Excavations from the Shang dynasty at Luoyang, Zhengzhou, and Anyang have revealed architecture that is beginning to take on conventional Chinese form: gigantic earthen walls encircling emerging urban centers; rectilinear structures built on rammed-earth foundations (layers of earth pounded to stonelike hardness and durability). The earliest such remains date back to about 1600 B.C., long before the first written records from outside China.
The basic layout of a city during this period can be inferred from those excavated sites. Beginning with the wall, which was usually made of mud bricks plastered over with clay or sand painted yellow for protection against erosion and weathering, it would grow in size as more areas within its confines were developed. Within the wall would be found public buildings such as temples and royal palaces as well as residential districts for artisans and other commoners. Beyond the wall would be open fields planted with crops or grazed by livestock, the remnants of which may still be seen in some rural parts of China today. In addition to mud brick, the Shang used timber when building their cities, especially for larger projects such as bridges and towers.
One of the most impressive aspects of Shang architecture is its longevity. Although no actual ruins remain today, archaeologists have been able to reconstruct how these early cities might have looked using the artifacts found at excavated sites.
Palaces, city walls, temples, pagodas, and dwellings are all examples of ancient Chinese architecture. Their architectural styles vary according to their purpose. Imperial government buildings, typical houses, and religious structures were the three principal categories. The most important building in any city was the palace of the king or emperor. It was usually made of wood with some stone elements added for stability and longevity.
The Great Wall of China is one of the oldest human-made monuments in the world. It was built over a thousand years before the Egyptian Pyramids were constructed. The wall was originally meant to protect against raids by tribal groups from outside China's borders. However, today it is used as a tourist attraction because of its history and size.
Chinese people developed a number of building techniques that are still used today. They invented the screw drive which is found in modern appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners. They also came up with many other technologies such as the magnetic compass, paper, and printing press which have been adopted worldwide.
Ancient Chinese architects were very creative. Some famous buildings include the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and The Forbidden City. All of these structures are unique designs that show how advanced Chinese technology had become at that time.
The Great Wall of China: A Brief History China has a long history of erecting massive defense walls. One of the first walls goes back to the Shang Dynasty (1600–1050 BC), when they erected a three-square-kilometer-long mud wall around their city. The Shangs were known for their art and architecture, which made them popular with other countries' rulers who wanted products made by Westerners. As a result, they became very wealthy and powerful. In 1046 BC, the last Shang king died without an heir, ending this ancient civilization.
During the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BC), China's first imperial dynasty, they built one of the largest military forces in the world from 221 BC to 207 BC. They used this force to destroy the independent kingdoms and expand their empire into its current size. The most famous monument built by the Qin is probably the Great Wall of China. However, scholars believe that it was actually built by the Shang before it was taken down again.
In fact, the first written account of the Great Wall being built came from a Chinese historian named Wu Cheng'en in 1557. Before then, no one knew that the Shang had ever built anything. Even though historians know about this wall now, they didn't at the time of Wu Cheng'en's writing. Instead, he called it "a great barrier" that separated China's civilized north from its barbaric south.
Brick and stone building rapidly supplanted timber structures beginning with the Tang Dynasty. Early instances of this shift may be seen in construction projects such as the Zhaozhou Bridge (finished in 605) and the Xumi Pagoda (built in 636). The popularity of brick and stone architecture was due to their durability and ease of maintenance. Wood is difficult to find in most of China at this time, so builders turned to using alternatives such as bamboo or clay.
Bricks were used throughout much of China during this period, but they came from different sources in northern and southern China. Northern bricks were made of clay mixed with straw and sand and fired in wood or coal fires; they are small and light-colored. Southern bricks are made of clay alone and are larger and darker colored. They are still used today in certain parts of China where materials are scarce.
Stone was also widely used in buildings during the Tang Dynasty. It was imported from all over Asia and Europe and worked into various shapes and sizes by craftsmen who traveled with trading ships between China and its overseas colonies. These experts were called "stone carvers" or "mason masters."
The earliest surviving examples of architectural design in China date from the early years of the 7th century. They are Buddhist sculptures from around the world that were brought back by Chinese diplomats and missionaries and placed in Chinese temples.
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