Ancient Chinese Architecture

ANCIENT CHINESE
ARCHITECTURE
COMPILED BY AR. MILAGROS M. FONTANILLA
FOR HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 3
GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCES
• The Chinese Empire,

comprising China proper,
Tibet, and Mongolia,
covers a larger area than
the whole of Europe.
• most part mountainous,

but has four great trading
rivers which facilitate
internal commerce, while
there is a network of
canals for irrigation and
navigation
• Excellent harbors
promoted that intercourse
with India and Assyria
which influenced
architectural forms ; for
the Chinese pagoda
probably came direct from
an Indian prototype
GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCES
• Abundance of minerals,
including coal, salt, iron,
and copper
• timber from the vast

forests of bamboo and
pine, which existed in
ancient times, was
employed for building
• Brick-making was probably

introduced from the west
of Asia
• Tiles, plain, glazed, and

coloured, were generally
used for roofs, and yellow
was the Imperial colour.
• The red sandstone and

limestone in the south
were used for bridges,
gateways, and public works
• marble balustrading are

found around tombs and
important buildings.
CLIMATIC INFLUENCES
• The mountains, which run

east and west, direct the
sea winds which moderate
the temperature.
CLIMATIC INFLUENCES
• North China has a short

but sharp frosty winter and
a warm and rainy summer
CLIMATIC INFLUENCES
• during the monsoons, very

heavy rains occur
CLIMATIC INFLUENCES
• Roofs are turned up at the

eaves to admit light, while
excluding heat and glare
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-most-ancient-Chinese-roofs-
curved-upward
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES
• The two main religious and

ethical influences in China
are Confucianism
(Confucius B.C. 551–475)
and Buddhism, introduced
from India about A.D. 90.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confucianism
• lack of important religious

buildings (Confucianism) in
Zhou dynasty
https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-architecture/Stylistic-
and-historical-development-to-220-ce#ref283449
• Temples and shrines

erected to Buddha or
Confucius, though
numerous, are
unimportant
SOCIAL INFLUENCES
• The Chinese point to Fu-hi (B.C.
2800) as the first emperor who
evolved social order out of
chaos ; while to his immediate
successors are ascribed the
development of agriculture, the
invention of hieroglyphs, the
building of temples and
planning of cities.
SOCIAL INFLUENCES
• A succession of these
mythical emperors was
followed by the first historic,
or " Chou " dynasty, followed
by Tsin Dynasty, Shi-Hwang-
Ti (B.C. 246-210), " the first
Universal Emperor,“
SOCIAL INFLUENCES
• Society was based on the

family with the idea of
absolute obedience to
parental authority, and this
is linked up with reverence
for ancestors.
SOCIAL INFLUENCES
• There was no aristocracy, no

hereditary nobility, but an
enormous bureaucracy and
army of retired officials who
became landowners, and
besides these there were the
literary, agricultural, trading,
and artisan classes.
SOCIAL INFLUENCES
• property should not be

hereditary, and it was
equally divided amongst
the family, conditions
which were not conducive
to the erection of great
castles and mansions.
SOCIAL INFLUENCES
• Domestic architecture was

subject to regulations as to
the form and size of the
houses intended for the
different classes of the
community.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
• Pagodas, derived from

Indian prototypes, are
characteristic
• They vary from three to
thirteen stories in height, a
usual number being nine
• They are constructed in

various materials, from
wood to cast iron, are solid
or hollow, the latter having
staircases leading to each
floor level.
• Pagodas had formerly a

religious significance, but
those erected latterly are
secular in character,
sometimes being
monuments of victory.
• They are usually polygonal

in plan, thus enabling the
junctions of the roofs in
each story to be
elaborately ornamented.
https://buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/c/chinaroof.html
• The Pailoos of China are a

common feature, and have
a family resemblance to
the Toranas of India.
http://en.chinaculture.org/library/2008-
01/16/content_38999_2.htm
• They were erected as

memorial arches in
memory of deceased
persons,
generals,philosophers, or
of virtuous widows.
• They are constructed of

stone, or more frequently of
wood, and have one or three
openings, formed by posts
supporting horizontal rails
bearing an inscription and
crowned with bold
projecting roofs, covered
with gaily- colored tiles.
• Bridges are important structures

