Fortaleza do Monte is the historical military centre of the former of Macau, in the People's Republic of China. It is part of the "Historic Centre of Macau", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The fort was initially built in the 16th century for protecting the properties of Jesuit in Macau. Later it was seized by the , for the defense of Macau.
The Museum of Macau was built on the hill in the 1990s. The tree covered park at the top of the fort has a panaromic view of the mainland area of Macau.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Emin Minaret
The Emin Minaret stands by the Mosque located in Turfan, Xinjiang, China. At 44 meters it is the tallest minaret in China. The Qing Dynasty conquered this largely region in the 1750s by defeating the Mongols and the Uyghurs with their superior weaponry in a series of battles. As conquerors, they ruled the local population with a light hand and were tolerant of the Muslim religion.
The minaret was started in 1777 during the reign of and was completed only one year later. It was financed by local leaders and built to honor the exploits of a local Turfan general, Emin Khoja, hence the name "Emin". The Emin Minaret is located along the ancient . Nearby is the site of the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. The minaret has no stories. Inside, the spiraling internal support serves as a winding 72-step staircase to the top. The ground floor of a minaret is always square while the higher parts may be of varying shapes, including round, square, or octagonal. The minaret is the most distinctive feature of any mosque and this is no different in the case of the Emin Minaret.
The minaret was started in 1777 during the reign of and was completed only one year later. It was financed by local leaders and built to honor the exploits of a local Turfan general, Emin Khoja, hence the name "Emin". The Emin Minaret is located along the ancient . Nearby is the site of the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. The minaret has no stories. Inside, the spiraling internal support serves as a winding 72-step staircase to the top. The ground floor of a minaret is always square while the higher parts may be of varying shapes, including round, square, or octagonal. The minaret is the most distinctive feature of any mosque and this is no different in the case of the Emin Minaret.
Dougong
Dougong is a unique structural element of interlocking wooden , one of the most important elements in traditional , , and Korean architecture.
The use of dougong first appeared in buildings of the late centuries BC and evolved into a structural network that joined pillars and columns to the frame of the roof. ''Dougong'' was widely used in the Ancient Chinese during the Spring and Autumn Period and developed into a complex set of interlocking parts by its peak in the and periods. The pieces are fit together by alone without or fasteners, due to the precision and quality of the carpentry.
After the Song Dynasty, brackets and bracket sets became more ornamental than structural when used in palatial structures and important religious buildings, no longer the traditional ''dougong''.
Dougong is part of the network of wooden supports essential to the timber frame structure of traditional Chinese building because the walls in these structures are not load-bearing , sometimes made of latticework, mud or other delicate material. Walls functioned to delineate spaces in the structure rather than to support weight.
Multiple interlocking bracket sets are formed by placing a large wooden block on a column to provide a solid base for the bow-shaped brackets that support the beam or another gong above it. The function of ''dougong'' is to provide increased support for the weight of the horizontal beams that span the vertical columns or pillars by transferring the weight on horizontal beams over a larger area to the vertical columns . This process can be repeated many times, and rise many stories. Adding multiple sets of interlocking brackets or ''dougong'' reduces the amount of strain on the horizontal beams when transferring their weight to a column. Multiple dougong also allows structures to be elastic and to withstand damage from earthquakes.
During the Ming Dynasty an innovation occurred through the invention of new wooden components that aided ''dougong'' in supporting the roof. This allowed ''dougong'' to add a decorative element to buildings in the traditional Chinese integration of artistry and function, and bracket sets became smaller and more numerous. Brackets could be hung under eaves, giving the appearance of graceful baskets of flowers while also supporting the roof.
The Bao'en Temple in Sichuan is a good example of the Ming style. It has forty-eight types and 2,200 sets of ''dougong'' to support and ornament it. It is a well-preserved fifteenth century monastery complex located in northwestern , China. It was built by Wang Xi, a local chieftain, between 1440 and 1446 during 's reign in the Ming Dynasty .
The use of dougong first appeared in buildings of the late centuries BC and evolved into a structural network that joined pillars and columns to the frame of the roof. ''Dougong'' was widely used in the Ancient Chinese during the Spring and Autumn Period and developed into a complex set of interlocking parts by its peak in the and periods. The pieces are fit together by alone without or fasteners, due to the precision and quality of the carpentry.
After the Song Dynasty, brackets and bracket sets became more ornamental than structural when used in palatial structures and important religious buildings, no longer the traditional ''dougong''.
Function
Dougong is part of the network of wooden supports essential to the timber frame structure of traditional Chinese building because the walls in these structures are not load-bearing , sometimes made of latticework, mud or other delicate material. Walls functioned to delineate spaces in the structure rather than to support weight.
