Editing Chinese architecture (section)

==Architectural types==
[[File:五代-北宋 佚名 乞巧圖 軸-Palace banquet MET DP251118.jpg|thumb|10th century painting depicting a mansion, [[Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period]]]]
[[File:Hanyuantu Li Rongjin.jpg|thumb|Han yuan tu by Li Rongjin, [[Yuan dynasty]]]]
[[File:Jianzhang Palace.jpg|thumb|Jianzhang Palace, [[Yuan dynasty]]]]
The types of Chinese architecture may relate to the use of the structures, such as whether they were built for royals, commoners, or the religious.

=== Commoners ===
Due to primarily wooden construction and poor maintenance, far fewer examples of commoner's homes survive compared to those of nobles. Korman claimed the average commoner's home did not change much, even centuries after the establishment of the universal style: early-20th-century homes were similar to late and mid-imperial homes.<ref name="Kohrman" />

These homes tended to follow a set pattern: the center of the building was a shrine for deities and ancestors, and was also used during festivities. On its two sides were bedrooms for elders; the two wings (known as "guardian dragons") were for junior members, as well as the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen, although sometimes the living room was close to the center.<ref>{{cite book |title = The Beijing Courtyard House |last=Cassault |first=Andre |publisher=Open House International |year=1987 }}</ref>

Sometimes the extended families became so large that one or two extra pairs of "wings" had to be built. This produced a U-shape, with a courtyard suitable (e.g., for farm work).<ref name="Kohrman" /> Merchants and bureaucrats preferred to close off the front with an imposing gate. All buildings were legally regulated, and the law required that the number of stories, the length of the building and the building colours reflect the owner's class.

Some commoners living in areas plagued by bandits built communal fortresses called [[Tulou]] for protection. Often favoured by the [[Hakka]] in [[Fujian]] and [[Jiangxi]], the design of Tulou shows the ancient philosophy of harmony between people and environment. People used local materials, often building the walls with rammed earth. No window reached the outside on the lower two floors (for defense), but the inside included a common courtyard and let people gather.<ref>Wang, Shao-Sen; Li, Su-Yu; and Shi-Jie Liao (2012). ''The Genes of Tulou: A Study on the Preservation and Sustainable Development of Tulou'' (http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/4/12/3377/htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904155543/http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/4/12/3377/htm |date=4 September 2018 }}). Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.</ref>

===Imperial===

{{Main|Chinese palace}}
[[File:黄鹤楼东侧面.JPG|right|thumb|The modern [[Yellow Crane Tower]], rebuilt in 1985.]]

Certain architectural features were reserved for buildings built for the [[emperor of China]]. One example is the use of yellow (the imperial color) roof tiles. Yellow tiles still adorn most of the buildings within the [[Forbidden City]]. Only the emperor could use [[hip roof]]s, with all four sides sloping. The two types of hip roof were single-eave and double-eave. The [[Hall of Supreme Harmony]] is the archetypal example of double eaves.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Steinhardt|first=Nancy Shatzman|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1089804685|title=Chinese architecture : a history|date=2019|isbn=978-0-691-19197-3|location=Princeton, New Jersey|oclc=1089804685}}</ref> The [[Temple of Heaven]] uses blue roof tiles to symbolize the sky. The roofs are almost invariably supported by [[Bracket (architecture)|bracket]]s ("''dougong''"), a feature shared only with the largest of religious buildings. The building's wooden columns well as the wall surfaces, tend to be red. Black is often used in pagodas. It was believed that the gods were inspired by the black color to visit earth.

The 5-clawed dragon, adopted by the [[Hongwu emperor]] (first emperor of [[Ming dynasty]]) for his personal use, was used to decoration the beams, pillars, and on the doors on imperial architecture. Curiously, the dragon was never used on roofs of imperial buildings.

Only buildings used by the imperial family were allowed to have nine ''jian'' (間, space between two columns); only gates used by the [[Emperor of China|emperor]] could have five arches, with the centre one, reserved for the emperor. The ancient Chinese favored the color [[red]].

{{Gallery
|width=160
|File:CMOC Treasures of Ancient China exhibit - pictorial brick depicting a courtyard scene.jpg|Pictorial brick depicting a typical Han-style palatial courtyard with watchtowers.
|Image:Eastern Han tomb, Luoyang 2.jpg|A [[vault (architecture)|vaulted]] tomb chamber in [[Luoyang]], built during the [[Eastern Han dynasty]] (AD 25–220)
|File:A Model of the Site of Xianyang Palace I 02 2012-09.JPG|Model of [[Xianyang Palace]]; Qin state, Warring States c.5th century BCE
|Image:Eastern Han tomb, Luoyang 3.jpg|A tomb chamber of [[Luoyang]], built during the [[Eastern Han dynasty]] (AD 25–220) with incised wall decorations
|Image:Mingdynastytombs3.jpg|The Great Red Gate at the [[Ming tombs]] near Beijing, built in the 15th century
|Image:Beijing-forbidden7.jpg|The yellow roof tiles and red wall in the [[Forbidden City]] (Palace Museum) grounds in [[Beijing]], built during the [[Yongle Emperor|Yongle era]] (1402–1424) of the [[Ming dynasty]]
|title=}}

