Chinese Architecture Essay Research Paper Lynn BurkeMr

Chinese Architecture Essay, Research Paper

Lynn Burke

Mr. Harrison

World History

February 18, 1998

Chinese Architecture: Striving for Perfection

The great Chinese architects achieved a perfect balance between serenity and nature and their architectural surroundings. Chinese buildings are beautiful masterpieces of art crafted in the finest detail. Instead of just building a building they produced a magnum opus that would continue to show its beauty for centuries to come.

In the past, architects of China carefully designed their buildings to fit into the scenery that surrounded them (Wiens 180). They believed that if their building disturbed the balance of harmony and nature then the building was worthless and should not be used. The interior decoration of a building also attributed to this idea. If the decor of a building didn?t flow with the natural surroundings of the building then the decorator was forced to either redecorate or give up the project entirely (Creative Interiors). From this practice the idea of Feng Shui was brought into existence.

Feng Shui, literally translated is wind and water. It is intended to bring a sense of harmony and balance to your living and working spaces. Results such as improved health, rewarding relationships, and an increase in happiness and prosperity are believed to occur (Bartlett). Feng Shui is used to analyze a built and natural environment in order to locate sites with a favorable circulation of life energy, or ch`i. It is used to make adjustments to improve the naturally occurring ch`i of a place or building.

Feng Shui was developed thousands of years ago by the rural people of China whose very survival depended upon their ability to discern between sites where good ch`i accumulated and sites where stagnant or malignant ch`i. These good sites provided land that was safe, fertile, and healthy. The land with malignant ch`i was barren or dangerous. Rivers, winds, topography, and the compass directions are among the elements analyzed in the search for a site with favorable ch`i. Refined over thousands of years, Feng Shui has evolved into a systematized art and science. It is organized into several ?schools? each with a very specific set of guidelines. A good Feng Shui practitioner understands these principles but must also have a highly developed intuitive sense, to see and feel how the ch`i behaves in each particular situation (Bartlett). In modern times, with the Chinese population crowding into cities like Hong Kong and Taipei, Feng Shui principles have been applied to analyze and enhance urban and interior spaces. No major building project in these cities would be undertaken without some consideration of the Feng Shui of the site and building. For example, the owners of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank demanded that Feng Shui be applied in the design of their skyscraper headquarters. This influenced everything from the form of the exposed structural system to the placement of the lobby escalators and doors.

When Feng Shui is applied to a home or business many different features are examined. These include neighborhoods, streets, sites, directions, shapes of buildings, roofs, doors, windows, rooms, stairs, location of amenities, chimneys, drains, beams, columns, lights, and many other factors (Bartlett). The ultimate goal of a Feng Shui practitioner is the creation and enhancement of a space so it uses the natural flow of good ch`i. It is believed that people who live and work in such an environment feel more energetic, creative, and balanced.

Another belief of Feng Shui is that the ch`i of a place can be ?tuned? for a specific use. For example if Feng Shui were being applied to a house, the home would benefit more with a calm and harmonious ch`i while a store would require a more simulative ch`i that would promote sales. Industrial sites can be tuned to enhance production and research and a hospital requires a more serene and life-supporting ch`i. The Chinese believe that each specialization of ch`i can be achieved with the determination of what kind of building would work best in a certain area and how that building is to be decorated.

Another quality that Chinese architecture has excelled at is combining art and architecture together to produce the grand buildings that can be seen today. Peking, more commonly known as Beijing, has been the capital of China almost continuously since 1267 AD. Over the centuries, as emperor after emperor added palaces and shrines, it became a glorious museum of Chinese art and architecture. The greatest concentration of these treasures lies within the oldest second of Peking, the Inner City. In the manner of Chinese boxes, the Inner City contains the Imperial City, which in turn surrounds the Forbidden City (see photos 1 and 2), the palace compound reserved for the court (Fessler 34).

By just looking at the wonders of the Forbidden City you can see the great skill and craftsmanship of ancient Chinese architects. The Forbidden City served as the seat of imperial power during the Ming and Qing dynasties from 1368-1911. Members outside the royal family and staff were not allowed to enter the buildings until the 1920s (Beijing). The elaborate artwork of the buildings that make up the Forbidden City is amazing. ?When one enters the buildings of the Forbidden City they are immediately transported bac