Multiple interlocking bracket sets are formed by placing a large wooden block on a column to provide a solid base for the bow-shaped brackets that support the beam or another gong above it. The function of ''dougong'' is to provide increased support for the weight of the horizontal beams that span the vertical columns or pillars by transferring the weight on horizontal beams over a larger area to the vertical columns . This process can be repeated many times, and rise many stories. Adding multiple sets of interlocking brackets or ''dougong'' reduces the amount of strain on the horizontal beams when transferring their weight to a column. Multiple dougong also allows structures to be elastic and to withstand damage from earthquakes.
During the Ming Dynasty an innovation occurred through the invention of new wooden components that aided ''dougong'' in supporting the roof. This allowed ''dougong'' to add a decorative element to buildings in the traditional Chinese integration of artistry and function, and bracket sets became smaller and more numerous. Brackets could be hung under eaves, giving the appearance of graceful baskets of flowers while also supporting the roof.
The Bao'en Temple in Sichuan is a good example of the Ming style. It has forty-eight types and 2,200 sets of ''dougong'' to support and ornament it. It is a well-preserved fifteenth century monastery complex located in northwestern , China. It was built by Wang Xi, a local chieftain, between 1440 and 1446 during 's reign in the Ming Dynasty .
Dongjin Bridge
The Dongjin Bridge in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, China is a pontoon bridge constructed over the Zhang River and Gong River in the Chinese Song Dynasty . It is the survivor of several pontoon bridges found in China.
Its length is a total of roughly 400 metres long, made up of wooden planks placed on around 100 wooden boats linked together with iron chains.
Its length is a total of roughly 400 metres long, made up of wooden planks placed on around 100 wooden boats linked together with iron chains.
Deshengmen
The Deshengmen is one of the few surviving city gates in Beijing, , located at the northern tip of the 2nd Ring Road. In old times, the army would leave Beijing from Xuanwumen and re-enter the city, triumphant, at Deshengmen.
The gateway was made up of three structures in ancient times - the gatehouse, the archery tower, and the barbican. However, the gatehouse proper was demolished in 1921, and the barbican has been severely damaged. The archery tower, however, is well-preserved and surroundings are well-lit at night. The Beijing Subway has a stop here. An extension to the Badaling Expressway links to the surrounding the gate.
The gateway was made up of three structures in ancient times - the gatehouse, the archery tower, and the barbican. However, the gatehouse proper was demolished in 1921, and the barbican has been severely damaged. The archery tower, however, is well-preserved and surroundings are well-lit at night. The Beijing Subway has a stop here. An extension to the Badaling Expressway links to the surrounding the gate.
Chinese Palaces
Chinese Palaces are some of the most elaborate facilities that have been ever constructed. There is a long history of imperial rule in China, and the palaces were the sites where the royal court resided, as well as many government bureaucrats and functionaries.
The English word "palace" is used to translate the Chinese word хоо . This character represents two rooms connected , under a roof . Originally the character applied to any residence or mansion, but starting with the Qin Dynasty it was used only for the residence of the emperor and members of the imperial family.
Chinese palaces are different from post-Renaissance European palaces because they do not consist of a single building only. Instead, Chinese palaces are huge spaces surrounded by one or more walls and moats and containing large separated halls for ceremonies and official business, as well as smaller buildings, temples, towers, residences, galleries, courtyards, gardens, and outbuildings, more like the or Carolingian ''palatium.''
*Xianyang Palace , in Xianyang , now 15 km/9 miles east of modern Xianyang, Shaanxi province: this was the royal palace of the state of Qin before the Chinese unification, and then the palace of the when China was unified. Burnt down by Xiang Yu after the fall of the Qin Dynasty.
*Epang Palace , 20 km/12 miles south of Xianyang , now 15 km/9 miles west of Xi'an , Shaanxi province: the fabulous imperial palace built by the First Emperor in replacement of Xianyang Palace. Traditionally said to be burnt down by Xiang Yu, but may not have been completed at the fall of the Qin Dynasty.
*Weiyang Palace , in Chang'an , now 7km/4 miles northeast of downtown Xi'an , Shaanxi province: imperial palace of the prestigious Western Han Dynasty for two centuries. This is the largest palace ever built on Earth, covering 4.8 km? , which is 6.7 times the size of the current Forbidden City, or 11 times the size of the Vatican City. Used after the Han Dynasty, rebuilt in the Tang Dynasty.
