Beijing Architecture

Beijing has a wide variety of architectural styles. It has both ancient royal palaces and classical gardens, as well as modern landmark buildings and contemporary structures full of design.

Ancient Chinese Architecture

Ancient Chinese architecture is a miniature of the long-standing history and culture of China. It is characterized by the region, nationality, and time. Ancient Chinese architecture, which has distinctive features in single buildings, building complexes, and architectural art, is an outstanding example of ancient oriental architecture.

Modern Chinese Architecture

Modern Chinese architecture generally refers to the architecture built since the middle period of the 19th century.

Bird NestDuring the period from the broke out of the Opium War in 1840 to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chinese architecture witnessed a blend of Chinese style and Western style.

Although the traditional Chinese architectural system still took the dominant role, buildings serving for entertainment industry, such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels, as well as the business buildings, such as department stores, food market and so on, all made breakthrough in the traditional architecture style and succeeded in building up business sites in a combination of Chinese and Western elements.

Western architecture also appeared in China then. In some cities with leased territory, for example, Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Harbin, some foreign buildings were erected, including consulates, foreign firms, banks, restaurants, and clubs. Some national architecture in modern times also appeared in this period, which is a combination of new functions, new technology, and Chinese style.

After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, Chinese architecture entered a new era. The planned economic system helped to accelerate the development of architecture.

The new Chinese style has experience the Returning to the Ancients' Period, characterized by the partial application of big roofs, the New Communist Buildings Period represented by the Big Ten Buildings for National Celebration, and the Cantonese Style Period integrated by the modern design and national spirit. Since the 1980s, Chinese architecture has gradually become open, compatible, and multiple.

Zoomorphic Ornaments

Chinese palaces, temples, and mansions have on their roofs a special kind of ornaments called wenshou or zoomorphic ornaments, some on the main ridges and some on the sloping and branch ridges.

The monstrous thing at either end of the main ridge, called chiwen, appears roughly like the tail of a fish. Fierce and formidable, it looks as if it were ready to devour the whole ridge; so it is also known as tunjishou or the ridge-devouring beast. It is, according to Chinese mythology, one of the sons of the Dragon King who rules the seas. It is said to be able to stir up waves and change them into rain.

So ancient Chinese put a chiwen at either end of the main ridge for its magic powers to conjure up a downpour to put out any fire that might break out. But for fear that it might gobble up the ridge, they transfixed it on the roof with a sword.

At the end of the sloping and branch ridges, there are often a string of smaller animals, their sizes and numbers being decided by the status of the owner of the building in the feudal hierarchy.

The largest number of zoomorphic ornaments is found on the Taihedian Throne Hall or the Hall of Supreme Harmony of the Forbidden City. Leading the flock is a god riding a phoenix, after whom come a dragon, a phoenix, a lion, a heavenly horse, a sea horse, and five other mythological animals, all called by unusual names.

Qianqinggong (the Palace of Heavenly Purity), which the emperor used as his living quarters and his office for handling daily affairs, being next in status to Taihedian, has a band of nine animal figures.

Still next in importance is Kunninggong (the Palace of Female Tranquility), which served as the empress's apartments; it has a group of seven zoomorphic figures. This number is further reduced to five for the twelve halls in the side courtyards, which used to house the imperial concubines of different grades. Some of the side halls have only one animal figure each on their roofs.

These small animals were also believed to be capable of putting out fires. While this can be easily dismissed as superstition, they do add to the grandeur and magnificence of the imperial buildings.

The earliest ridge animals so far discovered in the country came to light in 1960 in a suburban area of Shashi, Hubei Province. On the interior wall of a roll tile, which served as the body of a ridge animal figure, was engraved "first year of Yuanguang," which means the year 134 B.C. It can be seen that installing animal figures on roof-ridges has been an established practice for at least 2,100 years.

Huabiao

Huabiao, as something typical of China, is an ornamental or symbolic column erected in front of palaces, bridges, city gates, tombs, or other places. They used to be made of wood, hence their other name--Huabiaomu. They were difficult to preserve, however, and the Haubiao we see today are mostly made of marble.

Huabiao functioned originally as a road sign. At the same time, they were also used by people to record criticism against the king and ministers. Hence, it was also called feibang mu, or wooden column for criticism.

Huabiao emerged long before the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.). With the establishment of monarchical power, Huabiao's function as a critical media faded, and it also no longer played its role as a road sign. Instead, with the arrival of dragons and auspicious clouds, it became a pure ornament erected in front of buildings.

China has many huabiao left today, but the most distinguished are the two inside and outside Tian'anmen Gate. Made of marble and carved with dragons and auspicious clouds, each has a wangtianhou, a legendary animal, sitting on it.

The one on top of the column inside the gate is named wangdigui (literally, expecting the emperor to come back soon), implying that the emperor should not stay long outside the palace enjoying the beautiful mountains and water, but should come back soon to deal with state affairs.