-The greater proportion have
piers supporting arches formed,
not of radiating voussoirs, but
with horizontal courses, the
slabs often measuring 5 feet in
length, 2 feet wide, and 6 or 8
inches in thickness.
• Tombs, in consequence of
the great reverence for the
dead, are finished with care,
and have respect paid to
them.
• They are either conical
mounds cut in the rock, or
structural.
• Family tombs are

frequently of horseshoe
form in plan, cut into the
hillside, with mythical
animals guarding the
entrance.
• Houses are chiefly of

wooden or glazed porcelain
construction, formed to a
large extent of moveable
partitions which slide in
framework.
• There is generally only one
floor.
• The roofs are of steep pitch,

with boldly projecting, eaves,
and have highly ornamented
ridges of colored and glazed
tiles with the ends turned
up, or are finished with
grotesque* animals or
fantastic ornaments.
• The framing is effected in

bamboo and other woods,
and is frequently painted
red, green, or blue.
• The houses owe much of their

character to their environment,
being placed in gardens
arranged to suggest some
natural landscape, with
fountains, artificial rocks,
woodland scenery, lakes, flower
beds, hanging plants, bridges
spanning watercourses and
stepping stones
• Town houses of any

importance are made up of
a collection of isolated
pavilions surrounded by
small gardens.
• Three principal divisions occur:

• (a) The vestibule or porter's
lodge, giving on to the street;
• (b) the audience chamber and
family rooms ; and
• (c) the kitchen and servants'
rooms
• cities are of four classes,

and are mostly
quadrilateral or circular,
with moats encircling the
walls, and principal gates
facing cardinal points
• Peking is a triple city :
• the outer is the Tartar city having
an enclosing wall sixteen miles
long,
• within that is the Imperial city,
surrounded by a wall nine miles
long,
• and the innermost city contains
the Imperial Palace
• The walls surrounding these cities
are of immense size and vary from
30 to 60 feet wide at the top.
ASSIGNMENT
• TEMPLES
• PAGODAS
• PREPARE A POWERPOINT
PRESENTATION OF EXAMPLES OF • PAI-LOUS
ANCIENT CHINESE ARCHITECTURE, • TOMBS
TWO EACH OF THE FOLLOWING,
COMPLETE WITH PICTURES AND • PALACES
THEIR SHORT BUT COMPREHENSIVE • HOUSES
DESCRIPTIONS:
• BRIDGES
• PLUS: THE GREAT WALL OF
CHINA
ASSIGNMENT
• THIS ASSIGNMENT IS TO BE DONE

INDIVIDUALLY AND SUBMITTED VIA
• AT THE END OF EACH EXAMPLE, EMAIL
PRESENT YOUR REFERENCE. arkithesiswriting@yahoo.com
WITH SUBJECT: ANCIENT CHINESE
• SAVE AND SUBMIT YOUR AR
NOT LATER THAN 10:30AM ON
PRESENTATION IN PDF.
MARCH 30, 2020
END OF PRESENTATION

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ANCIENT CHINESE

• The Chinese Empire,

• most part mountainous,

• timber from the vast

• Brick-making was probably

• Tiles, plain, glazed, and

• The red sandstone and

• marble balustrading are

• The mountains, which run

• North China has a short

• during the monsoons, very

• Roofs are turned up at the

• The two main religious and

• lack of important religious

• Temples and shrines

• Society was based on the

• There was no aristocracy, no

• property should not be

• Domestic architecture was

• Pagodas, derived from

• They are constructed in

• Pagodas had formerly a

• They are usually polygonal

• The Pailoos of China are a

• They were erected as

• They are constructed of

• Bridges are important structures

• Family tombs are

• Houses are chiefly of

• The roofs are of steep pitch,

• The framing is effected in

• The houses owe much of their

• Town houses of any

• Three principal divisions occur:

• cities are of four classes,

• THIS ASSIGNMENT IS TO BE DONE

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