectural styles in
Chinese history, of which the imperial,
religious and civilian architectures have their
own characteristics.
Imperial Architecture
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Imperial mausoleums
are important examples
of ancient Chinese
architecture since they
usually represented the
highest architectural
techniques of their times.
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These mausoleums were usually built
against hills or mountains and face plains.
Other imperial structures such as drainage
systems beneath huge hills of clay, were
often built beside the tombs.
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Imperial palaces are where
emperors lived and
administered their court
during their reign. They
are the most revered,
luxurious and grandiose
architectural types from
ancient China.
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The number nine carried a special meaning
in ancient China. It was deemed that odd
numbers represent yang while even numbers
yin. Since nine is the largest odd number
under ten, it was regarded an extremely
lucky number. So, emperors liked to
monopolize it to symbolize their superiority.
Designs related to nine appeared almost on
every imperial structure.
Civilian Residential Housing
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Since China is a country of diverse natural
environments and cultural traditions, its
civilian residential housing features diverse
styles.
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Beijing quadrangles (北京四合
院)
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Quadrangle dwellings in Beijing
are formed by four inward-facing
houses, linked by enclosing walls.
The principal room at the center is
where family rituals take place and
distinguished guests are welcomed.
The houses all face a courtyard,
connected by verandas (走廊).
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Shanxi cave dwellings (窑洞)
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Cave dwellings are common in
the northwest Loess Plateau
(黄土高原) of China and at
the middle and upper reaches
of the Yellow River. The
natural condition of dry
weather, cold winter and
limited timber left a room for
the development and
continuity of cave dwellings.
They are warm in winter and
cool in summer.
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Huizhou residential houses
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Huizhou residential houses embraced local
physical features of the area. They incorporated
fengshui concepts and aesthetic trends, with
black tiles, white walls and decorations placed
elegantly on upturned eaves. A garden style was
a major feature of these old buildings. All
buildings had exquisite wood, stone and brick
carvings on the doors and windows.
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Hakka castle-like dwellings (客家土楼)
 The overall building
complexes are round or
square, and some in the style
of large mansions or in the
shape of the Eight Trigrams.
There are usually three to
four floors, but the tallest
complexes have up to six
floors. Including the houses
in the yard, such a building
usually holds more than 50
families.
Some Ethnic Houses
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Dai bamboo house
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Square, two-story bamboo houses have been the
traditional dwellings of the Dai people for more
than 1,000 years. The upper story is living
quarters, supported by 20 wooden poles and are
more than two meters above the ground. The
open-walled lower story is for raising domestic
animals and for storage. The building has an
oblique (斜的) roof, shaped as an upside down V,
covered with grass or tiles. The upper story of
the house is divided into two parts: inner
bedrooms and an outer living room. The upper
story has a corridor and a balcony.
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Stone chamber (雕舫 diaofang)
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The stone chamber is the most
popular dwelling in Tibet and
some areas of Inner Mongolia.
Built mostly of stone and earth,
they look like diaolou
(blockhouse), hence the name of
diaofang. The first floor is often
used for livestock and poultry,
and the second contains
bedrooms, living rooms,
kitchens and storehouses. Some
have a third floor as a family
sutra hall and a balcony.
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Mongolian yurts (蒙古包)
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Mongolian yurts are felt tents.
Wooden wattles are fastened
with leather thongs and studs
to form a fence-like structure.
Each part of the yurt is quite
convenient to disassemble
and carry.
Chinese Bridges
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China has inherited innumerable bridges
from her past. There are, it is said, 4 million
bridges if one counts the stone arch bridges
alone. In the southern regions of rivers and
lakes, the landscape is dotted with bridges
of various sizes and descriptions.
The Stone Arch Bridge (石拱桥)
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The first stone arch bridge named Lurenqiao
(Wayfarers’ Bridge) was built in the year of
282, near the ancient Luoyang Palace.
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Anji Bridge is the most famous stone arch
bridge in China. It spans the Jiaohe River in
Zhaoxian County，Hebei Province, and is
better known as Zhaozhou Bridge after the
ancient name of the county. Built at the end
of the sixth centry, by the mason (石匠) Li
Chun, Zhaozhou Bridge is still being used
today, making it one of the bridges with the
longest service life in the world today.
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On wide rivers and lakes, multiple-arch bridges
were erected in stone. One of them is Lugouqiao
or Marco Polo Bridge. Built in the years from 1189
to 1192 in the southern vicinity of Beijing, it is 265
metres long and comprises 11 arches with spans
ranging from 16 to 20 metres. What makes the
bridge famous is the stone lions engraved on the
balustrades (扶栏) on both sides. The 485 stone
lions are lively and exquisite with different
expressions and postures.
The Zigzag Bridge (曲折桥)
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As a landscaping structure, the zigzag
bridge is found in some gardens or
suburban parks. It is intended to give an
interesting scenic feature on lakes and
ponds.
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Such a bridge may have
three, five or more zigzags.
