 Artists of the court of emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736-95), The Labours of the
Twelfth Month, painted on canvas. |
ANCIENT CHINESE ARCHITECTURE
Ancient Chinese monuments, whether great palaces, temples, or small
private dwellings, were characterized by the repetition of units.
Even in the case of the simplest of houses, the design followed an
arrangement of similar-sized rooms. The standard unit was the jian,
a rectangular room or space enclosed by walls or columns. In the
most ancient period, the jian measured approximately 3x6 metres (9,5
x 19 ft), but after the Tang dynasty the dimensions grew
progressively bigger. The system of repeating these areas along a
horizontal or longitudinal axis was a characteristic feature of the
imposing pavilions (ting) of the great palaces and temples,
providing large rooms of harmonious proportions. The buildings were
almost never isolated but planned in groups based on precise
coordinates; with covered passageways to connect one pavilion with
the next. The result was a system of linked but separate structures
- a blueprint very different from that of Western architecture, in
which various functions tended to be united under the same roof. The
sequence of pavilions was generally connected along a longitudinal
axis facing south or southeast, interspersed by a succession of
courtyards. In the centre was the principal building, with the
lesser ones placed to its right and left, and sometimes in front or
behind it. Elsewhere, there might be a central building at the
meeting point of two axes, with the secondary buildings placed
around on all sides. In one quite common type of habitation, typical
of northern China, the buildings were constructed around the four
sides of one central square or rectangular courtyard. In more
important residences, groups of smaller buildings with courtyards
might be assembled around the central construction.
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