Diversity & Unity in Chinese History

School of Architecture Tsinghua University of Beijing

DIVERSITY & UNITY

IN CHINESE HISTORY Common principles as guide for its homogeneous comprehension

Secchi Gabriele January 2013 EPMA _ Architecture Master Program

‘Chinese Architecture’ professor Wang Guixiang, Wang Quixiang, Liu Chang, Lu Zhou

Secchi Gabriele

December 2013

EPMA _ Master Program

Tsinghua University of Beijing

History of Chinese Architecture

“[...] since Han dynasty (200 B.C.), the Yin - Yang experts had already set up the general structure of universe: The five elements, the Eight Triagrams, the Four Quarters, the Four season, the Five sounds, the Twelve months, the Twelve rhythms, the Twenty-eight constellation, and a complete system of colours and numbers.

All of those components of the universal structure became later the philosophical background of Feng Shui theory.�.

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December 2013

EPMA _ Master Program

Tsinghua University of Beijing

Abstrarct

ABSTRACT

Why should the Western architecture start to learn from the Ancient Chinese relations of the parts?

What gives so much sacred meaning to the conformation of every Asian construction? How were

the ancestors able to preserve such a continuity in so many buildings which were even assigned to so different figures: from the Emperors Palace to the most Humble dwelling?

This brief paper will try to define the principles behind this still admired aura, which is still attracting

the interest of the modern architecture community.

The investigation starts from the basic assumptions which define the main layout of the Chinese

Philosophy and Architecture. Through a study of a series of dwellings placed in different Province, the text finds a common principle which unites the general proportion between the parts in a different scale.

The following rapid and general introduction to the Chinese Timber Structure wants to provide to the

reader an idea of how deep and rooted this concept is inserted in the building configuration.

A general approach that can lead the entire construction of any different architectural complex.

1

Xiaodong Li, Meaning of the site, A Holistic Approach towards Site Analysis on behalf of the Dvelopment of a Design Tool

based on a comparative case-study between FengShui and Kevin Lynch’s system, Bouwstenen Publikatieburo Bouwkunde, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1993.

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History of Chinese Architecture

COMMON PRINCIPLES AS GUIDE FOR THE HOMOGENEOUS COMPREHENSION OF THE CHINESE HISTORY

In the ancient past, Chinese architecture – as we know today – and western architecture were simple

and normally built with similar construction techniques and local resources.

The venerable Asian architecture was distinghuished from the western one principally for his relation with the things: from the little human’s scale & his behavior to the huge universal master role of Mother Nature.

Especially looking at the vernacular endemic pieces of artificial construction, the common term -

we can reach about the regional (and therefore in general) Chinese villages & dwelling - is his fascination interrelation to the local society and the lifestyle of the people.

“[…] excellent land foster excellent plants and good houses can make people succed.”. 2 San Yuan Classics suggested…

“Divination on residence is actually divination on land.”.3 “House directly influence people’s physical and psychological health requirements.”.4 It is just like good cultivation on root of a plant will lead to the flourishing of leaves Yang Zhai Shi Shu writes that…

2

Zhang Bo, En Jingxuan, Luo Zhongzhao, Comparison of Chinese and Western Architecture, China Intercontinental Press,

Beijing, 2008 3

Wang, Junrong Yang Zhai Shi Shu, Ten Books for Houses of Living People, Shanghai, 1597, in Zhang Bo, En Jingxuan, Luo

Zhongzhao, Comparison of Chinese and Western Architecture, China Intercontinental Press, Beijing, 2008 4 ibidem

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Tsinghua University of Beijing

History of Chinese Architecture

“[…] eating food with rich nutrition can be good for health and houses can change one’s personality.”.5 Mengzi once said that…

As we can read from these old and meaningful quotations, the importance of the construction-

environment relation (seen as a man or nature) is something that goes over a simple theoretic description; from the deep sense on these lines it is evident the rooted principle behind every ordinary construction.

If the building is in a totally natural environment or in an artificial one – as a city can be – the way as an old Chinese dwelling is made is not far from a pure relation between man and local aura.

