Chinese Archi Flashcards
The smaller version of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. As it was deemed inferior to the Hall of Supreme Harmony everything within it is smaller than similar items in the superior palace. However, it is the largest palace in the Inner Court of Forbidden City, and it is superior to any other structures there. The structure was built in 1420 and rebuilt in 1798 because of fire damage Ming emperors and the first two Qing emperors lived in and attended to daily affairs of state.
Palace of Heavenly Purity
Governed by building regulations limiting the dimensions and number of columns for Ancient Chinese buildings, what is the typical number of columns for an Emperor’s Palace or residence?
9 bays
A traditional Chinese roof with 8 facades, which could be either single or double eaves, is normally used on a major pavilion structure in a big garden or a larger Buddhist pagoda.
Octagonal hip roof
Also named Qianqingmen, the gate is on the central axis divides the Forbidden City into two parts, the Outer Court, and the Inner Court, therefore, serving as the main entrance to the imperial household. It was established in 1420 and rebuilt in 1655. Five bays wide, three bays deep and sixteen meters high, it is a structure with a single-eave roof, resting on the 1.5-meter-high white marble base of Buddhist-style building surrounded by carved stone balustrades.
Gate of Heavenly Purity
Also known as the Circular Mound Altar, is an empty circular platform with three levels of marble stones. Vivid dragons were carved on the stones to stand for the emperors. The number nine stands for power as well as the emperors in ancient China. Balusters and steps are either the sacred number nine or its multiples. In ancient times, the emperors burn offerings for Heaven on a stove on the platform.
Huanqiu Altar, Temple of Heaven
Known as a world-famed royal garden that used to be called Qingyi Garden (literally translated as “the ripple garden”). With an area of 293 hectares, it mainly consists of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. There, you can find over 3,000 royal garden architectures with various styles, which is roughly divided into three areas, particularly the administrative, the residential, and the scenic area.
Summer Palace
The Pagoda also known as the Cultural Peak Pagoda in Fenyang, Shanxi Province, was built at the end of the Ming Dynasty in the middle of the 17th century. The structure is 84.93 meters tall and has 13 floors. After a magnitude 6 earthquake in 1932, the pagoda began to tilt towards the east, and, further owing to the collapsible nature of the yellow earth, the structure now leans eastward 1.82 meters.
Wenfeng Pagoda
Emperor Qianlong was keen on the prosperity of Jiangnan, so he built the imitated shopping street resembling Shantang Street. Eunuchs and maids in the royal palace acted as retailers when the emperor’s shop on the street.
Suzhou Street, Summer Palace
Monumental, ceremonial gateway, and basic symbolic structure in Chinese architecture.
Pai Lou
The oldest existing large pagoda in China. Its structure and style are consummate among ancient pagodas and were constructed in 520 during the Northern Dynasties. The brick pagoda is the earliest multi-eave pagoda to be found thus far with a total height of about 39.8 meters and the diameter of the ground floor is 10.6 meters, including the walls, which are each 2.5 meters thick.
Songyue Temple Pagoda
In the classic Chinese building code, this type of roof was exclusively reserved for major buildings in royal palaces, such as the hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing Forbidden City.
Double Eave Hip Roof
The Pagoda of the attic-styled square pagoda of brick imitating wood structure consists of the base, the body, and the finial. The whole pagoda is about 65m high with the height of the base being 4.2m and the finial being 4.87m.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Covering a total area of 580 square meters, it is a square structure built like a pavilion, each side of which is five bays long, measuring 24.15m. It has a single-eave roof with a gilded pinnacle gleaming brightly in the sun.
Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghedian)
A well-preserved pai lou is the one in front of the main entrance to the Summer Palace Park. Built 200 years ago, it is composed of four columns forming three arches and carrying on top seven roofed ornamental units. Also known as the Glowing Clouds and Holy Land Archway.
Yunhui Yuyu Archway
Also known as the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, is the most magnificent building in the Temple of Heaven. It is a wooden triple-gable circular pavilion that is 38 meters high with a three-level marble stone base. The ancient emperors prayed for good harvests here. There are 28 pillars propping up the hall. The inner 4 pillars are large and stand for four seasons. The middle 12 pillars represent the twelve months. The outer 12 pillars indicate 12 periods of a day.
Qinian Hall, Temple of Heaven
A system of interlocking brackets between the ceiling’s column and crossbeam also helped disperse the structure’s weight usually used in Ancient Chinese architecture.
Dougong
It is a famous Buddhist temple with a long history and became a Holy Land of Buddhism because the finger bone relic of Sakyamuni was placed in it.
Famen Temple
In villages inhabited by ethnic groups, the density of residential buildings is relatively high, which is not conducive to fire prevention. The type of wall can cut off the source of fire in the event of a fire in neighboring residential buildings. It is also called the firewall.
Horse headwall
Erected in 1755, it is the only Western-style structure in the park, inlaid with colorful glass windows and wheels, and paved with colored bricks.
The Marble Boat, Summer Palace
8 meters wide and 150 meters long, the structure is the largest and longest bridge in the Summer Palace.
17-Arch Bridge, Summer Palace
Governed by building regulations limiting the dimensions and number of columns for Ancient Chinese buildings, what is the typical number of columns for an ordinary citizens’ residence?
3 Bays
