Chinese+Architecture

 =Imperial Architecture =

Do you like to look at cool, old buildings? If you do, then you’d probably like to look at Chinese imperial architecture. Imperial architecture relates to any building in China that belonged to the old emperors. They are the big buildings with yellow roofs, red walls, and fancy dragon decorations. All imperial buildings share some features. They all have similar roofs and design. Most of them even follow specific rules that relate to the statues used, the colors, and the number of things that would be found in each building. Many old Chinese buildings had very big roofs. This meant that they were very important features of the buildings. Roofs can tell a lot about the importance of the person that owned them. Rich people had much fancier roofs. Only the emperor was allowed to have roofs that had yellow glaze on the shingles. There were even rules that only allowed the emperor to have certain statues. Depending on the buildings purpose, there would be different statues that represented different things, like the “evil-dispelling bull, courageous goat-bull (獬豸), wind- and storm-summoning fish (狎魚), mythical lion (狻猊), auspicious seahorse, heavenly horse, lion, and chiwen (鴟吻), a son of dragon” (Architecture). Depending on how important the building was, there would be a certain number of the statues. The number of things found in buildings also related to the power of its owner. Only the emperors were allowed to have things that related to the number nine. Nine is the largest single-digit number, so the Chinese people thought that it was the manliest. Also, only palaces would have gates with five big arches. Nine was so important that even related to the space that a building would have between each pillar. The only person that was allowed to use the middle arch, on these gates, would be the emperor. There are many decorations that only imperial buildings were allowed to have. Only the emperor had dragon decorations. Dragon paintings would decorate pillars, roofs, and doors. Red walls were also reserved for royalty. Also, only very rich and powerful people could afford their own private gardens. These gardens would be very beautiful. These decorations made imperial buildings stand out from any other ones. Chinese imperial architecture reserves many elegant elements for the emperor. Special features relating to yellow roofs, the number nine, and decorations represent the privileges of the imperial family that were not shared with the poor. All of the design elements have been important features of imperial design for centuries.





The Great Wall Of China By Jamie

Have you ever heard of this long wall? Did you know that it stretches for over 4000 miles?! A lot of people think it is just a wall, but what they don't know is that is served as a very important purpose back in ancient times. The way it was constructed, the initial use of it, and the condition today makes it the oldest and most popular structures in China. The construction of the wall first began around the 8th century BC. The states of Qi, Yan, and Zhao built this structure as a border around their lands. They were originally made from mud and stones that were stacked on top of one another. Qin Shi Huang established the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC, and used this wall to protect his states from the Xiongu people that were north of them. It was hard to move materials up and down the boundaries of the wall; so many of the builders tried to use the local resources. Therefore over the years, the wall has had to be restored and maintained. The wall was built with many different characteristics. There are larger areas to stand, or where the guards used to keep an eye out for attackers when the wall was used for security purposes. It stretched over 4,000 miles, covering most of the Qin Dynasty and curving around mountains and over rivers and is even visible from space. Some of the parts of the wall have graffiti on it, or the older section of it is starting to deteriate because it wasn’t originally as strong as some of the newer parts they have restored in present day. Considering how old the Great Wall of China is, it is in remarkable condition and was extremely advanced when it was first created. Now, using bricks is restoring it and stones to created the actual appearance of the wall without making it any longer then it was made back in ancient times. As you can see, the Great Wall of China’s defensive history, important characteristics, and amazing conditions are all a part of what makes this wall one of the most popular well-known architectural structures of not only China, but the entire world. 


 * Tiananmen Square**

  Have you thought about the widest open space in the world? You might think it’s a football field because is stretches 360 feet one way and 160 feet the other. The largest area is actually in Beijing, China, and it is called the Tiananmen Square. It is a plaza in the middle of China’s capital that was built in the 1420s during the Ming Dynasty. The Tiananmen Square is an important and famous symbol of China. That is due to its building design, its use for government events, and its importance as a place of protesting. The Tiananmen Square’s architecture shows that it has a symbolic status in all of China. This square has the Tiananmen Gate which is shown on the coat of arms of China. Tiananmen Square has an “area of 440,000 square meters...” (Beijing Tiananmen Square). The Tiananmen Square displays a symbol of China because of its huge size and well-known gates to the north and south. Its space has been used for many memorable actions that also contributed to its status.  A few governmental events have taken place there that has made it a special location for the Chinese people. Mao Zedong, the “President” of China from 1943 to 1974, was an influential person that changed many ideas in the country. This person stood on Tiananmen Square and declared a speech that affected the destiny of the nation. It confirmed a new country and a new government and it caused the popularity of the plaza to grow. Although the square is a place of celebration, it has also been, at times, a location for protests. The Tiananmen Square has been a site of many protests against the government. The objections that took place there have shown to the rest of the world that there is a different side to China. Many of the protests gained national attention, and one in particular in 1989 also got an enormous amount of international reaction. Beginning in the mid-1980s, organized protests toward the government started. Many police officers and soldiers were sent to the square because there were so many people protesting. This chain of events also affected the relationships between China and other countries. Many nations said the Chinese government’s response was wrong. This whole situation made the Tiananmen Square a representation of the actions of the Chinese government. In these ways, the Tiananmen Square obviously represents Chinese culture. Its layout, importance as a political place, and uses as a protest area has made it famous internationally. The Tiananmen Square is recognized as one of the most outstanding pieces of Chinese architecture due to these three points.

"Beijing Tiananmen Square (Gate of Heavenly Peace), China." __China Travel Guide,China Tours,Tibet Beijing Packages,24/7 Service__. 24 Feb. 2009 .
 * Works Cited: **
 * Info - Quote **

"All About The Great Wall Of China." __Enchanted Learning__. . ** "Facts About The Great Wall Of China." __China Highlights__. . "Great Wall Of China." __Wikipedia__.  ** Works Cited "Ancient Chinese Architecture: Concrete Music." __China__ __Culture__. 2003. 21 Feb. 2009 <http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_madeinchina/2006-01/18/content_78357_3.htm>.

"China Architecture Tour and Culture." 19 Jan. 2009. Global Press Release Distribution. 21 Feb. 2009 <http://www.prlog.org/10169135-china-architecture-tour-culture.pdf>.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">

Wertz, Richard. "Architecture." __The Arts__. 2008. 21 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ibiblio.org/chineseculture/contents/arts/p-arts-c03s01.html>.

Overview of Tiananmen. (Online Image) Available http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/200401-beijing-tianan-square-overview.jpg, March 26, 2009. <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Protesting on Tiananmen. (Online Image) Available http://www.asianamericans.com/TiananmenSquareJune51989.jpg, March 26, 2009.
 * Pictures **

__A Panorma Of The Great Wall__. China. __Www.drben.net__. <http://www.drben.net/files/China/City/Beijing/Outside_City_of_Beijing-All/Great_Wall_of_China/Great_Wall_Sources/Great-Wall-China-Hebei-Mutianyu-PanoramaT2.jpg>. __A Detailed Image Of The Great Wall__. __The Great Wall Of China__. <http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lehsd.k12.nj.us/site/dupuis/images/Great_Wall_of_China.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lehsd.k12.nj.us/site/dupuis/GreatWallofChina.htm&usg=__VgppVA1c12ago70fpmx_JhIx_-o=&h=726&w=576&sz=96&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=CnsK5qWVaffN_M:&tbnh=141&tbnw=112&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgreat%2Bwall%2Bof%2Bchina%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX %26um%3D1>.__ An Overview of the Old Watchtower__.__ Wikipedia__. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China>.