Guizhou Xingyi Luyi Memorial Arch

In generally,Memorial Arches of Lutun,(a town of Xingyi City,Guizhou),has some similarity with Chinese common ones in architectural form.However,due to the remote locations and ethnic representativeness,they also deserve extensive research as ancient relics for ethnical and folk arts.Lutun’s Arches have unique profiles of architectural characteristics and art expression.Exploring the sculpture,inscription,history and multiple ethnic culture of Guizhou’s memorial arches,will make Guizhou more open and acceptable to the world.Standing for memory of Lutun’s history,some of them are named after renowned person,such as Chastity Arch of Li-Xia(destroyed during Cultural Revolution),Chastity Arch of Li,Longevity Arch of Li jingzhang and Longevity Arch of Li rulan’s mother.They record outstanding legends of celebrity and family in Lutun.People,poor or rich,dutiful or chaste,can convey self-restrain willing and pursue the paramount compliment by inscription and symbolical pattern elaborately sculpted on the arches.Arches make history approachable and colorful.It improves our understanding of sociology and culturology.Furthermore,it is the important cultural asset for a city,due to its achievement of architecture craft and archaeological value.Compared with mainstream culture regions of Ethnic Han,Xingyi City is regarded as a borderland.Meanwhile,it is cultural center for minority ethnics.Convergence and communication of different cultures(Central VS Marginal,Mainstream VS Secondary,and several local culture),characterizes its unique one.This can be clearly read through architectural characteristics,ornamental mould and pattern of Lutun’s Arches.This project is aimed to investigate the humanistic environment,culture and arts,and to discovery and research artistic expressions and cultural connotation of Guizhou Arches from multiple dimensions perspective.The study is based on the group of Lutun’s Arches by performing on-spot observation and analysis,tracking back humanity history and implementing theory of architecture and aesthetics.The thesis includes six sessions,as listed below:Session 1: Preface.To introduce special aims,basic theory and methods used in this project.To improve knowledge of research statuses about Chinese Arches and provide information for Lutun’s Arches by literature reviewing.Session 2: To introduce the general situation of Lutun,including geographical and humanistic environment,and historical origin of Lutun’s Arches.Session 3: It is Chapter 2 of thesis.To introduce on-site observation and research of Lutun’s Arches in details.Session 4: To investigate artistic form of Lutun’s Arches by analyzing carving art,dermatoglyphic pattern,inscription and technological esthetics.Session 5: To investigate cultural connotation and value of Arches by functional assay.Session 6: To propose notion relating to Arches research and cultural continuity.