Chinese
structures are based on principles of balance and symmetry.
The main structures are the axis or main things that hold these
principles intact. The secondary
structures are made into wings to form the main rooms and the yard.
Temples
Buddhist
temples become scarcer and scarcer as they are torn down for urban development.
One
of the most famous is 400 feet high and was erected during the
Yung-ning-su dynasty. The most
common temple is the stupa or the pagoda. The
pagoda was used to house sacred things. These
take the form of a structure with stories or, uncommonly, an upturned bowl.
As the centuries passed the temples were built in different shapes with a
different amount of levels.
Cities
All
Chinese cities are protected by walls. The
rich houses had tiles that were painted or had a gloss put on them.
These even had their own protective walls around them.
Peasant’s homes were made of mud bricks and roots of reeds. Their homes did not protect from natural disasters and had
only one room (which would include a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom etc.).
Roofs
Roofs
are very important to Chinese Architecture.
Temple roofs were upturned because they would supposedly help scare off
evil spirits which would come down to earth in straight lines.
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