Chinese architecture and other structures created in China from prehistoric times to the present day are some of the most fantastic feature of the Chinese culture. One of the most well knows architecture is the magnificent Great Wall of China. However, the Great Wall only tells part of the Chinese culture. Through this article one can understand a brief introduction on Chinese architecture.

Chinese architecture has a great contribution to the world culture, especially the ancient ones. Why is it so impressive? The reason is that the architecture of China is deeply affected by Chinese history, which has developed about 5000 years ago. As a result of wars and invasions, there are few existing buildings in China predating the Ming dynasty. Evidence of early architectural development is provided by representations in Han dynasty bronze vessels, tomb models, carvings, and tiles. One substantial early structure that remains today is the Great Wall , begun in the 3rd century BC.

Though these ethnic minorities own small population, they share China's vast lands. Before the foundation of People’s Republic of China, those ethnic groups communicate with other groups scarcely, instead many live in their individual communities. The relationships between the different ethnic groups have been formed over many years.

Through the T'ang and Song dynasties, Chinese architecture retained the basic characteristics already developed in the Han, although there was a greater technical mastery and a tendency toward rich decorations and complexity of the bracketing system.

Since the late 19th century, the Chinese have adopted European architectural styles. When China was under the Communist rule, the Chinese have adapted to a modern Soviet architecture. The trend has been toward the impressively massive and the clearly functional in public buildings. In those build not much of the traditional Chinese architecture can be seen other than the detailing around window frames and doorways.
After People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the planned economic system accelerated the development of a “modern” style architecture. Buildings of the “Returning to the Ancients’ Period” were characterized by large roofs; the style of the “New Communist Buildings Period” is represented by the Big Ten Buildings for National Celebration. The Great Hall of the People, on the western edge of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, built by volunteers in ten months during 1958 and 1959, is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China.

Since the 1980s, Chinese architectural design has gradually become more open, and exhibits multiple styles. Throughout the twentieth century, Western-trained Chinese architects attempted to incorporate traditional Chinese designs into modern (usually government) buildings, with only limited success. However, the traditional skills of Chinese architecture are still applied to the construction of local architecture in the vast rural area of China.

Chinese architecture can be categorized into palaces, temples, gardens, tombs and residences. China's distinctive architecture makes up an important part of China's splendid civilization. Together with Western and Muslim architecture, the three styles comprise the world's major architectural systems. Today, while preserving traditional style, Chinese architecture has absorbed elements from western countries and keeps growing.

Commoner

This is the common style of ancient Chinese houses. The center of the building would be a shrine for the deities and the ancestors. On its two sides were bedrooms for the elders; the two wings of the building were for the junior members of the family, as well as the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen. Sometimes the extended families became so large that one or even two extra pairs of "wings" had to be built. The whole houses are arranged in a U-shape.

Imperial

There were certain architectural features that were reserved solely for buildings built for the Emperor of China. There are common characters for imperial architectures, such as the use of yellow roof tiles, the wooden columns of the buildings, etc. Moreover, the Chinese five-clawed dragon was permitted to use only on imperial decorations of Imperial architecture. Except that, only the buildings used by the imperial family were allowed to have nine spaces between columns; only the gates used by the Emperor could have five arches, with the centre one, of course, being reserved for the Emperor himself.

Religious

Generally speaking, both Buddhist architecture and Daoist architecture followed the imperial style. The main entrance is, however, usually at the side, out of superstition about demons which might try to enter the premise. In contrast to the Buddhists, in a Daoist temple the main deity is located at the main hall at the front, the lesser deities at the back hall and at the sides.

Modern

The previous three are characters of ancient Chinese architecture, while this is of the modern architecture of China, mainly after the foundation of the People’s Republic of China.

There are a few showcases from this period such as Beijing's Great Hall of the People which is a radical departure from traditional Chinese architecture and was heavily influenced by the large communist edifices found in Russia. Much of what was built during this period was based on the concept of work units where workers lived and worked within the same complex.

In recent years as the wealth has accumulated so has the creation of huge prestige projects such as Beijing's National Theatre and the CCTV tower. To underline the break with the past, most of these new landmarks have been designed by foreign architects, which was something unthinkable in the past.

The Forbidden City

After 1421 Beijing became China's capital, and its group of imperial buildings, known as the Forbidden City, remains a remarkable achievement. Around its main courtyard and many smaller courts are grouped with splendid halls, galleries, terraces, and gateways. White marble, wall facings of glazed terra-cotta, roofs of glazed and colored tiles, and woodwork finished with paint, lacquer, and gilding unite to create an effect of exceptional richness.

The Great Wall
Nearly everyone has heard about the Great Wall of China. It was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from invaders from the Mongolians. This huge wall stretches over 1,500 miles and extends from Kansu in the west to the Yellow sea in the east. One problem is that we do not know the precise date in which the Great Wall was built. It is believed to be built between 246 and 209 B. C.

Bird's Nest stadium

It is constructed for 2008 Summer Olympic. The Bird's Nest Stadium was designed by Swiss architects, and Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas who designed the new headquarters for China's state television network, CCTV, two L-shaped high-rise towers leaning inward and linked at the top and bottom. The government spent $1.5 billion on these buildings and rewrote its engineering codes so that they could be erected.

Water Cube

The Beijing National Aquatics Centre, also known as the Water Cube,was designed by PTW Architects from Sydney, Australia in collaboration with China State Construction Engineering Corporation International Design and Arup to host water sports events during the 2008 Olympics.

Shanghai World Finance Center
It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates from New York, will reach a new world record of 429 meters when completed

What is the special use of roof in China?

The roofs play an important role in Chinese Architecture, not only to protect residences from the elements, but also have some deep meanings. For example, temple roofs were curved because the Buddhist believed that it helped ward off evil spirits which were believed to be straight lines. The temple's roof is also made of glazed ceramic tiles and has an overhanging cave distinguished by a graceful upward slope. The arc at which the roof turns comes from the intricate fit of rafters. They used rods of short rafters that melt together. Even wealthy homes had elaborate roofs.

There are some climate reasons for roof building. As in some dry area, the roofs are built to be plain, which can hold the water dropped down. While, in the south of China, there are a lot of rains, therefore, the roofs are slantwise enough to let water flow away.

Roofs are symbol of society status. If the decorations on roofs, such as paintings, are delicate, it must be a wealthy family. One perfect example of splendid roofs would be the Forbidden Palace. The thirteen tombs all have roof tiles which are a brilliant yellow, green, and red. The ridges of each roof carry figurines and mythical creatures. The curve of each roof can be no more than a sweep and the most intricate designs on the roof are almost always pointing south-east.

Chinese Architecture is affected by its culture and history. With the development of communication, the architecture of China will involve more western culture. On the other hand, the tradition of architecture of China may change, such as less attention on Fengshui.