A Daoist Temple in a Cave COMMENTS FROM GOOGLE PLUS Sheila Nagig I love the red that the Chinese use. It’s such a strong, beautiful shade of the color. All Things Chinese From Taoist point of view, deep red (China Red) is a color attracting the maximum yang qi, while the black and white reflecting the extreme yin energy, which […]
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In the Gaofeng High Summit Hill in Sichuan Province, there are 8 ridges like eight dragons looking back at the mountain peak, and over 500 aging pine trees, some as old as a thousand years, all stretching their branches towards that same apex of the mountain. There are 4 gates located in the 4 directions respectively as entrances to a […]
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This is a giant village house supported by 1,322 timber columns, located in the outskirts of Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province. Shaoxing is an ancient city with a rich cultural tradition and the homeland to some prominent figures in Chinese history, including the greatest hydraulic engineer and last ruler of Xia Dynasty Yu the Great (大禹, 4,000 BC), China’s greatest calligrapher […]
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In China’s Sichuan Province there are two rocky hills hosting a temple accommodating both Daoist and Buddhist faiths. In this multi-faith temple, built in 874 during Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), there are two groups of buildings. Those in the west following the way of Daoism and the ones in the east pursue Buddhist path. The main hall in a […]
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Shibaozhi Pagoda (石宝寨塔), the centrepiece architecture in Daoist Temple Precious Stone Fortress (石宝寨) built against a 200m high rocky hill facing the Yangtze River in Chongqing, is one of the largest wooden pagodas in China. Legend has it that the rocky hill was a stone among those collected by Goddess Nuva to repair the sky damaged by rebell Gonggong. After […]
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This is Daoist Qiyun Mountain (meaning a mountain as high as clouds) in Anhui Province, 585 metres above sea level. Halfway up the peak, there is Qiyun Town, and in the Town, there is Moonlight Street, also known as Sky Street, where Daoist temples, shops, hotels and residences line up along the footpath. There is a paved walkway from the […]
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Altar of Heaven, the 1920s Altar of Heaven in the south of Beijing Forbidden City, built 600 years ago during the early Ming Dynasty, was a venue for the emperor in the guidance of Daoists to pay personal respect and conduct a private dialogue with higher forces above. Chinese emperors were traditionally regarded as the representatives of the celestial authority […]
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A Bordertown in Gansu In a remote desert region in China’s west in today’s Yongtai County, Gansu Province, there is a 400-year old Yongtai City. The city was structured to function as military fortress against the Mongols and Tartars who constantly crossed the border to loot the scattered Chinese settlements. The city walls, 12 metres high and 1.7 kilometres in total length, […]
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A classic Chinese Buddhist temple is typically a building complex consisted of several courtyards as shown in the illustration below. Entrance The first is the entrance building, known as Mountain Gate (山门), with a square in front and three gates that represent the doors to freedom from three constraints. The three constraints are generated by our obsessions with a temporary […]
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Traditional Chinese architecture is not only as old as Chinese civilization with 5,000 years of history but unique in the world, particularly when the roof system is concerned, both in terms of its multi-layered dougong structure – a set of interlocking wooden brackets that supports the massive roofs – and its visual style in shape, size and colour. Below is a brief introduction […]
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Traditional Chinese pavilion is normally a covered small structure with little or no wall. These open structures were initially erected at roadside in the Warring States era more than 2,200 years ago as shelters for soldiers. After China was reunited under the Qin, a unified postal system was established, and roadside pavilions were used for the government postmen on horseback to […]
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If you think this is an ancient Chinese city wall with gates, you are wrong. It’s a public toilet in China. If you think this is a residence, you are wrong. This is a public toilet in China. If you think this is an art gallery or museum, you are wrong. This is a public toilet in China. If you […]
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