*Southern Palace and Northern Palace , in Luoyang , Henan province: imperial palaces of the Eastern Han Dynasty for two centuries, the Southern Palace being used for court hearings and audiences, the Northern Palace being the private residence of the emperor and his concubines. Demolished by Dong Zhuo at the end of the Han Dynasty.
*Taiji Palace , also known as the Western Apartments , in Chang'an , now downtown Xi'an , Shaanxi province: imperial palace during the Sui Dynasty and in the beginning of the Tang Dynasty . Area: 4.2 km? , imperial section proper: 1.92 km? .
*Daming Palace , also known as the Eastern Apartments , in Chang'an , now downtown Xi'an , Shaanxi province: imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty after A.D. 663 , but the prestigious Taiji Palace remained used for major state ceremonies such as coronations. Area: 3.11 km? .
*Kaifeng Imperial Palace , in Dongjing , now called Kaifeng , Henan province: imperial palace of the Northern Song Dynasty.
*Hangzhou Imperial Palace , in Lin'an , now called Hangzhou , Zhejiang province: imperial palace of the Southern Song Dynasty.
*Ming Imperial Palace , in Nanjing , Jiangsu province: imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty until 1421. Used as a source of stone and gradually demolished in the Qing Dynasty and by the .
*Forbidden City , now known in China as the Beijing Gugong , in Beijing : imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty from 1421 until 1924. Area: 720,000 m? .
Apart from the main imperial palace, Chinese dynasties also had several other imperial palaces in the capital city where the empress, crown prince, or other members of the imperial family dwelled. There also existed palaces outside of the capital city called "away palaces" where the emperors resided when traveling.
The habit also developed of building garden estates in the countryside surrounding the capital city, where the emperors retired at times to get away from the rigid etiquette of the imperial palace, or simply to escape from the summer heat inside their capital. This practice reached a zenith with the Qing Dynasty, whose emperors built the fabulous Imperial Gardens , now known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness , and better known in English as the Old Summer Palace. The emperors of the Qing Dynasty resided and worked in the Imperial Gardens, 8km/5 miles outside of the walls of Beijing, the Forbidden City inside Beijing being used only for formal ceremonies.
These gardens were made up of three gardens: the Garden of Perfect Brightness proper, the Garden of Eternal Spring , and the Elegant Spring Garden ; they covered a huge area of 3.5 km? , almost 5 times the size of the Forbidden City, and 8 times the size of the Vatican City. comprising hundreds of halls, pavilions, temples, galleries, gardens, lakes, etc. Several famous landscapes of southern China had been reproduced in the Imperial Gardens, hundreds of invaluable Chinese art masterpieces and antiquities were stored in the halls, making the Imperial Gardens one of the largest museum in the world. Some unique copies of literary work and compilations were also stored inside the Imperial Gardens.
In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the and expeditionary forces looted the Old Summer Palace. Then on October 18, 1860, in order to "punish" the imperial court, which had refused to allow Western embassies inside Beijing, the British general - with protestations from the French - purposely ordered the torching of this massive complex which burned to the ground. It took 3500 British troops to set the entire place ablaze and took three whole days to burn. The burning of the Gardens of Perfect Brightness is still a very sensitive issue in China today.
Following this cultural catastrophe, the imperial court was forced to relocate to the old and austere Forbidden City where it stayed until 1924, when the was expelled by a republican army.
Empress dowager Cixi built the Summer Palace or Yiheyuan near the Old Summer Palace, but on a much smaller scale than the Old Summer Palace.
Some other palaces include:
* Mukden Palace in Shengyang
* Mountain Resort at Chengde
* Zhaigong, Temple of Heaven in Beijing
The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet was used by the Dalai Lama.
Recently, Chinese archaeologists have announced that they have found the ruins of an ancient Chinese palace in Dadiwan.
The English word "palace" is used to translate the Chinese word хоо . This character represents two rooms connected , under a roof . Originally the character applied to any residence or mansion, but starting with the Qin Dynasty it was used only for the residence of the emperor and members of the imperial family.
Chinese palaces are different from post-Renaissance European palaces because they do not consist of a single building only. Instead, Chinese palaces are huge spaces surrounded by one or more walls and moats and containing large separated halls for ceremonies and official business, as well as smaller buildings, temples, towers, residences, galleries, courtyards, gardens, and outbuildings, more like the or Carolingian ''palatium.''
Main imperial palaces, in chronological order
*Xianyang Palace , in Xianyang , now 15 km/9 miles east of modern Xianyang, Shaanxi province: this was the royal palace of the state of Qin before the Chinese unification, and then the palace of the when China was unified. Burnt down by Xiang Yu after the fall of the Qin Dynasty.