[[Beijing]] became the [[capital of China]] after the [[Mongol]] invasion of the 13th century, completing the easterly migration of the Chinese capital begun in the [[Jin dynasty (1115-1234)|Jin dynasty]]. The [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] uprising in 1368 reasserted Chinese authority and fixed Beijing as the seat of imperial power for the next five centuries. The emperor and the empress lived in palaces on the central axis of the [[Forbidden City]], the [[crown prince]] at the eastern side, and the concubines at the back (the imperial concubines were often referred to as "The Back Palace Three Thousand"). During the mid-[[Qing dynasty]], the emperor's residence was moved to the western side of the complex. It is misleading to speak of an axis in the Western sense of a visual [[Perspective (visual)|perspective]] ordering facades. The Chinese axis is a line of privilege, usually built upon, regulating access—instead of vistas, a series of gates and pavilions are used.

[[File:Prince Yide's tomb, towers.jpg|thumb|left|''Que'' 闕 towers along the walls of [[Tang dynasty|Tang]]-era [[Chang'an]], as depicted in this 8th-century mural from Prince [[Li Chongrun]]'s tomb at the [[Qianling Mausoleum]] in [[Shaanxi]]]]

[[Numerology]] influenced imperial architecture, hence the use of nine (the greatest single digit number) in much of construction and the reason why the Forbidden City in Beijing is said to have 9,999.9 rooms—just short of heaven's mythical 10,000 rooms. The importance of the East (the direction of the rising sun) in orienting and siting imperial buildings is a form of solar worship found in many ancient cultures, reflecting the affiliation of Ruler with the Sun.

The tombs and mausoleums of imperial family members, such as the 8th-century [[Tang dynasty]] tombs at the [[Qianling Mausoleum]], can be counted as part of the imperial tradition. These above-ground earthen mounds and pyramids had subterranean shaft-and-vault structures that were lined with brick walls since at least the [[Warring States period]] (481–221 BC).<ref name="guo 2004 12">Guo, Qinghua. "Tomb Architecture of Dynastic China: Old and New Questions," ''Architectural History'' (Volume 47, 2004): 1–24. Page 12.</ref>

===Religious===
{{See also|Temple (Chinese)}}
[[File:南禅寺大殿正面.jpg|thumb|[[Nanchan Temple (Wutai)]], built in the late 8th century during the [[Tang dynasty]]]]
[[File:佛光寺东大殿右侧面.jpg|thumb|A timber hall built in 857 during the [[Tang dynasty]], located at the Buddhist [[Foguang Temple]] of [[Mount Wutai]], Shanxi]]
Generally speaking, [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] architecture follows the imperial style. A large Buddhist monastery normally has a front hall, housing the statues of the [[Four Heavenly Kings]], followed by a great hall, housing statues of the [[Buddhahood|Buddhas]]. Accommodations are located at the two sides. Some of the greatest examples of this come from the 18th-century [[Puning Temple (Hebei)|Puning Temple]] and [[Putuo Zongcheng Temple]]. Buddhist monasteries sometimes also have [[pagoda]]s, which may house relics of the [[Gautama Buddha]]; older pagodas tend to be four-sided, while later pagodas usually have eight sides.

[[Daoism|Daoist]] architecture usually follows the commoners' style. The main entrance is, however, usually at the side, out of [[superstition]] about [[demon]]s that might try to enter the premise (see [[feng shui]].) In contrast to the Buddhists, in a [[Daoism|Daoist]] temple the main deity is located in the main hall at the front, with lesser deities in the back hall and at the sides. This is because Chinese people believe that even after the body has died, the soul is still alive. From the [[Han Chinese|Han]] grave design, it shows the forces of cosmic yin/yang, the two forces from the heaven and earth that create eternity.<ref>Suhadolnik, Nataša Vampelj (2011). ''Han Mural Tombs: Reflection of Correlative Cosmology through Mural Paintings'' (https://revije.ff.uni-lj.si/as/article/view/2870 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202043758/https://revije.ff.uni-lj.si/as/article/view/2870 |date=2 December 2017 }}). Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 License.</ref>

The tallest pre-modern building in China was built for both religious and martial purposes. The [[Liaodi Pagoda]] of 1055 AD stands at a height of {{convert|84|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and although it served as the crowning pagoda of the Kaiyuan monastery in old Dingzhou, [[Hebei]], it was also used as a military [[watchtower]] for [[Song dynasty]] soldiers to observe potential [[Liao dynasty]] troop movements.

