Archive January 27, 2020

Chinese Wooden Architecture, One of the Three Greatest Architectural Systems

Ancient Chinese architecture is a beautiful gem as well as an integral part of Chinese culture. It is also one of the three greatest architectural systems in the world, the other two being European and Arabic architecture.

The main differences between Chinese traditional architecture and other parts of the world lie in the building materials. While most ancient Western buildings were constructed with stones, ancient Chinese people simply loved wooden architectures. Particularly, the load-bearing timber-framed structures stand out as the most distinctive symbol of the traditional Chinese architectural culture.

According to archaeological discoveries, Chinese people began to develop this unique construction style as early as more than 5,000 years ago. Generations after generations and dynasties after dynasties, Chinese carpenters and artisans had ingeniously invented a great number of wooden components to build flexible and earthquake-resistant structures for durable dwellings, magnificent temples and grandiose palaces.

Dougong(斗拱), Bracket set

Dougong, or bracket set, is not only a unique structural element, but also one of the most important members in traditional Chinese architecture.

Thanks to the interlocking wooden bracket, the eaves of some buildings could project out as far as more than 4 meters, thus providing vital protection for the wooden structure and mud walls from weather damage.

The bracket sets also provide a vertical support for the uplifted roof edges, or the so-called flying eaves, designed to let light penetrate into the interior of a building.

Most monumental buildings in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) employed a big number of large Dougong to support projecting and flying eaves.

Apart from its practical function, Dougong had also been used in ancient Chinese architecture for its ornamental appeal. Usually, the more important the building was, the more complex the Dougong would be.

Wujia(屋架), Truss

Wujia, or truss, is a framework of beams, rafters and posts forming a structure to support a roof. In ancient China, trusses were almost always made of wood.

Over thousands of years, Chinese trusses slowly developed distinct features. Chinese wooden trusses were mostly rectangular with tenon-and-mortise works and bracket sets while Western countries usually built triangular trusses.

Typically, ancient Chinese roofs were supported by beams and pillars rather than walls. Due to semi-rigid tenon-and-mortise works, such frameworks were better at shock absorption, which made such buildings safer in the event of an earthquake.

The former used two or more levels of post and lintel structure to uphold the roof and the latter used square logs to bind together pillars and posts to provide support to the roof.

The post-and-lintel construction was widely applied in official buildings, temples and folk houses in the northern part of the country, while the post-and-baulk construction was often seen in the south.

However, sometimes, both wooden roof trusses were used in the same building.

Zaojing(藻井), Caisson Ceiling

As a distinctive architectural feature of temples or palaces in ancient China, Zaojing, or caisson ceiling, is an ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling or dome.

Using mainly the mechanism of Dougong (bracket set), the caisson is built with multiple interlocking layers of wood structural members. They are always richly carved, decorated or painted and appear in shapes such as square, circle, hexagon and sometimes a combination of these shapes.

As a symbol of sanctity, the caisson is always located directly above the most important part of a temple or palace, such as the throne or an altar. So, the center of a caisson is often decorated with bas-relief carving or painting of dragons or other sacred creatures.

Apart from its function for decoration, the caisson ceiling also represents one of the 28 lunar mansions in the Chinese constellations system, which is in charge of water. Since most ancient Chinese buildings were built with wood, the owners wished to have a virtual water source in the building to prevent fire hazards.

So, often one can find caisson ceilings in ancient Chinese buildings decorated with carvings or paintings of aquatic plants, such as lotus and water chestnuts.

Today, some most representative ancient Chinese wooden architectures are still in existence. For instance, Yingxian Wooden Pagoda or Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple in northern China’s Shanxi Province is the oldest and highest surviving all-wood tower. Also, the Forbidden City in Beijing is the largest wooden architectural complex in the world.

 

 

Tianhe Pool Scenic Area, Full of Beautiful Natural Scenery

The tianhechi scenic area, 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) southwest of guiyang city, guizhou province, is made up of waterfalls, crystal springs, deep pools, stone Bridges and grotesque caves. This is a typical cave, stone curtain with a lot of stalagmites, stalactites and stone columns. It covers 15 square kilometers (5.8 square miles). The scenic spot is an excellent tourist destination, full of beautiful natural scenery and cultural displays.

Tianhechi scenic area was originally a large hole, pool bottom water. There are clear rivers, hidden caves, silos, cliffs and stone Bridges in the scenic area, which can be divided into three parts: water cave, dry cave and outside scenic area.