*Epang Palace , 20 km/12 miles south of Xianyang , now 15 km/9 miles west of Xi'an , Shaanxi province: the fabulous imperial palace built by the First Emperor in replacement of Xianyang Palace. Traditionally said to be burnt down by Xiang Yu, but may not have been completed at the fall of the Qin Dynasty.
*Weiyang Palace , in Chang'an , now 7km/4 miles northeast of downtown Xi'an , Shaanxi province: imperial palace of the prestigious Western Han Dynasty for two centuries. This is the largest palace ever built on Earth, covering 4.8 km? , which is 6.7 times the size of the current Forbidden City, or 11 times the size of the Vatican City. Used after the Han Dynasty, rebuilt in the Tang Dynasty.
*Southern Palace and Northern Palace , in Luoyang , Henan province: imperial palaces of the Eastern Han Dynasty for two centuries, the Southern Palace being used for court hearings and audiences, the Northern Palace being the private residence of the emperor and his concubines. Demolished by Dong Zhuo at the end of the Han Dynasty.
*Taiji Palace , also known as the Western Apartments , in Chang'an , now downtown Xi'an , Shaanxi province: imperial palace during the Sui Dynasty and in the beginning of the Tang Dynasty . Area: 4.2 km? , imperial section proper: 1.92 km? .
*Daming Palace , also known as the Eastern Apartments , in Chang'an , now downtown Xi'an , Shaanxi province: imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty after A.D. 663 , but the prestigious Taiji Palace remained used for major state ceremonies such as coronations. Area: 3.11 km? .
*Kaifeng Imperial Palace , in Dongjing , now called Kaifeng , Henan province: imperial palace of the Northern Song Dynasty.
*Hangzhou Imperial Palace , in Lin'an , now called Hangzhou , Zhejiang province: imperial palace of the Southern Song Dynasty.
*Ming Imperial Palace , in Nanjing , Jiangsu province: imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty until 1421. Used as a source of stone and gradually demolished in the Qing Dynasty and by the .
*Forbidden City , now known in China as the Beijing Gugong , in Beijing : imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty from 1421 until 1924. Area: 720,000 m? .
Other Places
Apart from the main imperial palace, Chinese dynasties also had several other imperial palaces in the capital city where the empress, crown prince, or other members of the imperial family dwelled. There also existed palaces outside of the capital city called "away palaces" where the emperors resided when traveling.
Imperial Gardens
The habit also developed of building garden estates in the countryside surrounding the capital city, where the emperors retired at times to get away from the rigid etiquette of the imperial palace, or simply to escape from the summer heat inside their capital. This practice reached a zenith with the Qing Dynasty, whose emperors built the fabulous Imperial Gardens , now known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness , and better known in English as the Old Summer Palace. The emperors of the Qing Dynasty resided and worked in the Imperial Gardens, 8km/5 miles outside of the walls of Beijing, the Forbidden City inside Beijing being used only for formal ceremonies.
These gardens were made up of three gardens: the Garden of Perfect Brightness proper, the Garden of Eternal Spring , and the Elegant Spring Garden ; they covered a huge area of 3.5 km? , almost 5 times the size of the Forbidden City, and 8 times the size of the Vatican City. comprising hundreds of halls, pavilions, temples, galleries, gardens, lakes, etc. Several famous landscapes of southern China had been reproduced in the Imperial Gardens, hundreds of invaluable Chinese art masterpieces and antiquities were stored in the halls, making the Imperial Gardens one of the largest museum in the world. Some unique copies of literary work and compilations were also stored inside the Imperial Gardens.
In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the and expeditionary forces looted the Old Summer Palace. Then on October 18, 1860, in order to "punish" the imperial court, which had refused to allow Western embassies inside Beijing, the British general - with protestations from the French - purposely ordered the torching of this massive complex which burned to the ground. It took 3500 British troops to set the entire place ablaze and took three whole days to burn. The burning of the Gardens of Perfect Brightness is still a very sensitive issue in China today.
Following this cultural catastrophe, the imperial court was forced to relocate to the old and austere Forbidden City where it stayed until 1924, when the was expelled by a republican army.
Summer Palace
Empress dowager Cixi built the Summer Palace or Yiheyuan near the Old Summer Palace, but on a much smaller scale than the Old Summer Palace.
More Palaces
Some other palaces include:
* Mukden Palace in Shengyang
* Mountain Resort at Chengde
* Zhaigong, Temple of Heaven in Beijing
The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet was used by the Dalai Lama.
Recently, Chinese archaeologists have announced that they have found the ruins of an ancient Chinese palace in Dadiwan.
