| Paifang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Paifang in Shunfengshan Park in Foshan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 牌坊 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | memorial archway gate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Pailou | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 牌楼 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 牌樓 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | memorial archway edifice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A paifang,also known as a pailou,is a traditional style of Chinese architecture,often used in arch or gateway structures.
The word paifang (Chinese :牌坊; pinyin :páifāng) was originally a collective term for the top two levels of administrative division and subdivisions of ancient Chinese cities. The largest division within a city in ancient China was a fang (坊;fāng),equivalent to a current day ward. [1] Each fang was enclosed by walls or fences,and the gates of these enclosures were shut and guarded every night. Each fang was further divided into several pai (牌;pái;'placard'),which is equivalent to a current day (unincorporated) community. Each pai,in turn,contained an area including several hutongs (alleyways).
This system of urban administrative division and subdivision reached an elaborate level during the Tang dynasty,and continued in the following dynasties. For example,during the Ming dynasty,Beijing was divided into a total of 36 fangs. Originally,the word paifang referred to the gate of a fang and the marker for an entrance of a building complex or a town;but by the Song dynasty,a paifang had evolved into a purely decorative monument.
During the Tang dynasty,it was called a wutoumen (烏頭門;wūtóumén;'black top gate'),because the top of the two posts were painted black. A wutoumen was reserved for officials of rank 6 or higher.
The construction of wutomen was standardized in the Yingzao Fashi of the mid Song dynasty. [2] It consisted of two posts and a horizontal beam forming a frame and two doors. By the Ming and Qing dynasties,it was called a pailou or paifang,and evolved into a more elaborate structure with more posts and gates,with a superstructural gable on top;the highest rank was a five gate-six post-eleven gable pailou.
It has been theorized that the paifang gate architecture was influenced by Buddhist torana temple gates. [3] [4] Paifang have traditional Chinese architectural characteristics such as multi-tiered roofs,various supporting posts,and archway-shapes of traditional gates and towers. [5] [6]
Paifang come in a number of forms. One form involves placing wooden pillars onto stone bases,which are bound together with wooden beams. This type of paifang is always beautifully decorated,with the pillars usually painted in red,the beams decorated with intricate designs and Chinese calligraphy,and the roof covered with coloured tiles,complete with mythical beasts—just like a Chinese palace. Another form of paifang is in the form of true archways made of stone or bricks;the walls may be painted,or decorated with coloured tiles;the top of the archways is decorated like their wooden counterparts. Yet another form of paifang,built mainly on religious and burial grounds,consists of plain white stone pillars and beams,with neither roof tiles nor any coloured decoration,but feature elaborate carvings created by master masons. Another form is in the Han dynasty style,and is two matching towers,such as in Beihai.
Outside of China,the paifang has long been the symbol of Chinatowns. The largest outside of China is in the United States: Friendship Archway at 14.50 m (47 ft 7 in) tall and 23 m (75 ft) wide,completed in 1986 at H and 7th in Washington D.C.'s Chinatown. [7] In Europe,the largest paifang spans Nelson Street in Liverpool,completed in 2000 and standing 13.5 m (44 ft) tall. [8] The first paifang in the United States was raised in 1915 as a temporary installation for the Chinese pavilion of the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, [9] and the oldest still standing was erected in 1938 for Los Angeles,Chinatown West Gate on Hill Street; [10] it was listed as a city Historic-Cultural Monument (#825) along with its counterpart,Chinatown East Gate (1939,#826) in November 2005. [11] The paifang at the entrance to Ottawa's Chinatown was decorated by Chinese artists using Chinese materials and techniques. [12]
In the past,"Chastity Paifang" were given to widows who remained unmarried till death,praising what was seen as loyalty to their deceased husbands.[ citation needed ]
A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path;But other terms include yett and port. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall or fence,rather than a barrier which closed it. Gates may prevent or control the entry or exit of individuals,or they may be merely decorative. The moving part or parts of a gateway may be considered "doors",as they are fixed at one side whilst opening and closing like one.
A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine,where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred,and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to travel through.
A torana is a free-standing ornamental or arched gateway for ceremonial purposes in Hindu,Buddhist and Jain architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Toranas can also be widely seen in Southeast Asia and parts of East Asia. Chinese Shanmen gateways,Japanese torii gateways,Korean Iljumun and Hongsalmun gateways,Vietnamese Tam quan gateways,and Thai Sao Ching Cha were derived from the Indian torana. They are also referred to as vandanamalikas.