The tunnel is 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) long, 80 meters (262.5 feet) wide at its widest point and 20 meters (65.6 feet) narrow at its narrowest point. You can visit the water cave by boat. Boating and enjoying the journey from the light outside to the darkness inside and back into the sun is a wonderful experience for visitors. It is recommended to use a flashlight because the inside of the cave is quite dark. Outside, under the water hole, is wolverhampton lake, where you can see all kinds of farm equipment, such as water trucks in a farmhouse. In the tianhechi scenic area, caves and green vegetation can be seen everywhere.

Water hole is near the tianhechi scenic area of the dry hole. Just in front of these two caves is a deep pool surrounded by cliffs. The arid cave is made up of three layers, with a total length of 200 meters (656.2 feet). Of the three, the third is the most dangerous. Here, a stone bridge spans two cliffs. This is called the inner river bridge, under which is a bottomless pit. To the right of the dry cave exit is a miao village. Visitors can experience a local miao wedding there.

This area is a great place for tourists from home and abroad to enjoy the wonders of the beautiful lakes, hills, caves and karst peaks. This is a must-see in guiyang. Also, if you want to experience more of the countryside, you can take a horse or ox carriage to the scenic spot.

Qingyan Ancient Town, the Most Famous Historical Town in Guizhou

Qingyan ancient town, located in the southern suburb of guiyang, is one of the famous historical and cultural cities in guizhou province. Founded in 1378, qingyan is an ancient town covering an area of 300 hectares (740 acres). Today, due to its long history and strong cultural atmosphere, the town has become an attractive destination for many domestic and foreign tourists.

Qingyan town was built in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) for military reasons. Because of its location, zhu yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, established it as a place to convey military messages and accommodate standing armies. After years of modification and restoration, qingyan ancient town gradually became an ancient town with cultural characteristics of the Ming and qing dynasties (1644-1911).

Although the ancient town of qingyan is small in area, it has a reasonable architectural style, hundreds of ruins and profound cultural deposits.

Due to the local geological conditions, qingyan ancient town is built entirely of stone. Visitors will be able to see the spectacular walls built on the cliffs, where huge rocks divide the bluestone into inner and outer parts. There were four doors on the wall, facing north, south, east and west. Beyond the four gates, there are originally eight stone tablets, which are considered to be the symbol of qingyan ancient town. Of the eight pieces, three have elaborate sculptures on each surface. One of the most famous is zhao ethics-baisui (longevity star) fang.

Walking into the inner city, visitors are sure to marvel at the ancient buildings. Monasteries, temples, pavilions, caves, courtyards, palaces and more than 30 kinds. They were all designed by highly skilled architects in the Ming and qing dynasties. The stone carvings of ciyun temple, the wood carvings of shou Buddha temple and other exquisite items are worth a look. You can visit the old commercial street and enjoy the elegant classical wooden houses. If you like, go to those teahouses and sample some of the famous local snacks, such as smoked tofu, rice tofu and brown sugar.

It is also rich in religious culture, including Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism and Christianity. If you are interested in Buddhism, you can take this opportunity to learn the typical buddhist culture here. At the same time, you will also be impressed by the Taoist way of speaking. What’s more, you’d be surprised how many of its residents are Catholic and Christian, since Catholicism was introduced by a French priest in 1851 and Christianity nearly 70 years ago. When traveling there, visitors will hear stories of many historical figures who were born or lived here. The first “no.1 scholar” in guizhou in qing dynasty was Mr. Zhao yijiong, who was born and raised in qingyan town. Dr. Sun yat-sen’s general secretary, Mr. Chang pinggang, was a countryman of qingyan town.

Qianling Hill Park, a 4A National Tourist Attraction

Located 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) from downtown guiyang, qianlingshan park covers an area of 426 hectares (1,052.7 acres). It was built in 1957, is the city’s only large park, is a national 4A tourist attractions. The name comes from qianling mountain in the park, the most famous mountain in southern guizhou. It is one of the most famous gardens on the guizhou plateau, with clear lakes, green mountains, tranquil forests and ancient temples. The main attractions are: sanling bay, rhesus monkey park, hongfu temple, qilin cave, zoo, qianling lake, erba wind and rain bridge and winding mountain road.

Founded in 1667, it is the largest buddhist zen temple in guizhou province. It is characterized by solemnity. Hongfu means to carry forward Buddha’s virtue and benefit mankind. It is now one of 142 key temple scenic spots in China and a key cultural relic protection unit in guizhou province.

