Research On Chinese Traditionalarchitectural Concepts In Classical Texts

The architectural form is the product of culture and values.Therefore,the history of architecture is not only a historical building,but also contains the values of the ancients.The values of the ancients reflected in the traditional architecture are the‘Chinese traditional architecture concepts’.However,the division of disciplines has caused the regret of ‘separation of architecture from other disciplines’ in previous studies,which is manifested in the inadequate depth of document excavation and the inadequate understanding of traditional Chinese thinking system in architectural history under the engineering system according to the concepts and categories of Western disciplines.At the same time,it has caused the regret of ‘ignoring people behind the architecture’,that is the architectural historiography still focused on the study of architectural entities,and weakened the discussion of traditional architectural concepts.This study tries to trace back to the context of the ancients and explore the Chinese traditional architectural concept behind architecture.The research is based on the ‘classical texts’,breaks through the original discipline boundary,and relies on the overall thinking and dialectical thinking of Chinese culture to restore the Chinese traditional architectural view with ‘elements’ and‘system’,and discusses the ancestors’ cognition of architecture.Chinese architectural classical texts(Chapter II:Types and Features of Chinese Architectural Classical Texts)include ancient characters and words,classic literature,unearthed literature,and literature of image.On the basis of a comprehensive interpretation of architectural classical texts,this study reveals the characteristics of the recording.Chinese architectural classical texts have five characteristics:1)It is a dynamic‘big data’characterized by large quantity,wide distribution,complex types,rich connotation,and complete logic;2)The characteristics of‘integration of Tao and apparatus’.3)the characteristics of‘sublime words with the profound meaning’and‘Pay attention to the ideas contained in the article rather than the contents recorded’contain the thinking mode and values of the Chinese.4)the literature reflecting the architectural concepts are far more than describing the architectural entity,and pay attention to the record of the architectural concepts;5)Architectural groups,monomers,and components are not only the architecture itself but also cultural symbols with different environments,moods,and artistic conception.According to the documentary records,the cognitive process of the ancients,as well as the cognitive development process of the ancients from macro to micro,from understanding the outside to paying attention to people’s hearts.It can be seen that the ancients’cognition of architecture is a process from dialogue with heaven and earth and understanding the concept of the unity of time and space,to understanding that humans are a part of nature.Architecture restricts human behavior and the Chinese garden reflects that we pay attention to our hearts.The theoretical system of the Chinese traditional architectural view includes five aspects.Chapter III:The heaven and earth view of‘That loftiness were after the pattern of heaven;that solidity,after the pattern of earth’(崇效天,卑法地);Chapter IV:The space-time concept of‘time dominating space’(以时率空);Chapter V:The environmental view of‘Comprehend the way of development and change of everything in heaven and earth’(参天地,赞化育);Chapter VI:the ritual thoughts of‘the hub of Yin and Yang,and the scale of human relations’(阴阳之枢纽,人伦之轨模);Chapter VII:the life-style of‘Li(礼)and Yue(乐)are in the state of equilibrium and harmony’(礼乐复合).It is clearly pointed out that in the concept of the ancients,architecture is not only a means to shelter from the wind and rain but also the way of life of the ancients,carrying the value and significance of the living state and life spirit of the ancients.In a word,architecture is the noumenon of human existence.This study is a comprehensive and systematic expansion of the existing results,which has promoted the deepening development of the discipline of Chinese architectural history.The author may make a modest contribution to changing the current situation of ‘Aphasia’ in Chinese architectural history and constructing our own discourse system of architectural history.The main innovations are as follows: 1)the theoretical framework of Chinese traditional architectural view is constructed based on Chinese classical texts;2)to study Chinese traditional architecture by restoring the thinking mode of the ancients;3)exploring Chinese traditional architecture from the perspective of ‘ontology’.