Genshin Impact and the Proliferation of Culture II: A Study of Liyue’s Architecture
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By Serena Gao and Courtney Fu
his article is a continuation of Genshin Impact and the Proliferation of Culture I: A Study of Liyue’s Fashion but can be read standalone (found in the Spring 2021 Issue).
Genshin Impact. You may or may not know what it is, but it’s a game that blew up over the past year. Released by MiHoYo in the latter months of 2020, it has garnered an incredibly large fanbase with about 21 million registered users. The game is known for its open world scenery that players explore while being engaged in an intriguing plot. OC ] fC k k fC T; k LkCA‘ kf k ;Ck^ 3C; H ] CfkAl CA W RC fkTk4 ; 4T k^k[44C ] fC 4fk^ f LkC 4fT4CT CTA‘ ; culture behind the design and architecture of Liyue.
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Liyue Harbour Liyue Harbour is the main city of the Liyue nation and has become a central prosperous port city of trade and business exchanges. LkC HT3T ]CTC }T C k ] CfkCC T4fkC4TC k fC CT 3k;k^ k fC 4k fC k;C ] Feng Shui is important to the culture. Feng shui focuses on the arrangement of structures and pieces to create a balance with the natural world. The idea of balance and symmetry appears in many designs of ancient Chinese cities, such as the Forbidden City. The idea of symmetry is not only based on pure aesthetics, but according to Lingnan architectural style, the proportions of the design can have an impact on how one feels. As architecture provides a living environment ]T fA‘ k 3CkCRC; HC4 f fCf k] k T ;Ck^C; kf kTCT TTkAl Tfk 44C of symmetry is prevalent in the design of many Liyue buildings. In many of the structures in Liyue Harbour, there are always an even number of pillars, resulting in an odd number of bays with a door set in the central bay. There is also a horizontal emphasis in many of these structures. To many of the wealthy, they preferred breadth with T^C T] 4TCC TC CA⁄kkTk^ CHC4AlA‘ CßCkRC Cfk RCTk4 fCk^f TfCT k^fAl The Golden House, which produces all of the currency in the continent, is a prime example of this horizontal emphasis. Furthermore, feng shui plays a role in the positioning of a structure. It is typically observed that the back of the structure faces an elevated landscape while the front faces water. This is shown in the game through the Yuehai Pavilion with its back facing the mountain range of the nearby slopes while the main entrance faces the harbour. A courtyard or garden is typically located at the front as well to incorporate a sense of nature to the structure. The garden is the only exception to the symmetry requirements, as having asymmetry gives a more organic feeling to connect to the natural world. Certain architectural styles were also reserved for the Emperor. In the case of the game, the closest representation would be the Liyue Qixing, otherwise the ruling government of the country. One such style is the usage of yellow roof tiles. This is seen in the Golden House which is associated with the God in Liyue (Rex Lapis) as well as the Jade Chamber, the home of the Qixing Golden House Image from MiHoYo (government).
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