“Hongfu” means “good luck” in Chinese, and given the temple’s history, it’s a fitting name. In 1672, the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) monk ji song established the temple. It had a poor start, just a small hut, but kishon was determined to turn it into a sacred shrine, and through his insistence, many local officials gave it their support. The temple in time is when you visit the temple in qianlingshan park, upon entering the gate, you will first see the bell tower and drum tower on both sides. Weighing more than 3,000 jin (about 3,300 pounds), the bell was cast during the Ming dynasty in 1469.

Enter the first hall, the temple of the heavenly king, and you can see the statues of maitreya and the four heavenly Kings. Its walls are also covered with buddhist scriptures and large paintings. The second main hall is the guanyin bodhisattva hall and the thirty-two arms hall. In the third hall known as the main hall, there are such gold-plated statues as sakyamuni and eight arhats. There is also a jade Buddha statue from yangon, the capital of myanmar. It is 1.5 meters (4.92 feet) tall and weighs 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds). Carved from fine jade, the statue looks both benevolent and solemn, and stands alongside a dozen other jade statues of bodhisattvas and maitreya.

In addition to these ornate halls, the temple is also decorated with galleries, pools and springs of high artistic value. In recent years, many famous people have visited the temple and, in accordance with Chinese tradition, left poems praising the inspiring building and its setting. Strolling through the temple complex, you can enjoy the tranquil surroundings while recalling its glorious past.

Nanjiang Grand Canyon in Kaiyang County

The nanjiang grand canyon is located in kaiyang county, 54 kilometers (34 miles) from guiyang city. Here, visitors can see the unique karst landscape, with views of more than 80 natural landscapes and 40 waterfalls. The canyon stretches for more than 40 kilometers (25 miles) and reaches a depth of 398 meters (1,306 feet). Birds and 36 species of animals live in harmony in pristine forests and on steep cliffs. Here, canoeing down the river is a must.

The starting point is near the gate, and you’ll pass most of the sights along the way. There are two rafting options: the entire rafting route ends at yuanyang lake, while the shorter route ends halfway at caozi pool. If you choose the latter, you’ll need to walk another three kilometers (two miles) along the feilong plank road to yuanyang lake. If you’re not a rafting enthusiast, you can take a free shuttle bus to the main section of the nanjiang grand canyon at the entrance to start your rafting trip.

This is your first attraction at the nanjiang grand canyon. Part of the cliff extends out, making it a natural pavilion on the river. A small waterfall runs down the cliff, like a curtain of pearls hanging from a pavilion.

This is the largest and best protected travertine waterfall in Asia, with a height of 16 meters (52 feet). It is called the admiralty bell because people can hear the bell when they knock on the rock. Yuanyang lake in the nanjiang grand canyon stretches for eight kilometers (five miles) along a lush valley. In winter, thousands of wild ducks live and breed there, hence the name.

Here you can find rocks in various shapes, some of which look like a Buddha, a monkey, a seal, a trumpet… Once you arrive at yuanyang lake, you can take a cable car or walk to the peak and take a free shuttle bus back to the gate. Alternatively, you can walk along the boardwalk back to the gate.

Jingyuetan National Forest Park, a Crescent Shaped Reservoir

The jingyuecan national forest park is located near changchun’s movie wonderland, southeast of changchun, and 18 kilometers (10 miles) from the city center. It covers an area of about 96.38 square kilometers (37.2 square miles), with wetlands of about 5.3 square kilometers (2 square miles).

Jingyuetan is a crescent-shaped reservoir. Its height is comparable to the Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan, known as the sister lake of the Sun Moon Lake. According to a legend, a fairy from heaven happened to fall in love with a man. The fairy’s mother brought her back by force. The distraught fairy left two tears and formed two lakes, one is the Sun Moon Lake, the other is the jingyue lake. According to records, jingyuetan was built in 1934 to supply water to changchun. It was named after zheng xiaoyu, the second son of zheng xiaoyu, who was once the prime minister of manchukuo.

Jingyuetan national forest park is rich in natural resources. It includes a large forest covering more than 80 square kilometers (30 square miles). There are more than 550 kinds of trees in the park, such as scotch pine, larch, red pine, Japanese red pine, spruce, fir, birch, Mongolian oak and northeast walnut. In addition, there are a variety of birds, wild animals and insects, such as pheasants, wild ducks, squirrels, hedgehogs, roe deer and foxes.

