An unprecedented survey of the origins and evolution of Chinese
architecture, from the last millennia BCE to today Throughout history,
China has maintained one of the world’s richest built civilizations.
The nation’s architectural achievements range from its earliest
walled cities and the First Emperor’s vision of city and empire, to
bridges, pagodas, and the twentieth-century constructions of the
Socialist state. In this beautifully illustrated book, Nancy Shatzman
Steinhardt presents the first fully comprehensive survey of Chinese
architecture in any language. With rich political and historical
context, Steinhardt covers forty centuries of architecture, from the
genesis of Chinese building through to the twenty-first century and
the challenges of urban expansion and globalism. Steinhardt follows
the extraordinary breadth of China’s architectural
legacy—including excavation sites, gardens, guild halls, and relief
sculpture—and considers the influence of Chinese architecture on
Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Tibet. Architectural examples from Chinese
ethnic populations and various religions are examined, such as
monasteries, mosques, observatories, and tombs. Steinhardt also shows
that Chinese architecture is united by a standardized system of
construction, applicable whether buildings are temples, imperial
palaces, or shrines. Every architectural type is based on the models
that came before it, and principles established centuries earlier
dictate building practices. China’s unique system has allowed its
built environment to stand as a profound symbol of Chinese culture.
With unprecedented breadth united by a continuous chronological
narrative, Chinese Architecture offers the best scholarship available
on this remarkable subject for scholars, students, and general
readers.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780691191973
Publisert
2019
Utgiver
Vendor
Princeton University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter