Study On The Evolution Of Ancient Qufu City Form

Qufu is one of the cradle lands of Chinese civilization. With thousands years of the history of civilization, Qufu acts as the hometown of Confucius who is the great thinker, educator and founder of Confucianism renowned Chinese and abroad. The deep-rooted cultural accumulation has made Qufu continuously developed during several thousands years, assuming a significant position in Chinese as well as the world cultural domain. Qufu has become the cultural shrine in Chinese as well as in the East-Asia cultural circle, which is also one of the world’s oldest cultural Mecca. City form is the overall reflection of the cultural development. The rich essence of traditional culture carried by Qufu also reflects in the construction process of the city in several thousands years. Throughout the construction process of the ancient Qufu city during three thousands years, it worked both as a period of Princes Town and as local cities and then gradually evolved into the period of the Confucianism Holy City. The history of the construction profoundly reflects the influence of the ruling class’s thoughts during different periods.The thesis takes the city form and its evolution of ancient Qufu City as the study object. The mainly content of the thesis contents the following four aspects:First, I studied the layout of the ancient Qufu city during different historical periods. Based on the collection and interpretation of the archaeological materials and the historical literature, combined with the existing heritage relics, following the principles of uniting the historical rules and the physical facts, the thesis makes a layer-pattern analysis on the composed elements of Qufu city form according to the historical evolutionary process during the three thousands years, representing the layout of the ancient Qufu city in different historical stages.Second,1analyzed and summarized the general characteristics of the city form evolution of the ancient Qufu city. On the basis of recovery studies, the thesis finds out the constitute principles and laws about the development of the dimensional arrangements in different various elements and the functional zone separation. Exploring the dynamic changes of the morphological characteristics of the ancient Qufu city’s construction,1summarize the general characteristics of the form evolution of the city form’s elements in each stage of history. The thesis makes a longitudinal analysis on the construction of the ancient Qufu city, revealing the profound influence of the layout of ritual construction established in Western Zhou Dynasty on future generations of city form. During the subsequent historical stage, the construction of the ancient Qufu city is always based on Lu city, although the city size and location changed several times, they are a continuation and development of the Lu city. reflecting the historical continuity replacement feature of city construction.Third, made an analysis on the social motivation and its mechanism of the ancient Qufu city construction form evolution, and explore the interactive relationship between different aspects social factors, the different historical stages and the ancient city construction form, conducting in-depth research on the construction form evolution of the ancient Qufu city on the perspective of the dominant culture factors. Based on the analysis of the motivation of the construction form evolution in different stage of history, the thesis points out that ruling class’s thoughts is the most direct and basic motivation on the formation and evolution of the ancient Qufu city’s construction form. As a dominant force in shaping city form, the respected and maintenance of the thought of the ritual in ruling class laid the political foundation on the establishment and continuation on ritual construction form of the ancient Qufu city. At the same time, the city’s ritual construction form as the material carriers of ideological ritual, has become the atmosphere which perceives the physical environment of the ritual culture, which become a place propagating and displaying the ritual culture. City physical environment and city cultural environment are important factors in the process the ancient Qufu city gradually developed into a city of culture.Fourth, based on the research of the ancient Qufu city construction form evolution, two prominent features in its evolution are revealed. The first feature is that the Lu city first built in the early of Zhou Dynasty is the concentrated reflection of the ritual construction thought in Zhou Dynasty. It is also the reality reference of the building thoughts expressed in Zhouli· Kaogongji. The construction practice of Zhou Dynasty becomes the direct "model" of obeying etiquette and rites in the city construction. The second one is that since Confucius was born in Qufu in the Spring and Autumn period, Qufu has become the place for commemorating Confucius. As the Confucian thoughts gradually become the dominant ruling ideology of the ruling class, the ancient Qufu also become the center of honoring Confucius within the scope of the whole nation. Along with the reinforcement of its cultural radiation, the city space form of the ancient Qufu presents a vivid carrier of Confucian culture, which is its core feature. From the Lu city in the early of Zhou Dynasty to Qufu city in Ming and Qing Dynasties, under the promotion of the respected and maintenance of the thought of the ritual in ruling class, the ancient Qufu has gradually made its construction form evolution into a world’s famous Confucianism cultural city.This thesis consists of three parts:Part one:Introduction.I clarify the background, purpose, significance and the research methods of the study, review the relevant research, make the definition of the concepts and point out the innovation points.Part two:chapter one to chapter five.I make a longitudinal analysis on the construction of the ancient Qufu city, find out the general characteristics of the construction form evolution in different stage of history and the social motivation of the ancient Qufu city, explore the interactive relationship between different aspects social factors, and the construction form of the ancient Qufu city.Chapter One. Firstly, making an outline of the overall situation of the development of civilization in Qufu area from the prehistoric to the Western Zhou Dynasty, and exploring the possible form of Shang city(maybe constructed in Qufu) in Shang Dynasty. Then based on archaeological materials and bibliographical materials, I analyze and summarize the general characteristics of the construction form evolution of Lu city in Zhou Dynasty. I make an analysis on the relationship between the construction of Lu city in Zhou Dynasty and the thought of the ritual of the ruling class.Chapter Two. Based on archaeological materials and bibliographical materials, analyzing and summarizing the general characteristics of the construction of Lu city in Qin and Han Dynasties, pointing out that the generation and development of the Lu city in Qin and Han Dynasties is the mark of the city changing into the cultural center of Confucianism, under the thoughts of ritual of the ruling class. The construction of the city in Western Han Dynasty reflects the relationship between the changes of the city form and social-political forces.Chapter Three. Based on archaeological materials and bibliographical materials, I analyze and summarize the general characteristics of the construction of Lu city from Ii, Jin period to Qufu city in Sui and Tang Dynasties. I point out the relationship between the changes of the city form and the worship of Confucius. In this period, Confucius Temple becomes an important place in the city space. The establishment of the Qufu city is as the Confucianism Cultural Center under the respected of Confucian and Confucianism.Chapter Four. Based on archaeological materials, bibliographical materials and the existing traditional city elements, I analyze and summarize the general characteristics of the construction of Qufu city in Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties. Reflecting on the relationship between the construction of Xianyuan city in Northern Song Dynasty and the old city. I point out that the new Xianyuan city expanded the cultural space of Qufu city and enrich the cultural connotation of Qufu city.Chapter Five. Based on bibliographical materials, the existing traditional city elements and the building elements. I analyze and summarize the general characteristics of the construction of Qufu city in Ming and Qing Dynasties, pointing out Confucius Temple, Confucian Mansion and Cemetery of Confucius Ire the dominant elements in the city form in the new construction of Qufu city. The role of Confucius Temple, Confucian Mansion, and Cemetery of Confucius becomes more and more important in the city. Based on this fact, they established and enhanced its role as the Confucianism Holy City.Part three:Conclusion.Summarizing the evolutionary process of the construction form of the ancient Qufu, making a comprehensive analysis on the social factors in Lu City in Zhou Dynasty and Qufu City in Ming and Qing Dynasties, which are two key stages. The thesis points out that ruling class’s thoughts is the most direct and basic motivation on the formation and evolution of the city form of ancient Qufu city. For three thousand years, Qufu has made its road from the model of ritual construction pattern into a city of Confucianism Holy City.