The Jingyuetan National Forest Park features the Forest Bathing Spot, Jingyue Wetland, Siberian Tiger Garden, Guantan Hill, Green Pine Ridge, Jingyue Goddess Statue, Lotus and Willow Garden, Bisong Jingyue Tower, Peace Bell Tower, a boardwalk, a tomb of Jin Dynasty (1115 – 1234) on Stone Sheep and Tiger Hill, Jingyuetan Reservoir, Vasaloppet Museum, Wangtan Bridge, North Putuo Temple and a snow sculpture garden as its main attractions. For sports enthusiasts, there are a golf course and a ski resort inside the park.

Jiaxiu Tower, One of Eight Great Sights in Guiyang

Located in the center of Guiyang city, Guizhou province, Jiashu pagoda is a magnificent wooden tower built on a huge tortoise-shaped rock on the nanming river. Built during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the tower has undergone six renovations. It was once one of the eight scenic spots in Guiyang. Now, as a landmark and cultural symbol of Guiyang, it certainly deserves to be included in your plan.

It is the longest bridge in Guiyang city, about 92 meters (300 feet) long and about 7 meters (23 feet) wide. It is the longest bridge in Guiyang, measuring 92 meters (about 300 feet) long and 7 meters (23 feet) wide. The bridge is decorated with white stone walls, like a jade belt across the nanming river; As a result, it was named fu yu qiao, literally fu yu qiao. Thanks to its superb technology, fuyu bridge is both beautiful and strong. It has experienced many floods, especially the devastating one in 1996. At the top of the bridge stands a magnificent stone arch. Hambitine stands on the bridge.

Walk down from fu yu bridge to jia xiu building. In ancient times, many intellectuals studied hard here for academic honor or official positions. To encourage them, the local emperor ordered the construction of a tower and awarded it the name jia-xiu, which means “to get the first place in the imperial examination.” Interestingly, since the tower was built, guizhou has witnessed three top scholars, two of whom are said to live near the nanming river. Today, guizhou is still an auspicious place

The jiashu tower is a 20-meter (66-foot) three-story tower. Green tiles, red pillars, carved Windows and white stone walls make the tower gorgeous and striking. From the top of the tower, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surrounding city. If you’re not a big fan of old buildings, the night view of the tower of London is just as impressive. The tower is decorated with colorful lanterns, which are beautifully reflected on the water. Walking on the bridge on a cool summer night is also a pleasant experience.

As a cultural relic and historic site, jiaxiu building was favored by scholars in the past. They left precious works, such as calligraphy works, wooden works, poems and stone tablets, on display in the first floor. Of all these relics, the most famous is a long couplet written by liu yushan, a scholar of the qing dynasty (1644-1911). The masterpiece consists of two parts: the first line describes the beautiful scenery of guizhou province, and the second line tells the history of guizhou province. The 206-character couplet is comparable to the “first couplet” of kunming grand view garden. You can easily find the long couplet on the door on the first floor.

To the south of the tower is the cuiwei garden, a group of buildings dating back to the Ming and qing dynasties. There are gongnan pavilion, cuiwei pavilion and longmen academy. These exquisite buildings have a distinctive southern Chinese architectural style. In addition to these ancient pavilions, there is a modern exhibition hall in the garden. This unique hall displays the traditional clothing, embroidery and batik of almost all the minorities in guizhou.

Hongfeng Lake Scenic Area, the Red Maple Lake

The hongfeng lake scenic spot is located about 32 kilometers (20 miles) west of guiyang. It is regarded as the pearl of the guizhou plateau and the most charming of the three lakes in guizhou. The other two are albino lake and dongfeng lake.

Hongfeng lake is the largest artificial lake on the guizhou plateau. At 57.2 square kilometers (22 square miles), it is 12 times the size of Beijing’s Ming tombs reservoir and six times the size of the famous west lake in hangzhou. The west lake and surrounding scenic areas cover a total area of 240 square kilometers (93 square miles). There are many red maple trees in the surrounding mountains. Their leaves turn red every autumn — that is the name of the lake.

Hongfeng lake scenic area consists of four parts: north lake, south lake, back lake and minority villages. North lake is the smallest and is famous for its various islands, such as bird island, snake island and turtle island. Along the coast are ancient tombs from the western han dynasty.