The Nine-Bend Bridge in
Yuyuan Garden of
Shanghai’s old town is a
typical example. Crossing
30 metres of the lake, the
bridge winds more than 100
metres because of its nine
twists and turns.
The Pavilion Bridge (亭桥)
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A component part of the art of landscape
gardening, the pavilion bridge is often built
over the surface of a quiet lake, forming a
small scenic area and providing sightseers
with a place of rest, sheltered from the sun
and rain.
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The Five-Pavilion Bridge in Yangzhou City,
Jiangsu Province, is a fine example of this style.
Built in 1757, resembling a belt worn on the narrow
waist of Slender West Lake , it has five pavilions.
One pavilion is higher than the other four, two on
each side in perfect symmetry. The middle pavilion
is the only double-eaved structure. All pavilions
have their four corners upturned, with rows of tiles
under a crown roof. The pavilions are joined by
short covered corridors, which have yellow-glazed
roof tiles and green curving ridge tiles, creating a
striking color contrast.
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Another well-known pavilion bridge, built in
1916, is Chengyang Bridge, also known as
Wind-and-Rain Bridge, on the Linxi River in
the Dong Autonomous County of the
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Its
wooden body, 70 metres long by 10 metres
wide, rests on piers built entirely of large
stone blocks. Standing above are five
pagoda-like pavilions connected by a long
covered corridor forming a covered bridge.
Typical Chinese Structures and
Ornaments
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There is a variety of typical Chinese
structures and ornaments and each
exemplifies China’s rich architectural
heritage.
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Chinese Stone Lions
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In China, the lion is
regarded as the king of
animals and ruler of the
forest, and so it has long
been used as a symbol of
power and grandeur. Also,
it is believed that a lion
ornament
can
offer
protection from evil spirits.
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In front of the gates of traditional palace halls, old
government offices, mansions, temples and other
houses of style, a pair of stone lions are often seen
standing guards. Carved from stone (some may be
gilded or cast in iron or bronze), the male is on the
left, his right paw resting on a ball, and the lioness
on the right, her left paw fondling a cub . The ball
symbolizes the unity of the empire, and the cub
with the lioness represents thriving offspring.
Huabiao (华表)
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Huabiao are paired ceremonial columns
erected in front of a palace or tomb, usually
carved with dragon and phoenix patterns,
with a transverse-engraved stone slab on its
top. It can be up to 20 meters in height and a
meter or so in diameter. A typical huabiao
has a round or octagonal base.
Pavilions
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A common sight in the country is the Chinese
pavilion, which is built of wood, stone or bamboo
and the floor plan design may adopt a square,
triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, five-petal flower
or fan shape. All pavilions have columns to support
the roof, but no walls. In parks or at scenic spots,
pavilions are built either on slopes to command
panoramic (全景的) views or by the lakeside to
create intriguing (有魅力的) images in the water.
Pagodas
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Chinese pagodas come in various sizes and
shapes. Some resemble towers, others
pavilions and still others are similar to
pyramids. Some stand alone, and others
have been built in clusters.
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Tower-style pagodas (楼阁塔)
are multi-story towers with
protruding upturned eaves. The
oldest and tallest of this type is
the magnificent Ying County
Wooden Pagoda (应县木塔) in
Shanxi Province. Built in 1056, it
is a 67.1-meter-high octagonal
structure of five stories.
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Multi-eaved pagodas (密檐式塔)
take their names from the many tiers
of closely set eaves at the top of the
structures. Most pagodas of this sort
are built of bricks and stones. They
are without doors or windows but
have holes to let in light. The earliest
example is at Songyue Temple on
Mount Songshan in Henan Province.
Built in 520, it stands 40 meters high
and has 12 sides capped by 15 tiers
of eaves.
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Pavilion or one-story
pagodas were used as tombs
for abbots and other highranking monks. The earliest
of these still existing is the
1,400-year-old Simen Pagoda
at Shentong Temple in
Shangdong Province. It is
square, with a single roof
and one door on each side.
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Lamaist pagodas (喇嘛塔) are
similar to Indian stupa ([佛教]
舍利塔). The pagodas are
dome-shaped structures set on
large pyramidal platforms.
One famous example is the
White Pagoda in Beihai Park
in Beijing.
Paifang (牌坊)
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Paifang, also called pailou, is an archway
usually made from fine wood or stone, and
painted or decorated with glazed tiles.
Calligraphers are usually requested to write
moral inscriptions to be carved into the
middle beam. These structures usually
stand in downtown areas, or at the entrances
of mausoleums, temples, bridges and parks.
Discussion
 Which
do you prefer, a modern villa
or a Beijing quadrangle? And why?
The Presentation of Students’ PPT
(30 minutes)
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Group 1
 Title :
 Participants:
 Presenter:
 Time : 10 minutes
 Comments: 5
minutes
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Group 2
 Title :
 Participants:
 Presenter:
 Time : 10 minutes
 Comments: 5
minutes
Exercises
 Discussion
topic for next class:
Among those tourist cities
introduced in this chapter, which
one would you like to go first? Why?