Survey of Classic Chinese Culture下.ppt

CHAPTER 9 A Sumptuous Architecture Treasure
----- A Panorama of Ancient Chinese Architecture
Human involvement in architecture has been enduring from the Neolithic Age to the present day in the long run. Over millenniums of the Paleolithic Age,human ancestors lived on hunting,fishery,and nomadism, and pelled to linger in trees and caves in search of the shelter from natural disasters and beasts’ assaults. Toward the arrival of the Neolithic Age man learned to engage in stock raising and farming, and settled down by digging caves and building up simple residence with twigs and lumber, mencing their architectural creation.
During over 3, 000-year course of the feudalist society Chinese ancient architecture had gradually formulated its unique system coupled with a considerable progress respecting urban planning, gardening, civil housing and construction technique. In 221 having leveled to ground the neighboring six kingdoms the First Emperor of Chin established the first united feudal empire in China, whereupon mobilizing as full resources as possible in his domain to embark upon a massive-scale construction campaign. In the listing of high-prestige buildings are enrolled such as the A’fang Palace, the imperial mausoleums, the Great wall and Dujiangyan water-conservancy project, eeded by a hoard of immortal masterpieces in various dynasties.
I. Sequence of Chinese Ancient Architecture
Chinese architecture has approximately coursed through the following phases:
The primitive period and the Chin Dynasty (before 200 ) was deficient in both historical literature and tangible evidence; though scores of the ruins of the city states and imperial palaces have been confirmed yet they are on the verge of further archeological excavation.
The Western-Eastern Han Dynasties (204 -220 ) survived over four hundred years, a thriving era in architectural undertakings, when there remained an abundance of historical records hereof and the relics unearthed such as coff