Bonfire party, red maple lake scenic area

Bonfire party, red maple lake scenic area

Nanhu is famous for its caves, including general cave, fishing cave and underground cave. Back lake is famous for its picturesque countryside. There are many roads along the bank of the lake, people can take a leisurely walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

The hongfeng lake scenic area has many interesting rural buildings, including traditional miao dwellings (stilted buildings), buyi SLATE houses and dong drum towers with a roofed bridge. Take a boat ride to the drum tower and enjoy panoramic views of the red maple lake. The minority villages on the lakeside are unique. According to the custom of the village, tourists can be warmly welcomed and even reluctant to leave.

Hongfeng lake scenic area beautiful and quiet. It is an ideal tourist destination that can be conveniently included in a trip that includes the dragon palace and huangguoshu waterfall.

Flower Stream Park, the Huaxi Park

Huaxi park is the center of huaxi scenic spot. It combines natural landscape, rural scenery and national characteristics in one, known as “guiyang city back garden”. It is located in the southern suburb of guiyang city, guizhou province. It covers an area of about 825 mu (about 136 mu), among which the water area is about 300 mu (about 49 mu).

Huaxi park was built by a local village gentleman during the qing dynasty (1644-1911). He built towers and pavilions, planted trees and flowers on the mountains, and built islands in the water. It was rebuilt as a park in the 1930s. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the park was equipped with tourist facilities and renamed huaxi park, which means park with blooming flowers and flowing streams.

Unlike man-made parks, huaxi’s streams and four hills are naturally formed. The stream winds elegantly through the park, four mountains, forest (qilin, Chinese legendary animal), phoenix (phoenix), GUI (turtle), she (snake) stands on either side of it. The clear water and the intoxicating scenery on both sides make huaxi known as China’s “first love stream”. The forest is the tallest of the four mountains. It was like a fierce unicorn roaring at the sky. Standing on the top of the mountain, visitors can have a panoramic view of huaxi park. On phoenix mountain, you can overlook the crisscrossing stone houses, stone walls and stone village roads. On tortoise and snake mountain, the road is lined with strange stones and the scenery is fascinating.

The baibu bridge (baibu bridge) should also be mentioned. It was a winding bridge with stones fixed in the water. Unlike ordinary Bridges, when people walk on them, it’s like walking on water, especially in summer when water levels are high.

In addition, huaxi park also includes several other Bridges, pavilions and gardens. Some stand out in style; Some are grand; Some are historic. All of these are worth seeing.

Changchun Movie Wonderland, Changchun Film Century City

Changchun film park is a film theme park developed by changchun film studio. Jingyue economic development zone is located at the junction of jingyue road and yongshun road. It is the first Chinese park to feature a world-class stunt film. Officially opened on 29 May 2005, the park has received more than 8 million visitors.

Known as the Oriental Hollywood, changchun film wonderland is inspired by universal studios Hollywood and Disneyland in the United States. It is divided into four parts, innovation and technology area, stimulation and overflow area, performance area and leisure area. In addition to live stunts and comedy shows, visitors can also enjoy a 4D special effects movie, a 3D water screen movie and a laser hover movie.

Special effects films are the highlights of changchun’s film wonderland, the most exciting of which is interstellar, a domed film using cutting-edge dynamic technology and domed screen technology. Visitors will feel that they have embarked on an adventure in a spaceship. There are only three places in the world where visitors can enjoy semi-circular performances: changchun’s film wonderland, Caesar’s palace in Las Vegas and universal studios Hollywood in Los Angeles.

Zombie hospitals, memory homes, big-screen cinemas and galactic palaces are all worth visiting.

Zombie hospitals are different from traditional haunted houses. Zombies will pop up, surprise visitors, and certainly scare the daylights out of them. It’s only open on summer nights.

Memory house is located in a “mushroom” that recreates life, learning and entertainment for the young generation born in the 1980s. The furnishings are simple, including a video game console, a wooden bed, an old table and posters of past stars reminding visitors of their younger days. They can also experience some popular games from their childhood, such as hopscotch, jumping over a rubber band, rolling a ring and throwing small sandbags.

Entering the big-screen theater, visitors will be confronted with a large screen, about 18 meters (59 feet) high and 25 meters (82 feet) wide. It is said to be the biggest screen in the world. This cinema can hold more than 400 people.

At the galaxy palace, visitors will learn how special effects are made in the movie. They even have the chance to create their own dreams. Further explore crazy LABS, elven kingdoms, fast travel, nightmare castles and mystery trees if time and energy are unlimited. Maybe do a samba or enjoy acrobatics and other thrilling performances.

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