The Chinese Dragon 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.
The Forbidden City is the imperial palace complex in the center of the Imperial City in Beijing,China. It was the residence of 24 Ming and Qing dynasty Emperors,and the center of political power in China for over 500 years from 1420 to 1924. The palace is now administered by the Palace Museum. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site,it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. The Forbidden City is arguably the most famous palace in all of Chinese history,and is the largest preserved royal palace complex still standing in the world.
The Temple of Heaven is a complex of imperial religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest. The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1998 and was described as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world's great civilizations..." as the "symbolic layout and design of the Temple of Heaven had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries."
Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest cultures,originating thousands of years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia with Sinosphere in whole and is extremely diverse,with customs and traditions varying greatly between counties,provinces,cities,towns. The terms 'China' and the geographical landmass of 'China' have shifted across the centuries,before the name 'China' became commonplace in modernity.
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.
Hutong are a type of narrow street or alley commonly associated with northern Chinese cities,especially Beijing.
A paifang,also known as a pailou,is a traditional style of Chinese architecture,often used in arch or gateway structures.
The Niujie Mosque is the oldest mosque in Beijing,China. It was first built in 996 during the Liao dynasty and was reconstructed as well as enlarged under the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty.
A siheyuan is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China,most famously in Beijing and rural Shanxi. Throughout Chinese history,the siheyuan composition was the basic pattern used for residences,palaces,temples,monasteries,family businesses,and government offices. In ancient times,a spacious siheyuan would be occupied by a single,usually large and extended family,signifying wealth and prosperity. Today,remaining siheyuan are often still used as subdivided housing complexes,although many lack modern amenities.
Lotus Pond is an artificial lake and popular tourist destination on the east side of Zuoying District in Kaohsiung,Taiwan. Opened in 1951,it is famous for the lotus plants on the lake and the numerous temples around the lake,including the Spring and Autumn Pavilions (春秋閣),the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (龍虎塔),and the Confucian Temple (孔廟).
A ruyi is a Chinese curved decorative object that serves as either a ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism or a talisman symbolizing power and good fortune in Chinese folklore. The "ruyi" image frequently appears as a motif in Asian art.
The Taotie is an ancient Chinese mythological creature that was commonly emblazoned on bronze and other artifacts during the 1st millennium BC. Taotie are one of the "four evil creatures of the world". In Chinese classical texts such as the "Classic of Mountains and Seas",the fiend is named alongside the Hundun,Qiongqi,and Taowu.
Huabiao is a type of ceremonial column used in traditional Chinese architecture. Huabiao are traditionally erected in pairs in front of palaces and tombs. The prominence of their placement have made them one of the emblems of traditional Chinese culture. When placed outside palaces,they can also be called bangmu. When placed outside a tomb,they can also be called shendaozhu.
Ancient Chinese urban planning encompasses the diverse set of cultural beliefs,social and economic structures,and technological capacities that influenced urban design in the early period of Chinese civilization. Factors that have shaped the development of Chinese urbanism include:fengshui,and astronomy;the well-field system;the cosmological belief that Heaven is round,and the Earth is square,the concept of qi;political power shared between a ruling house and educated advisers;the holy place bo;a three-tiered economic system under state control;early writing;and the walled capital city as a diagram of political power.
Mount Ni is a hill about 30 km (19 mi) to the southeast of the city of Qufu in Shandong Province,China. The hill is culturally significant because it is traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Confucius. It is also the site of a historical temple dedicated to Shuliang He,the father of Confucius,a Confucian academy,and the Yusheng Memorial Temple. In 2016,a statue of Confucius was completed on the Mount. Standing at 72 meters,it is the tallest statue of Confucius in the world.
The que is a freestanding,ceremonial gate tower in traditional Chinese architecture. First developed in the Zhou dynasty,que towers were used to form ceremonial gateways to tombs,palaces and temples throughout pre-modern China down to the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). The use of que gateways reached its peak during the Han dynasty,and today they can often be seen as a component of an architectural ensemble at the graves of high officials during China's Han dynasty. There are also some que found in front of temples. Richly decorated,they are among the most valuable surviving relics of the sculpture and architecture of that period.
Fu was a tally,which was used as a proof of authorization in ancient China,which typically consists of two parts. Generals would use the fu as an imperial authorization for troop movements and for other purposes while amongst the populace,it was used as a proof of authorization for goods exchanges or for leases. The official fu was made of bamboo,wood,metal or jade. Although it could be made in various shapes,most of them come in the shape of a tiger.
A Nine-Dragon Wall or Nine-Dragon Screen is a type of screen wall with reliefs of nine different Chinese dragons. Such walls are typically found in imperial Chinese palaces and gardens.
Chinese auspicious ornaments in textile and clothing refers to any form of Chinese auspicious ornaments,which are used to decorate various forms of Chinese textile and clothing,fashion accessories,and footwear in China since the ancient times. Chinese auspicious ornaments form part of Chinese culture and hold symbolic meanings. In ancient China,auspicious ornaments were often either embroidered or woven into textile and clothing. They are also used on religious and ritual clothing and in Xifu,Chinese opera costumes. Auspicious symbols and motifs continue to be used in present-day China in industries,such as home textiles and clothing;they are also used in modern design packaging and interior design. Some of these Chinese auspicious ornaments were also adopted by European countries during the era of Chinoiserie,where they became decorative patterns on fashionable chinoiserie fashion and textiles.
Beijing Siheyuan is a type of Siheyuan building located in Beijing,China. As Beijing is the birthplace of Siheyuan,Beijing-style Siheyuan is the most numerous and typical one among all variants. In addition,its distribution density is very high in Beijing,so when people mention Siheyuan,they usually refer to Beijing Siheyuan. Siheyuan has now become the most representative architectural feature of Beijing's traditional culture and folk customs,along with Hutong。
