Editing Chinese architecture (section)

===Bilateral symmetry===
[[File:Beautiful Scene of the Square Pot.jpg|thumb|300px|The Wonderland of Fanghu in the Old Summer Palace.It was destroyed by Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. (Fanghu is one of the wonderlands on the sea in Chinese myths. It is the same as Fangzhang. "方壶", 同"方丈", 是中国传说中海上三仙山之一.)]]
[[File:故宫午门 - panoramio (2).jpg|thumb|300px|The Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City]]
An important feature in Chinese architecture is its emphasis on [[articulation (architecture)|articulation]] and [[bilateral symmetry]], which there signifies balance. These are found everywhere in Chinese architecture, from palace complexes to humble farmhouses.<ref name=KnappEA>{{Citation| first = Ronald G. |last= Knapp |year=2006 |title=Chinese Houses: The Architectural Heritage of a Nation |publisher=Tuttle Publishing | isbn=978-0-8048-3537-4}}</ref> Secondary elements are positioned on either side of the main structures as wings to maintain overall symmetry. Buildings are typically planned to contain an even number of columns to produce an odd number of bays (間). Placing the main door in the center bay maintains symmetry.

In contrast to buildings, Chinese gardens tend to be asymmetrical. Gardens are designed to provide enduring flow.<ref>{{citation |title=Ming Furniture in the Light of Chinese Architecture |first=Sarah |last=Handler |publisher=Ten Speed Press |date=January 19, 2005}}</ref> The design of the classic Chinese garden is based on the ideology of "Nature and Man in One", as opposed to the home itself, which shows the human sphere co-existing with, but separate from nature. The intent is that people feel surrounded by, and in harmony with, nature. The two essential garden elements are stones and water. The stones signify the pursuit of immortality, while water represents emptiness and existence. The mountain belongs to ''yang'' (static beauty), and the water belongs to ''yin'' (dynamic wonder). They depend on each other and complete each other.<ref>Cui, Huaizu, and Qingqing Hu (2015), ''Creation and Appreciation of "Nature and Man in One" and Chinese Classic Beauty of Garden – Taking the Suzhou classic garden as an example'', (https://www.shs-conferences.org/articles/shsconf/abs/2015/04/shsconf_icmetm2015_02001/shsconf_icmetm2015_02001.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180602185601/https://www.shs-conferences.org/articles/shsconf/abs/2015/04/shsconf_icmetm2015_02001/shsconf_icmetm2015_02001.html |date=2 June 2018 }}). Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.</ref>