The Chinese Dragon, also known as the loong, long or lung, is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture at large. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. Academicians have identified four reliable theories on the origin of the Chinese dragon: snakes, Chinese alligators, thunder worship and nature worship. They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water.
Tang dynasty art refers to Chinese art created during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The period saw significant advancements in arts such as painting, sculpture, calligraphy, music, dance, and literature. During the Tang dynasty, the capital city Chang'an, was the most populous city in the known world, and the era is generally regarded by historians as a high point in Chinese civilization and a golden age of Chinese literature and art.
Chinese imperial roof decorations or roof charms or roof-figures or "walking beasts" or "crouching beasts" were statuettes placed along the ridge line of official buildings of the Chinese empire. Only official buildings were permitted to use such roof decorations.
The Tanzhe Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in the Western Hills, a mountainous area in western Beijing. At one time, it was one of the most important temples in the nation. The temple is located near China National Highway 108 in the Mentougou District of Beijing.
A paifang, also known as a pailou, is a traditional style of Chinese architecture, often used in arch or gateway structures.
Caihua, or "colour painting", is the traditional Chinese decorative painting or polychrome used for architecture and one of the most notable and important features of historical Chinese architecture. It held a significant artistic and practical role within the development of East-Asian architecture, as Caihua served not only decoration but also protection of the predominantly wooden architecture from various seasonal elements and hid the imperfections of the wood itself. The use of different colours or paintings would be according to the particular building functions and local regional customs, as well as historical periods. The choice of colours and symbology are based on traditional Chinese philosophies of the Five Elements and other ritualistic principles. The Caihua is often separated into three layer structures; timber or lacquer layer, plaster layer, and pigment layer.
Jiaolong or jiao is a dragon in Chinese mythology, often defined as a "scaled dragon"; it is hornless according to certain scholars and said to be aquatic or river-dwelling. It may have referred to a species of crocodile.
A Shachihoko (鯱・鯱鉾) – or simply Shachi (鯱) – is a sea monster in Japanese folklore with the head of a dragon and the body of a carp covered entirely in black or grey scales. According to the tale, Shachihoko lives in the cold northern ocean. Its broad fin and tails always point up toward heaven, and its dorsal fins have numerous sharp spikes. It can swallow a massive amount of water and hold it in its belly, as well as summon clouds and control the rain. Although believed to come from the sea, they are often constructed high on the roof standing upside down.
Glazed tiles have been used in China since the Tang Dynasty as a material for roofs. During the Song Dynasty, the manufacture of glazed tiles were standardized in Li Jie's Architecture Standard. In the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, glazed tiles became ever more popular for top-tier buildings, including palace halls in the Forbidden City, and ceremonial temples.
Nanchan Temple is a Buddhist temple located near the town of Doucun on Mount Wutai, Shanxi, China. Nanchan Temple was built in 782 during China's Tang dynasty, and its Great Buddha Hall is currently China's oldest preserved timber building extant, as wooden buildings are often prone to fire and various destruction. Not only is Nanchan Temple an important architectural site, but it also contains an original set of artistically important Tang sculptures dating from the period of its construction. Seventeen sculptures share the hall's interior space with a small stone pagoda.
Chi means either "a hornless dragon" or "a mountain demon" in Chinese mythology. Hornless dragons were a common motif in ancient Chinese art, and the chiwen 螭吻 was an imperial roof decoration in traditional Chinese architecture.
The East Asian hip-and-gable roof also known as 'resting hill roof', consists of a hip roof that slopes down on all four sides and integrates a gable on two opposing sides. It is usually constructed with two large sloping roof sections in the front and back respectively, while each of the two sides is usually constructed with a smaller roof section.
Vietnamese architecture is the architectural style used in Vietnam through the process of historical development and the absorption and integration of regional and international architectures. Vietnamese architecture is reflected in the works from đình, shrines, temples, nhà thờ họ, citadels, palaces and housing architecture.
The Former Residence of the Weng Clan is located on the Weng Lane, Changshu, Jiangsu Province, China. It is a typical example of the gentry maisons in the regions south of the Yangtze River. The house was listed as a municipal cultural relics protection unit in 1982 with the name "the Former Residence of Wen Xincun". Its main hall, called "Caiyi Hall" (彩衣堂), was listed into the fourth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units in 2001 and is now open to the public as the Memorial of Weng Tonghe.
The nine sons of the dragon are Chinese dragons who are the mythological sons of the Dragon King. There are many variations in the different descriptions of the nine sons, including in basic facts like their names, but all versions state that there are nine.
Hokkien architecture, also called Hoklo architecture or Minnan architecture, refers to the architectural style of the Hoklo people, a Han Chinese sub-group who have historically been the dominant demographic of the Southern Chinese province of Fujian ,and Taiwan, Singapore. This style shares many similarities with those of surrounding Han Chinese groups. There are, however, several features that are unique or mostly unique to Hoklo-made buildings, making many traditional buildings in Hokkien and Taiwan visually distinctive from those outside the region.
Daci'en Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Yanta District, Xi'an, Shaanxi. The temple is the cradle of East Asian Yogācāra in China. It is notable for the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. The pagoda was originally built by the monk Xuanzang, whose pilgrimage to India inspired the novel Journey to the West. Alongside Daxingshan Temple and Jianfu Temple, it was one of the three sutras translation sites (三大译经场) in the Tang dynasty.
Longshan Temple is a Buddhist temple located on the foot of Mount Long in Anhai Town of Jinjiang, Fujian, China. The eldest thing in the temple is the statue of Thousand-armed and eyed Guanyin, which was supposed carved by ancient Indian monk Yilisha (一粒沙). It was transformed and expanded many times throughout Chinese history until now. There are dozens of which are built after the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Longshan Temple is the ancestral temple of 400 Buddhist temples with the same name in Taiwan.
Huayan Temple or Huayan Monastery is a Buddhist temple located in Datong, Shanxi, China.
Huadian, also known as huazi, mianhua, meizi, plum blossom makeup or plum makeup or Shouyang makeup, is a form of traditional Chinese women ornamental forehead makeup, which is located between the eyebrows and sometimes on the cheeks, the temples, and the dimples. According to a folklore legend, the huadian in floral shape originated in the Southern dynasty period; its creation is attributed to Princess Shouyang, a daughter of Emperor Wu of Liu Song. However, the origins of the huadian can be traced back earlier than the folklore legends to the Qin and Han dynasties, and even in the pre-Qin period with its customs arising as early as the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period based on archaeological artifacts and studies. Its origins has no connection with the diandan, i.e. Baihao, found on the middle forehead of Buddha statue. The huadian was also popular among Tang and Song dynasties' women. The popularity of the huadian declined in the Yuan dynasty. The huadian forms an integral part of Chinese clothing culture. In present days, huadian is often combined with the wearing of hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han Chinese.