Indian architecture is rooted in the history,culture,and religion of India. Among several architectural styles and traditions,the best-known include the many varieties of Hindu temple architecture and Indo-Islamic architecture,especially Rajput architecture,Mughal architecture,South Indian architecture,and Indo-Saracenic architecture. Early Indian architecture was made from wood,which did not survive due to rotting and instability in the structures. Instead,the earliest existing architecture are made with Indian rock-cut architecture,including many Buddhist,Hindu,and Jain temples.
Chinese architecture is the embodiment of an architectural style that has developed over millennia in China and has influenced architecture throughout East Asia. Since its emergence during the early ancient era,the structural principles of its architecture have remained largely unchanged. The main changes involved diverse decorative details. Starting with the Tang dynasty,Chinese architecture has had a major influence on the architectural styles of neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan,Korea,Vietnam,and Mongolia in addition to minor influences on the architecture of Southeast and South Asia including the countries of Malaysia,Singapore,Indonesia,Sri Lanka,Thailand,Laos,Cambodia,and the Philippines.
The Longxing Monastery or Longxing Temple is an ancient Buddhist monastery located in the town of Zhengding in Hebei Province,China,approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of the provincial capital of Shijiazhuang. It has been referred to as the "Best Temple south of Beijing".
Thian Hock Keng,is a temple built for the worship of Mazu,a Chinese sea goddess,located in Singapore. It is the oldest and most important temple of the Hokkien (Hoklo) people in the country. Another shrine at the back is Buddhist dedicated to Guanyin,the Mahayana Buddhist bodhisattva of mercy.
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.
The architecture of the Song dynasty (960–1279) was noted for its towering Buddhist pagodas,enormous stone and wooden bridges,lavish tombs,and extravagant palaces. Although literary works on architecture existed beforehand,architectural writing blossomed during the Song dynasty,maturing into a more professional form that described dimensions and working materials in a concise,organized manner. In addition to the examples still standing,depictions in Song artwork,architectural drawings,and illustrations in published books all aid modern historians in understanding the architecture of the period.
The Yingzao Fashi is a technical treatise on architecture and craftsmanship written by the Chinese author Li Jie,the Directorate of Buildings and Construction during the mid Song Dynasty of China. He revised many older treatises on architecture from 1097 to 1100. By 1100,he had completed his own architectural work,which he presented to Emperor Zhezong of Song. The emperor's successor,Emperor Huizong of Song,had the book published in 1103 to provide architectural standards for builders,architects,literate craftsmen,and the engineering agencies of the central government. Li Jie was then made the Director of Palace Buildings. Thereafter,Li helped oversee the construction of administrative offices,palace apartments,gates and gate-towers,the ancestral temple of the Song Dynasty,along with numerous Buddhist temples.
Ancient Chinese wooden architecture is a style of Chinese architecture. In the West it has been studied less than other architectural styles. Although Chinese architectural history reaches far back in time,descriptions of Chinese architecture are often confined to the well known Forbidden City with little else explored by the West. Although common features of Chinese architecture have been unified into a vocabulary illustrating uniquely Chinese forms and methods,until recently data has not been available. Because of the lack of knowledge of the roots of Chinese architecture,the descriptions of its elements are often translated into Western terms and architectural theory,losing their unique Chinese meanings. A cause of this deficiency is that the two most important Chinese government architecture manuals,the Song dynasty Yingzao Fashi and Qing Architecture Standards have never been translated into any Western language.
Chiwen is an roof ornamental motif in traditional Chinese architecture and art. Chiwen is also the name of a Chinese dragon that mixes features of a fish,and in Chinese mythology is one of the nine sons of the dragon,which are also used as imperial roof decorations. As architectural ornaments or waterspouts,they are comparable with Western gargoyles,but are not related to the mythological character.
The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is a Buddhist temple and museum complex located in the Chinatown district of Singapore. The temple's monastics and devotees officially practice Chinese Buddhism.
Architecture of Jiangxi refers to the traditional masonry houses,residential compounds,monuments,and academies built in Jiangxi of East China.
The Davao Chinatown,also known as Davao China Street,Davao City Chinatown,or Mindanao Chinatown,is a Chinatown located in Davao City and the only one on Mindanao island in the Philippines. It is the primary residential and trading area of the Chinese-Filipino community in the city. The area is bordered by Santa Ana Avenue,Monteverde Avenue,Ramón Magsaysay Street,and León García Street. Dubbed as the Philippines' largest Chinatown,it has a total land area of 44 hectares,comprising four barangays.
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Media related to Paifang at Wikimedia Commons