Caisson (Asian architecture)
The Caisson , also referred to as a caisson ceiling, or spider web ceiling
The caisson is generally a sunken panel set into the otherwise largely flat ceiling. It is often layered and richly decorated. Common shapes include square, octagon, hexagon, circle, and a combination of these.
The ''caisson'' is a general name for any sunken panel placed in the ceiling. In the case of East Asian architecture, however, the caisson is characterised by highly developed conventions as to its structure and placement.
These are the following:
The caisson is a sunken panel placed in the centre of the ceiling. It is raised above the level of the ceiling through the use the ''dougong'' structure, which, through interlocking structural members, as beams were not used, creates successive levels of diminishing size. Beams may also be used to create a hexagonal or octagonal caisson surrounded by a square border. These beams, and the ''dougong'' members, are usually visible, and richly carved and often painted with deities.
The centre of the caisson is decorated with a large ''bas-relief'' carving or painting. Common themes include "two s chasing the pearl. Caissons in the throne rooms of the Forbidden City feature a large, writhing dragon, from whose mouth issue a chandelier-like structure called the Yellow Emperor Mirror, a series of metal balls which are said to be able to show reflections of evil spirits.
Caissons were originally used to support s. Therefore they are a relatively recent structure in the Chinese architectural history. However, they became increasingly intricate and formalised, and were in later periods a standard item of interior decoration in formal buildings.
The caisson has been found in tombs of the Han Dynasty dating the use of this architectural feature back at least 2,000 years. Besides subterranean structure, the oldest existent caisson in an above-ground structure is the one located above the 16 m tall statue of Guanyin in the Guanyin Pavilion of Dule Monastery, Jixian, Hebei province, built in the year 984 during the Liao Dynasty. Without the use of interior columns, this ceiling is held up by a hidden second floor four-sided frame with a hexagonal ceiling frame on the third floor.
As the caisson became increasingly standard in formal architecture in ancient China, similar structures also appeared in grottos, such as in Dunhuang. These sunken panels in the ceiling of grottos would be carved to imitate the ''dougong''-based structure in wooden buildings.
Caissons where highly decorative and used only for the most richly decorated structures. They had no specific cultural significance, since in structure they are equal to cupolas and domes constructed around the world. However the rich oramentation often conveyed cultural significance in the themes chosen.
The caisson is generally a sunken panel set into the otherwise largely flat ceiling. It is often layered and richly decorated. Common shapes include square, octagon, hexagon, circle, and a combination of these.
Name
The ''caisson'' is a general name for any sunken panel placed in the ceiling. In the case of East Asian architecture, however, the caisson is characterised by highly developed conventions as to its structure and placement.
These are the following:
Structure
The caisson is a sunken panel placed in the centre of the ceiling. It is raised above the level of the ceiling through the use the ''dougong'' structure, which, through interlocking structural members, as beams were not used, creates successive levels of diminishing size. Beams may also be used to create a hexagonal or octagonal caisson surrounded by a square border. These beams, and the ''dougong'' members, are usually visible, and richly carved and often painted with deities.
The centre of the caisson is decorated with a large ''bas-relief'' carving or painting. Common themes include "two s chasing the pearl. Caissons in the throne rooms of the Forbidden City feature a large, writhing dragon, from whose mouth issue a chandelier-like structure called the Yellow Emperor Mirror, a series of metal balls which are said to be able to show reflections of evil spirits.
Caissons were originally used to support s. Therefore they are a relatively recent structure in the Chinese architectural history. However, they became increasingly intricate and formalised, and were in later periods a standard item of interior decoration in formal buildings.
Use in other structures
The caisson has been found in tombs of the Han Dynasty dating the use of this architectural feature back at least 2,000 years. Besides subterranean structure, the oldest existent caisson in an above-ground structure is the one located above the 16 m tall statue of Guanyin in the Guanyin Pavilion of Dule Monastery, Jixian, Hebei province, built in the year 984 during the Liao Dynasty. Without the use of interior columns, this ceiling is held up by a hidden second floor four-sided frame with a hexagonal ceiling frame on the third floor.
As the caisson became increasingly standard in formal architecture in ancient China, similar structures also appeared in grottos, such as in Dunhuang. These sunken panels in the ceiling of grottos would be carved to imitate the ''dougong''-based structure in wooden buildings.
Cultural significance
Caissons where highly decorative and used only for the most richly decorated structures. They had no specific cultural significance, since in structure they are equal to cupolas and domes constructed around the world. However the rich oramentation often conveyed cultural significance in the themes chosen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)