chinese architecture has always been in harmony with nature.
chinese architecture has always been in harmony with?
nature
chinese architecture is a style of architecture that has taken shape through the ages and influenced the architecture of east asia for many centuries. the structural principles of chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged, the main changes being only the decorative details. since the tang dynasty, chinese architecture has had a major influence on the architectural styles of east asia such as japan and korea. chinese architecture, examples for which can be found from more than 2,000 years ago, is almost as old as chinese civilization and has long been an important hallmark of chinese culture. there are certain features common to chinese architecture, regardless of specific regions, different provinces or use. the most important is symmetry, which connotes a sense of grandeur as it applies to everything from palaces to farmhouses. one notable exception is in the design of gardens, which tends to be as asymmetrical as possible. like chinese scroll paintings, the principle underlying the garden's composition is to create enduring flow, to let the patron wander and enjoy the garden without prescription, as in nature herself. feng shui has played a very important part in structural development. the chinese garden is a landscape garden style which has evolved over three thousand years. it includes both the vast gardens of the chinese emperors and members of the imperial family, built for pleasure and to impress, and the more intimate gardens created by scholars, poets, former government officials, soldiers and merchants, made for reflection and escape from the outside world. they create an idealized miniature landscape, which is meant to express the harmony that should exist between man and nature. a typical chinese garden is enclosed by walls and includes one or more ponds, rock works, trees and flowers, and an assortment of halls and pavilions within the garden, connected by winding paths and zig-zag galleries. by moving from structure to structure, visitors can view a series of carefully composed scenes, unrolling like a scroll of landscape paintings.
chinese culture
chinese architecture is typified by various features; such as, bilateral symmetry, use of enclosed open spaces, the incorporation of ideas related to feng shui such as directional hierarchies, a horizontal emphasis, and the allusion to various cosmological, mythological, or other symbolism. chinese architecture traditionally classifies structures according to type, ranging from pagodas to palaces. in part because of an emphasis on the use of wood, a relatively perishable material, and due to a de-emphasis on major monumental structures built of less-organic but more durable materials, much of the historical knowledge of chinese architecture derives from surviving miniature models in ceramic and published planning diagrams and specifications. some of the architecture of china shows the influence of other types or styles from outside of china, such as the influences on mosque structures originating in the middle east. although displaying certain unifying aspects, rather than being completely homogeneous, chinese architecture has many types of variation based on status or affiliation, such as dependence on whether the structures were constructed for emperors, commoners, or used for religious purposes. other variations in chinese architecture are shown in the varying styles associated with different geographic regions and in ethnic architectural design.
chinese architecture