The one on top of the column outside the gate, with its head turned to the outside, is named wangdichu (expecting the emperor to go out), indicating that the emperor should not indulge himself in the luxurious life inside the palace, but should go out frequently to keep abreast of public sentiment.

Archway (Pailou)

The Pailou, also known as Paifang, is an archway of a memorial or decorative nature. It could be made of wood, brick, or stone, with or without glazed tiles, often carrying some inscriptions on the middle beam.

The normal places where such archways stood were thoroughfare crossroads, shrines and temples, government offices, bridges, parks, tombs and mausoleums, and they generally carried inscriptions to propagate certain moral principles or to extol government achievements.

The pailou could also serve as the facade of a shop to prettify its entrance and attract customers. Many a pailou was erected to praise the "lofty virtues' of certain individuals in the locality. Fettered by the feudal ethical code, many widowed women refrained from remarriage just in the hope of having a "pailou of chastity" built for them when they reached a ripe old age.

According to relevant records, there used to be some 57 archways in old Beijing. Among the well-known ones were one each at the crossroads of Dongdan and Xidan, four each at Dongsi and Xisi, one at Qianmen, and a couple standing astride Chang'an, the main street running east-west in front of Tian'anmen. Nearly all of these have been taken apart or moved elsewhere.

A well-preserved pailou is the one in front of the main entrance to the SummerPalacePark. Built 200 years ago, it is composed of four columns forming three arches and carrying on top seven roofed ornamental units.

Inscribed in front and at the back are two Chinese classical characters each, succinctly summing up the beauty of the hill and the lake in the park. Painted on it amidst rich colour are 176 golden dragons and 36 golden phoenixes, giving the visitor a foretaste of the sumptuous splendour that he is going to witness.

Among the palaces of imperial mausoleums, the best-known is the great archway standing at the southern end of the grounds of Beijing's Ming Tombs, the first structure that the visitor will see.

A pailou of 6 columns, 5 arches and 11 superstructures, it is built entirely of white marble, and its stone columns are engraved with dragons, lions, unicorns and other mythical animals to display the power and dignity of the imperial house. Majestic and simple, it measures 28.86 metres wide and stands 14 metres high in the middle, one of the greatest of its kind in the country.

In the city proper of Beijing, a few other ancient archways have survived down to this day. There is a glazed-tiled pailou of 3 arches and 7 superstructures in Shenlujie Street, Chaoyang District. Not far from the LamaTemple (Yonghegong), in the side street of the ancient Imperial College (Guozijian), two pailou have been renovated recently and are shining with new lustre.

Chinese Stone Lions

The lion is a special animal to Chinese people. A pair of stone lions, a male and a female, can often be seen in front of the gates of traditional buildings. The male lion is on the left with his right paw resting on a ball, and the female is on the right with her left paw fondling a cub.

The lion was regarded as the king in the animal world, so its image represented power and prestige. The ball played by the male lion symbolized the unity of the empire, and the cub with the female's thriving offspring.

The stone lions were also used to indicate the ranks of officials by the number of lumps representing the curly hair on the head of the lion. The houses of first-grade officials had lions with 13 lumps, and the number of lumps decreased by one as the rank of the official went down each grade. Officials below the seventh grade were not allowed to have stone lions in front of their houses.

It is interesting to note that China had no lions originally. It is believed that when Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han reigned in AD 87, the King of Parthia presented a lion to him. Another lion was given by a Central Asian country known as Yuezhi in the next year. The earliest stone lions were sculpted at the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD) with the introduction of Buddhism into ancient China.

It is said, Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, was seen after birth "to point to Heaven with one hand and to Earth with another, roaring like a lion." In the Buddhist faith, the lion is considered a divine animal of nobleness and dignity, which can protect the Truth and keep off evils.

It was also popular to decorate bridges with sculpted-stone lions for the same reason. The best known of this is the Lugouqiao (also known as Marco Polo Bridge), built from 1189 to 1192. The stone lions on the posts of the bridge are most famous. It is said there are 485 lions in all, but there may be 498 or 501. A famous proverb says, "The lions on the Lugouqiao are uncountable."

Siheyuan

Dwelling compounds or quadrangles (Siheyuan) in Beijing are an important aspect of the city's architectural heritage.

Beijing's dwelling compounds are generally rectangular, with the four sides squarely facing the cardinal points. Almost every dwelling compound is surrounded by high walls, with an open courtyard in the centre. The buildings on four sides are usually one storey high.

Stepping over the high wooden base of the front gate of a large compound, you will find a brick screen located a few feet inside. In front of the screen is the outer courtyard, which is flanked by structures to the east and west. In former days, these were the kitchen and servants' living quarters.