The dwellings in the Huizhou give a sense in this matter with their fascinating curving stone’s wall,

and with the incredible handcrafted authenticity we can observe in their wood, brick and stone carvings (an expression of a pure supernatural form of art).6

Also in the Yunnan’s Bamboo residences we can feel this dialogue: house – landscape. Start from

the analysis of the green surrounding, through the perception and feeling of the ground, the appearance of an elevated platform - from which actually emerges the core of the Bamboo house’ structure - suggests us something more than a mere solution for the ordinary problems and for ventilation in the interior space.7

5

Mengzi, ancient philosopher 372 – 289 BCE, in Zhang Bo, En Jingxuan, Luo Zhongzhao, Comparison of Chinese and West-

ern Architecture, China Intercontinental Press, Beijing, 2008 6

Cay Yanxin, translated b A. Lee S. Lim D. Gu, Chinese Architecture, Palaces, Gardens, Temples and Dwellings, China Inter-

continental Press, Beijing, 2010 7 ibidem

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History of Chinese Architecture

The Beijing Siheyuan Building (四合院) expresses this concept in the master layout of the entire

complex (position of the main ingress, symmetrical obedience to the main axe), and in the hierarchical disposition - ownership of the rooms in the plant.8

Yunnan’s Bamboo residences

Dwellings in the Huizhou

“Start from the analysis of the green surrounding, through

“[...] with the incredible handcrafted authenticity

the perception and feeling of the ground [...].”.

we can observe in their wood, brick and stone carvings.”.

It is more intense and deeper the study this paper wants to provide to the reader: from the examples above

– each of them with its own singularity and different surrounding landscape – the conclusion which could be made is related to an obvious and profound sense of homogeneity in the way of how it is shown in every single solution and details of the building.

From the conceptual disposition and the arrangement of the function inside a courtyard, to the use

of the massiveness in the wall – and the subsequent assignment of the rooms inside - as an unconscious

8

Qingxi Lou, translated by Guang Su , Traditional Architectural Culture of China, China Travel & Tourism Press,China, 2008

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History of Chinese Architecture

political nuance about the dealing problems between the Hakkas9 - group of Han Chinese - with the central government, to the magic enlightening use of the structure in the Xianjiang’s Aywang, the common principle which appears seems to be a vernacular authentic spirit in the definition of the ordinary needs seen as a occasion to express gratitude to Mother Nature.

Earthen house group in Chuxi, Fujian

Uygur folk residence in Xinijiang

“From the conceptual disposition and the arrangement of the

“[...] to the magic enlightening

function inside a courtyard, to the use of the massiveness in the wall [...].”.

use of the structure [...].”.

Aywang: “were brightness resides” 10

The Hall of the Xianjiang’s Aywnag is the tallest, largest, well decorated Hall of such different residences.

It is thanks to the building point-to-point structure that the users have an impressive vision and a great feeling when it comes to walking through it and differently live in the space.

9

Cay Yanxin, translated b A. Lee S. Lim D. Gu, Chinese Architecture, Palaces, Gardens, Temples and Dwellings, China Inter-

continental Press, Beijing, 2010

10 ibidem

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History of Chinese Architecture

There are in total eight timber columns - elevated to the ceiling - which also let space for a free brick

wall to host these high and transparent windows to allow the daylight to shine inside the entire Hall.

The Hall is the representation of a complete interior space: it can be regarded as an outdoor venue for entertaining guest, holding gatherings, music and different activities.11

With a series of incredible advantages, the point-to-point structure becomes more and more popular

in China (mostly built with local wood). From the initial surprise of the people who tried to define this new concept of built dwellings12, to the late accurate Qing Dynasty’s temples and residences, the importance given to the preservation of the historic and sacred principles of unity behind every structure measurement, proportion and unit, still remains a tenet of Chinese authenticity.

Therefore, what distinguishes – for example - the Chinese point-to-point structure from the Western

ordinary architecture is indeed the meaning of the use of the materials. Starting from the ancient Egypt, to the Divine Hellenic culture, to the magnificent Roman Empire till the medieval legendary society, but also in the elegant exuberance of the Gothic character and in the firsts attempts to conciliate concrete with an iron scaffolding, the focus it has always been pointed in the research and development of the massiveness of the stone and derivatives, and its relation with the functionalism and operating of the building’s complex (building skeleton as a mere symbolism of representation, or as an hidden part in the walls).

11 ibidem 12

Zhang Bo, En Jingxuan, Luo Zhongzhao, Comparison of Chinese and Western Architecture, China Intercontinental Press,

Beijing, 2008 “Building will never collapse even when the walls are down.”. Vernacular people’s quoted.

What it is intense in this quoted is the perceiving of the genuineness and purity behind the sacredness solidarity wall-strucure.

