This document discusses the history and architecture of ancient China. It describes the major eras of Chinese history and the architectural styles and structures that developed during each period. Key points include: - Ancient China is divided into three dynasties - Xia, Shang, and Zhou, each with their own architectural traditions such as rammed earth walls and wooden post-and-beam structures. - Architectural styles are also classified by structure, including pavilions, terraces, and storeyed buildings, and by function like palaces, gardens, temples, and tombs. - Famous ancient structures highlighted are the Great Wall, Forbidden City palace complex, and Temple of Heaven, showcasing different

1. ARCHITECTURE AND TOWN
PLANNING
CHINA

2. ERAS OF HISTORY OF CHINA
History of China has been divided into 4 eras
• Prehistoric Era
• Ancient China
• Imperial China
• Republican China (or Modern Era)

3. ANCIENT CHINA
• Ancient China ranges from 2100 BC till 221 BC and is subdivided into
3 dynasties, namely;
• Xia dynasty (c. 2100 – c. 1600 BC)
• Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC)
• Zhou dynasty (1046–221 BC)
• Spring and Autumn period (722–476 BC)
• Warring States period (476–221 BC)

4. Xia Dynasty
• Xia dynasty is related to the excavations at Erlitou in central Henan province,
where a bronze smelter from around 2000 BC was unearthed.
• Early markings from this period found on pottery and shells are thought to be
ancestral to modern Chinese characters.
• With few clear records matching the Shang oracle bones or the Zhou bronze
vessel writings, the Xia era remains poorly understood and little is known about
the architecture of Xia Dynasty.
• According to mythology, the dynasty ended around 1600 BC as a consequence of
the Battle of Mingtiao.
Fig. Zhou bronze vessel Fig. Shang oracle bones

5. Shang Dynasty
• Archaeological findings providing evidence for the existence of the Shang dynasty,
c. 1600–1046 BC, are divided into two sets.
• The first set comes from sources at Shangcheng. The second set is at An-yang, in
modern-day Henan. The findings at An-yang include the earliest written record of
Chinese past so far discovered.
• In the cities people lived in rectangular houses laid out in rows, built of wood and
rammed earth. In the center of the city, there was a big palace or temple on a
high earth platform. One building at An-yang was a big hall with pillars all the way
around it.

6. • These buildings can be compared to Greek temples from around 800 BC, which
also have wooden columns all the way around them and thatched, slanted roofs.
• There was a city wall of rammed earth around the Shang capital at An-yang.
These were built by piling up dirt and pounding it until it was as hard as rock.
• Other people at that time were building rammed earth altars, in circular patterns
like this one to worship Heaven, and square ones to worship Earth.
• In the summertime, people moved out of their dark sod houses and lived instead
in a tree-house built on a wooden platform, with the roof made of poles and
branches. Living high up in the air kept them safe from animals and snakes.
Fig. Shang Dynasty city wall around Zhengzhou
Fig. Shang Dynasty Altar

7. Zhou (Chou) Dynasty
• The Zhou dynasty was the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history, from
1066 BC to approx. 256 BC. By the end of the 2nd millennium BC, the Zhou
dynasty began to emerge in the Yellow River valley, overrunning the territory
of the Shang.
• There had been a lot of big palaces and shrines. These palaces were built
mainly of big wooden beams. They had rammed earth walls, like the buildings
of the Shang Dynasty. They had courtyards. Archaeology tells us that some of
these buildings had clay roof tiles.
• Rich people's houses already looked a lot the way rich people's houses looked
in later China, with walls around them and courtyards and more private areas
for the women in the back.
• The Zhou emperors made laws about how fancy house could be. Only the
emperors were allowed to have artists carve their pillars and paint them red.
Only the very richest families could paint their pillars black. People who were
not so rich painted their pillars yellow.

8. TYPES OF ANCIENT CHINESE ARCHITECTURE
• Classification by structure
• Chinese pavilions
• Terraces
• Storeyed pavilions

9. Chinese pavilions
Chinese Pavilions are covered structures without
surrounding walls.
Types of Chinese Pavilion: Round, square, triangular
Practical function:
— used for military and governmental purposes
— as a place for rest
— as a roof to a stone tablet
Aesthetic function:
Pavilions provided a place to sit and enjoy the scenery, and
they also became part of the scenery itself, being attractive
structures.

10. Terraces
As an ancient architectural structure of Chinese, the tai
was a very much elevated terrace with a flat top, generally
built of earth and stone and surfaced with brick.
Functions of terraces :
— as an observatory
— as beacon towers along the Great Wall
— in honor of the sincere friendship

11. Storeyed Pavilions
Storeyed Pavilions were like simple
pavilions stacked on top of each other.
Functions of storeyed pavilions :
—used in ancient times for the storage
of important articles and documents
—a place where educated men used to
gather to write articles and hold
banquets
— used for enjoying the sights

12. Classification by function
• Imperial Palaces
• Traditional Chinese Gardens
• Altars and Temples
• Religious Structures
• Tombs and Mausoleums

13. • Imperial Palaces
Usually built on a grand scale, the
imperial palaces are closely related to imperial
sovereignty and were also constructed for the
entertainment of rulers.
Imperial palaces are where emperors lived
and administered their court during their
reign. They are the most revered, luxurious
and grandiose architectural types from
ancient China.

14. - The ancient palaces were strictly laid
out on central axis.
- Yellow roof tiles were used.
-The wooden columns of the buildings,
as well as the surface of the walls, tend
to be red in color.
-The Chinese dragon was heavily used
on Imperial architecture.

15. •Traditional Chinese Gardens
The most distinguishing feature of traditional Chinese gardens is
their natural mountain-and-water style. Chinese garden architecture
includes both grand imperial gardens and delicate private ones.

16. • Altars and Temples
Altars and temples built in ancient
China were meant for practice of rites.
Three categories:
—Imperial temples and altar for
worshiping of Heaven, the earth, the
sun, the moon and the imperial
ancestors
—Commemorative temples for dead
people of great virtue
— Family temples

17. • Religious Structures
Taoist Temples
A Chinese Taoist temple is the
holy hall where Taoists perform their
religious ceremonies.
Buddhist Temple Constructions
Buddhist Temple Constructions
in China include Buddhist
temples, monasteries, pagodas,
Buddhist halls and grottoes.

18. • Tombs and Mausoleums
People of all social classes had their tombs carefully built.
Over the centuries, the craft of tomb construction gradually
merged with arts like painting, calligraphy and sculpture. It
eventually became its own art form.

19. FAMOUS ANCIENT CHINESE
STRUCTURES

20. GREAT WALL OF CHINA
• Built in 220–206 BC
• By first Emperor of China, Qin Shi
Huang
• Protection and border control
purposes
• Approx length 21,196 km

21. FORBIDDEN CITY
• Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace
• Built from 1406 to 1420
• Largest ancient palatial architecture in the world
• Built to showcase the extravagant lifestyles of
the emperors

22. TEMPLE OF HEAVEN
• Built from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the
Yongle Emperor
• For annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for
good harvest for good harvest

23. THANK YOU
BY- DIVYA BALANI