A red-painted gate leads through the north wall of the outer court into the inner courtyard. The main building faces south to get the maximum possible sunshine in winter, and the eaves provide a pleasant shade in summer when the sun is high.

The building is divided into three or five rooms: living or community rooms in the centre with smaller bedrooms or studies at each end. The buildings facing east and west on each side of the court were constructed to accommodate married children and their families. Some dwelling compounds consist of several courtyards.

With no steel or concrete, the entire dwelling was built of bricks and wood. The compounds are quiet, beautiful, and compact. Beijing residents like to live in them, and even foreigners find them attractive.

Nowadays, these peaceful Siheyuan are hard to find in Beijing. The reasons are as follows:

Since 1949, a large-scale construction programme has been carried out in the city, causing the demolition of some dwelling compounds.

During the initial post-liberation period, government offices occupied some Siheyuan. Later, they were demolished to build office buildings.

During the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976), air-raid shelters were dug everywhere in Beijing, destroying some dwelling compounds.

In recent years, many residential buildings have been constructed to ease the housing shortage and provide better accommodation for the people. Some were built on the sites of demolished dwelling compounds. Outer compounds have been changed or distorted beyond recognition because the residents have added kitchens in the courtyards.

Today, Beijing still has about 400,000 residential Siheyuan, mainly distributed over the East, West, Xuanwu, and Chongwen districts of the city. Those in the East and West districts are in the best shape. The departments concerned with the preservation of cultural relics in Beijing have earmarked a number of good-quality dwelling compounds for protection. In addition, the urban construction departments have worked out a plan to limit high buildings in the city proper to protect the dwelling compounds.

The China Millennium Monument

The China Millennium Monument was built to greet the new century, marking the new millennium. The extended western line of Chang'an Avenue covers an area of 450,000 square meters. On the stele at the entrance to the altar, five Chinese characters: the place's Chinese name, written by the former Chinese president, Jiang Zemin.

The China Millennium Monument features an elevated pathway, 262 meters in length, and paved with 262 bronze plates inscribed with a 180,000-character text that covered major events in 5,000 years of Chinese history. It is mainly composed of the Sacred Fire Square, Bronze Path, Main Altar, Century Bell, and Culture Square. In its Art Hall, there are the Circular Gallery of Carving of Chinese ancient scholars, including the Century Hall, Oriental Art Gallery, Western Art Gallery, Modern Art Gallery, and Media Digital Art Gallery.

National Grand Theater

The National Grand Theater is located in the heart of Beijing, neighboring the Great Hall of the People and Tiananmen Square. It covers 118.9 million square meters, and the total construction area is 217.5 million square meters, including nearly 46.6 million square meters of underground garage.

The main construction is the unique shell shape with 46.68 meters high, and the only one of its shape in Asia. The exterior of the theater is a titanium-accented glass dome that is surrounded by a man-made lake. It consists of 18398 pieces of titanium plates and 1226 pieces of super white glass. It looks like an egg floating on water from the air. It was designed as an iconic feature, something that would be immediately recognizable, like the Sydney Opera House.

Walking by 80 meters 80-meter-long underwater gallery, enter the public hall from the Olive Hall, and you will see 3 professional theatres, the middle one is the Opera Hall, the eastern one is the Music Hall, and the western one is the Theatre Hall. The three are separated but linked by an air corridor.

The Opera Hall makes use of performing national and international operas like Yehudi Menuhin, Zubin Mehta, and Pandit Ravi Shankar with 2398 seats; the Music Hall is used in playing some symphony and national music with 2019 seats, and the Theatre Hall is used in playing drama and other plays.

Inner of the theater, besides the three halls and a small practicing theatre, there is are long gallery of underwater, an exhibition hall, Olive Hall, a library resource centre, a news publication hall, an activity area on the rooftop, a souvenirs store, and a coffee house.

As a multi-function centre, it also holds a powder room, a practice room, a conductor's rest room, an actor's rest room, an actor's waiting room, a dressing room, a property room, a VIP room, and a ritual girls' hall in the centre.

Bird's Nest

National Stadium, as many people call it"Bird's Nest", is located in the Olympic Park in Beijing. It is a new building for the 2008 Olympic Games, covering an area of 2.58 million square meters. The opening and closing ceremony, as well as track and field, men's football events of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games were all held in the nest.

The figure of Beijing National Stadium is mainly formed of a huge steel structure, which is like a big door, and it has 24 trussed shores. The super face is like a saddle, with a 332.3-meter-long major axis and 296.4 meters 296.4-meter-long minor axis. Its designers chose the"nest" as the theme for the national stadium, without doing any extensive work on it, just showing all the structure of this nest outside, as a result, it has formed a natural appearance for the national stadium.

It is said that tourists have to come to visit the nest when touring the Olympic Park, for the nest seems like a nest gestating life, or more like a cradle of human development progress, which makes people hopeful about the future.