The Forbidden City (five books on ancient architecture in Beijing)

The traditional Chinese Architecture Series - five books on ancient architecture in Beijing

Language: English

Publishing Date: 2012

Pages: 375

Size: 16 K


There are causes and effects behind the trends of all ages, which seem to contain unavoidable factors. Fortunately, in our times, an awareness of national culture has grown in China as well. And it is in the modern spirit of pursuing scholarly studies to collect material objects and do research about the past Efforts should be made today to seek new development in the bloodstream of tradition.

As Chinese buildings represent a kind of engineering technology that lasted for over two thousand years, they form an independent art system. The Chinese culture finds its expression in many buildings, which constitute a large portion of the Chinese art legacy. We must respect the brilliant ancient Chinese culture, we cannot afford to neglect researching the history of these Chinese buildings if we are determined to rejuvenate our nation and carefully sort out and protect the cultural relics of our past generations.

If we attempt to awaken society by providing objective academic research, we can contribute to protecting cultural relics and can gradually reduce the damage to them. Even if such a work is a force against the trend of times, there must be no delay, as it is similar to rescuing valuable articles and precious paintings from a raging fire. It is a sacred duty to cherish and protect these valuable Chinese cultural relics.

——Liang Sicheng

 

Content:

Illustrating the Layout of the Forbldden City

Before tbe Forbidden City/6

[1] The Takeover/8

[2] Book of Experiences/18

[3] Direct Models of the Forbidden City in Beijing/26

[4] Zhu Di's Plan/34

The Ideal City/38

[1] ATheory/40

[2] A Set of Grids/51

[3] Calculation and Collation/58

The Vicissitudes of the Ideal City/68

[1] The Young Emperor's Task/70

[2] The Old Man's Foresight/91

My Quatrevingt-treize/104

[1] Structures According to Mr. Zhao/106

[2] Construction According to Another Mr. Zhao/109

The Hall of Supreme Harmony, a Double-eave Principal Hall/114

[1] Two Groups of Troublesome Data/116

[2] ACoincidental Square?/125

[3] Why 7.459 zhang?/129

[4] Liang Jiu's Mistake?/i33

The Hall of Exuberance Flower, a Single-ease Hall/139

[l] 1/4zhang/140

[2] 1/4chi/144

[3] 1/4cun/148

The Pavilion of Embodying Benevolence and the Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness, Iwo Han-style Pavilions/152

[1] ZhangXisheng/156

[2] Zhang Xisheng's Design of Pavilion of Embodying Benevolence/160

[3] Zhang Xisheng didn't Know Much about Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness/166

Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers, a Tibetan-style Pavillion/174

[1] On the Tibetan Style/176

[2] The Structure and Decoration of the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers/184

The Corner Tower/194

[1] Design Starts from the Plan: Comer Cross/196

[2] The Expression of the Pediment of the Comer Tower/204

From the Old House of Nurgaci to the Palace of Earthly Iranqutlity 222

[1] 1587/224

[2] 1627/228

[3] 1656/230

The Hall of Mental Cultivation 232

[1] The hnperial Kitchen, the Bed Chalnber, the Classroom and the Household Workshop/234

[2] A Place for Industrious Reign/240

[3] The Owner Has the Say/246

['4] Regency and Emperorhood/251

From Banmu Yuan to Juanqin Zhai 256

[1] Banmu Yuan, the Half-Acre Garden/258

[2] Studio of Esteemed Excellence/263

[3] Juanqin Zhai, the Studio of Exhaustion of Diligent Service/267

Studio of Cleansing Fragrance 272

[1] "The Present Cannot be Compared with the Past"/274

[2] Those Enclosed Small Chalnbers/280

[3] Unveiling the lnterior Theatre/283

Paxvlion of Met Expectations/286

[1] Ambiguity of the "Bright Hail"/288

[2] LiZhiying/294

[3] Handicraft in South China/298

Palace for Nurturing Joy/306

[1] Its Present Conditions/308

[2] The Labyrinth Was Not Built in A Day/312

[3] Not A Labyrinth at First/320

Palace of Peaceful Longevity 1 324

[1] The Forty Happy Years of the Qianlong's Mother/328

[2] The Renovation Long Awaited by Emperor Jiaqing/332

[3] The Owner Reluctant to Move into the Palace/336

From Palace of Eternal Spring to the

Palace of Accumulated Purity/342

[1] The Heritage of Emperor Xianfeng/344

[2] The Balance Between the Eastern Palace and the Western Palace/351

[3] The Lost Theatre/354

List of Illustrations/362