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You are here: Books > About China

BOOKS

China: Traditional Chinese Residences

[1 Book]

System #: BA-AC-0041

ISBN: 7-119-03041-8
ISBN: 7119030418

Author: Wang Qijun

Language: English

Publisher: Foreign Languages Press, China

Type: Paperback

Pages: 107 Pages

List price: ~~$28.95~~

Our Price: $19.95

DESCRIPTION:

Chinese residences occupy a prominent place in world architectural history. The fengshui principles guiding the location and construction of early dwellings meant that they blended in with and complemented their surrounding topography.

Chinese fengshui -- geomancy, is based on the theories of qi (vital energy), yin/yang (positive and negative forces), and the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. In combination with these principles, geomancers also used The Eight Trigrams from the Book of Changes to divine an appropriate site for a new building.

Chinese residences were built according to a strict hierarchy. The History of the Song Dynasty states: "The home of a prince in office is known as a fu, that of an official a zhai, and that of a commoner is called jia." There were stipulations as to the size and style of dwellings at each hierarchical level. During the Ming Dynasty, this tradition ostensibly continued, but many high officials, rich merchants and landlords ignored it. Historical records show that certain people owned palatial houses of up to 1,000 rooms, with splendid gardens, and covering an area of several thousand square kilometers.

The "void/solid" convention of building apparent in traditional Chinese residences, whereby the void sets off the solid, which, in turn, defines space, has been a significant and influential aspect of world architectural aesthetics. The beauty of contrast this principle embodies is defined as: "Density to the point of impermeableness, and emptiness to the point where horses might gallop through." Within this concept, railings, pierced stonework or brickwork, and window lattices act as frames and distancing agents -- intermediaries for exterior views and inside settings. Structures that partition and connect materialize the principle of the void accompanied by the solid. Rhythmic variances of the void and the solid imbue a residence with tranquillity, and a sense of solitude.

The album shows various examples of the wide scope of Chinese residences, such as the courtyard houses (siheyuan ) of Beijing, earthen dwellings in Fujian Province, and Tibetan fortified manor houses.

This album, with over 100 color photos and black and white drawings, gives a general introduction to the history of traditional Chiense residences and their artistic characteristics and architectural forms. The illustrations are accompanied by a detailed explanatory text.

In prehistoric times, dwellings were crude, and tended to be similar in design the world over; they differed only in the availability of local building materials and the topography they had to adapt to. As the techniques of production improved, the styles of clothing, cuisine, transportation, etc. of different peoples gradually took on their own national colors and cultural characteristics. The same was true for the shelters that people built to dwell in, and a wide diversity of styles formed all over the world. Chinese residences, in particular, occupy a unique place in the history of world architecture.

OCE code: 65

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China: Traditional Chinese Residences

About China

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Related Products:

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China: Traditional Chinese Residences

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