Today I'll take a look at some of the
architecture seen in ancient China.
This building is the "Temple of Confucius" in Qufu, China. It was originally built in 478 BCE, but has been expanded and rebuilt since. The style has stayed the same, but the size of the building increased as Confucianism began to dominate the philosophy of the country.
The style is traditional Oriental, and is seen primarily in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, all East Asian countries. The general look is to have a broad base and to taper upwards to a smaller point with similar, almost identical, layers. This idea of a hierarchical building reflects the hierarchical Asian society. More subtle details like color and carvings give the building a sense of purpose. For instance, the carved dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, marking either the buildings in which he resides, or the buildings which were erected to pay homage to him. The style is still in use today, and was the guiding style of the Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world until July 2007.
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