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History of Chinese Architecture

And this way to use and operate also with structure of ordinary architecture, it has always been reflected

also when the material involved in the structural project was construction Timber.

The advantages related to a wood structure are undeniable and practically useful: easy and fast to fell

that make this material available cheap and easy to transport, double possible use as vertical and horizontal element, wide use for many different aspects and details, especially in ancient and small construction site as a material which can replace and be used for almost every part and also process during the construction process … One of the most functional and practical material used in the past, and still one of the main key when it came to think about the future of construction materials.

Therefore, to accurately define the differences in the use of wooden structure in China – compare to

the ordinary foreign land architecture – the analysis of the reasons should be deeper and more sensible.

Since the old Chinese ancient past, the wood has always been considered as a material with life.

A sane element with its own personality; a tangible figure who lives under the sun while absorbing rain & water. Wood exposed to the sun and grown from the earth. A simple natural link between Earth and Heaven (tian, 天堂).13 That is why China tradition knows, it has learned to find beauty in each pieces of wooden structure - and not only with the intention to let it live forever – but also to give it a pure and authentic identity.

The building structure, in Chinese architecture history is basically embodied on five main elements: Columns, Beams, Tenon, Mortise and Dougong (bracket).

13

Qingxi Lou, translated by Guang Su, Traditional Architectural Culture of China, China Travel & Tourism Press,China, 2008

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History of Chinese Architecture

Looking at the multiple meaning of every component in the entire complex, and trying to define general

essence of their sum, what transpires - from a summary of the dimension and the relation between the part - is the importance given to the basic measurement which leads every cutting and generate the final disposition in the whole structure. From the small and regular side of the Dou & Sheng square shape, through the amazing memory / reference of Chinese peck visible in the configuration of the Dougong, to the configuration14 of the space between ( Jian, 間) the columns in floor plan (in any level of architecture), the constant presence of a deep regulation behind the global design, provides to the composition a real and perceivable sense of geometrical balance.15

No matter if the structure is studied for an ancient Ming’s Forbidden City or for an Eastern Qing Tombs

(清東陵)，they all consist of basic fundamental unit inserted in the surrounding. A single building is composed of a few of such Jian (間); several single buildings can form a Yuan; and several Yuan (院), or courtyard can form an architectural complex (建筑群). A natural and unconscious set of relations which simply facilitates the comprehension of the elements, seen as a part of an entire composition. A combination of the parts which – collaborating each other – explains and provides to the final reader an understandable logic in the role of each basis.

14

Zhang Bo, En Jingxuan, Luo Zhongzhao, Comparison of Chinese and Western Architecture, China Intercontinental Press,

Beijing, 2008 “ (For examples)[…]Cejiao is a method of making the columns around the periphery of the construction slightly slant to the center and letting the building have a sturdy feel due to convergence of the center of gravity. Small as these delicate treatment may be, they can correct people’s visual differences and add beauty to the architecture.”.

15 ibidem “[…] The width of the front of Zuodou (Doukou) is used as the standard to measure the size of the whole architecture.”.

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Related quotes

“There is always a major stroke in a character on which all the other strokes are centered. Once the major stroke is bad, all the other strokes will be bad too. So a good calligrapher will try his best to do this major stroke well.”. 16 Yi Gai “When you are writing a character, you shall have transition between strikes and make all the strokes combined as a whole.”.17 Linchi Xinjie

16

ibidem, quoted from Yi Gai, by Liu Xizai of Quing Dynasty

17

ibidem, quoted from Linchi Xinjie, by Zhu Hegeng of Quing Dynasty

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Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zhang Bo, En Jingxuan, Luo Zhongzhao, Comparison of Chinese and Western Architecture, China

Intercontinental Press, Beijing, 2008

Cay Yanxin, translated b A. Lee S. Lim D. Gu, Chinese Architecture, Palaces, Gardens, Temples and

Dwellings, China Intercontinental Press, Beijing, 2010

Qingxi Lou, translated by Guang Su , Traditional Architectural Culture of China, China Travel &

Tourism Press,China, 2008

Xiaodong Li, Meaning of the site, A Holistic Approach towards Site Analysis on behalf of the Dvelopment

of a Design Tool based on a comparative case-study between FengShui and Kevin Lynch’s system, Bouwstenen Publikatieburo Bouwkunde, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1993.

Secchi Gabriele

December 2013