The architecture of the [[List of mosques in China|mosques]] and ''[[Gongbei (Islamic architecture)|gongbei]]'' tomb shrines of [[Islam in China|Chinese Muslims]] often combines traditional Chinese styles with Middle Eastern influences. The royal and nonroyal tombs found in the third through sixth centuries traced back to [[Han dynasty tomb architecture|Han construction]]. Some tombs were considered two-chamber spaces, where the focal point was the central pagoda pillar. This focal point served as what Buddhist call a pagoda, which is a symbol of the Buddha and his death.<ref>{{Cite book |first=Adrian |last=Snodgrass |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1038479106 |title=The Symbolism of the Stupa. |date=2018 |publisher=Cornell University, Southeast Asia Program Publications |isbn=978-1-5017-1896-0 |oclc=1038479106}}</ref> The layout of such tombs has the corpse in the back chamber, as the pillar location indicated the Buddha's death. There would sometimes be interior tomb decoration to portray immortal or divine meaning.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Steinhardt |first=Nancy Shatzman |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1084458000 |title=Chinese architecture in an age of turmoil, 200–600 |date=2014 |isbn=978-0-8248-3823-2 |location=Honolulu |oclc=1084458000}}</ref>

Dome ceilings in the 4th and 7th centuries were representations of the heavens.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lehmann |first=Karl |date=March 1945 |title=The Dome of Heaven |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00043079.1945.11407667 |journal=The Art Bulletin |language=en |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=1–27 |doi=10.1080/00043079.1945.11407667 |issn=0004-3079|url-access=subscription }}</ref> This originates from Roman provincial art and ancient Egypt. As most of these representations are circular, other forms are present: dodecagon, octagonal, and square. Many caves in the 4th-7th centuries were probably carved throughout the Han and Tang period.

====Gallery====
<gallery widths="170" heights="170">
File:T'ang Architecture in the Mo-kao Fresco 2.jpg|Fresco from the Mogao Cave depicting typical Tang Dynasty architecture.
File:T'ang Architecture in the Mo-kao Fresco 1.jpg|Fresco from the Mogao Cave.
File:Mogao Cave 61, painting of Mount Wutai monasteries.jpg|English: A mural painting from Cave 61 at the Mogao Caves, depicting Tang dynasty monastic architecture from Mount Wutai.
File:Mount Tai.jpg|A group of temples at the top of [[Mount Tai]]shan, where structures have been built at the site since the 3rd century BC during the [[Han dynasty]]
File:Nanshan temple.JPG|Nanshan Temple in [[Longkou]], [[Shandong]].
File:Lianhuashan Temple.jpg|Lianhuashan (lit. "lotus flower mountain") Temple in [[Dalian]]
File:方塔2.JPG|[[Songjiang Square Pagoda]], built in the 11th century
File:Jiudingta 2008 07 15 1.jpg|The [[Nine Pinnacle Pagoda]], built in the 8th century during the [[Tang dynasty]]
File:Chinese-style minaret of the Great Mosque.jpg|A [[Chinese pavilion]] instead of a [[minaret]] at the [[Great Mosque of Xi'an]].
File:The Fugong Temple Wooden Pagoda.jpg|The [[Pagoda of Fogong Temple|Fogong Temple Pagoda]], located in Ying county, Shanxi province, built in 1056 during the [[Liao dynasty]], is the oldest existent fully wooden pagoda in China
File:ChinaTrip2005-110.jpg|The [[Giant Wild Goose Pagoda]] in [[Xi'an]], rebuilt in 704 during the [[Tang dynasty]]
File:Songyue Pagoda 1.JPG|The [[Songyue Pagoda]], built in 523 AD during the [[Northern and Southern dynasties]]
File:Liuhe Pagoda.jpg|The [[Liuhe Pagoda]] of [[Hangzhou]], China, built in 1165 AD during the [[Song dynasty]]
File:5741-Linxia-Huasi-Gongbei.jpg|Hua Si [[Gongbei (Islamic architecture)|Gongbei]] (the mausoleum of [[Ma Laichi]]) in [[Linxia City]], [[Gansu]]
File:Foguang temple.jpg|A timber hall built in 857 during the [[Tang dynasty]],<ref>Steinhardt (2004), 228–229.</ref> located at the Buddhist [[Foguang Temple]] in [[Mount Wutai]], [[Shanxi]]
File:Dingzhou Liaodi Pagoda 4.jpg|The [[Liaodi Pagoda]], the tallest pre-modern [[Chinese pagoda]], built in 1055 during the [[Song dynasty]]
</gallery>