A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture

This book offers lively and accessible text that provides an overview of the development and evolution of the “organic” structural system of ancient Chinese architecture. It also features a wealth of precious images taken by members of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture during their surveys， as well as exquisite illustrations drawn by Liang Sicheng.

Foreword

By Liang Sicheng

A Pictorial History of

Chinese Architecture

Liang Sicheng

SDX Joint Publishing Co. Ltd.

November 2023

108.00 (CNY)

Liang Sicheng

Liang Sicheng was a Chinese architect， a scholar in architecture， and an educator. He devoted his life to the study and preservation of ancient Chinese architecture and cultural heritage.

This book is not intended to be a comprehensive history of Chinese architecture but rather an attempt to illustrate the development of the structural system and the evolution of forms in Chinese architecture through a selection of typical examples， accompanied by photographs and diagrams. Initially， I planned to present it without any explanatory text， but after the drawings were completed， I felt that a brief commentary might still be necessary， leading to the addition of this concise introduction.

Chinese architecture is a highly “organic” structure. Entirely native to China， it originated and flourished in the distant prehistoric period， “developed” during the Han Dynasty， matured and reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty， achieved perfection during the Song Dynasty， and began to show signs of decline in the early Ming Dynasty. Although it is difficult to say how long its vitality can be sustained， for at least the thirty centuries covered in this book， this structural system has maintained its functionality. This is due to the clear and systematic construction of the wooden framework， where each component’s size， shape， and position are determined by structural needs. Therefore， studying Chinese architecture must begin with an analysis of its construction. This is why sectional drawings are more important than elevation drawings. This is an approach that differs significantly from the study of European architecture， although Gothic architecture might be an exception because its structure has a greater impact on its form than any other style in European architecture.

Today， with the emergence of reinforced concrete and steel structures， Chinese architecture is facing a serious challenge. Admittedly， there is a fundamental similarity between ancient Chinese architecture and the most modern buildings， but can these two be combined? Is it possible for the traditional Chinese architectural system to use these new materials and find a new form of expression? The possibility exists. However， it should not be a blind “imitation of antiquity”—innovation is essential. Otherwise， Chinese-style architecture will cease to exist in the future.

A comprehensive study of Chinese architecture must also consider Japanese architecture， as certain early examples of Japanese architecture should be correctly classified as having originated from China. However， this topic can only be briefly mentioned in this concise work.

Readers should not be surprised that most of the examples cited in this book are Buddhist temples， pagodas， and tombs. It should be understood that， at all times and in all places， religion has been one of the most powerful driving forces behind architectural creation.

The materials used in this book are almost entirely drawn from the academic archives of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture， some of which were previously published in the Bulletin of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture. Since its establishment in 1929， this research institution， under the inspiring leadership of president Zhu Qiqian and acting president Zhou Yichun during the war years (1937–1946)， has consistently focused on systematically seeking out examples of ancient architecture across the country and studying them from both archaeological and geographical perspectives. So far， surveys have been conducted in more than 200 counties across fifteen provinces. If it were not for the war， which nearly halted fieldwork completely， we would have gathered even more examples. Furthermore， as I write this book in a remote village in western Sichuan Province， the lack of access to many materials has greatly hindered my work. When the Society relocated inland， these materials were left in Beijing. Additionally， some of the examples mentioned in the book have undoubtedly been destroyed by war. The extent of their damage can only be determined when these buildings are re-examined individually.

The Society’s materials were collected during numerous field surveys， all of which were directed either by Professor Liu Dunzhen， the former Director of the Society’s Documentation Department and current Dean of the School of Engineering and Chair of the Architecture Department at Central University， or by myself. I am deeply grateful to him for allowing me to use some of his materials in this book. I would also like to thank my colleague， Mr. Mo Zongjiang， Associate Researcher at the Society， who accompanied me on nearly all my field surveys and created most of the illustrations for this book.

I also wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Li Ji， director of the Archaeology Department at the Institute of History and Philology， Academia Sinica， and to Dr. Shi Zhangru， associate researcher at the Institute， for allowing me to reproduce the site plan of the Yin Ruins unearthed at Anyang. I am also grateful to Dr. Li Ji， in his capacity as director of the Central Museum， for allowing me to use some materials from the excavation of the Jiangkou Han Tomb， in which the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture also participated.

I must also thank my friend and colleague， Ms. Wilma Fairbank. As a member of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture， she has traveled extensively in China and accompanied me on one of my field surveys. I am grateful not only for her restoration work on the Wu Liang Shrine and the stone chamber of Zhu Wei’s tomb but also for her strong support and encouragement， which significantly accelerated the completion of this book. I am also thankful for her patience in reviewing my manuscript and correcting my English errors during her busy tenure as Cultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Chongqing. She made invaluable contributions to enhancing cultural exchange between China and the United States in that role.

Finally， I want to thank my wife， colleague， and former classmate， Lin Huiyin. For over twenty years， she has tirelessly contributed to our shared work. Since our university days in the architecture department， we have supported each other in “doing the heavy lifting.” Later， she accompanied me on most of my field surveys， making significant discoveries and conducting detailed measurements and sketches of many buildings. Despite her serious illness in recent years， she has retained her innate intelligence and resilience; during the difficult years， it was mainly due to her that the academic spirit and morale of the Society were maintained. Without her cooperation and inspiration， neither this book nor any of my research on Chinese architecture could have been successfully completed.