History of Chinese Architecture

Mr. Liang Sicheng, a renowned Chinese architect, architectural historian, and architectural educator, dedicated his life to the study and preservation of ancient Chinese architecture. Beginning in the 1930s, he conducted a lengthy, scientific investigation of ancient Chinese architecture. Working with colleagues from the Architectural Society, despite the social unrest, scarcity of resources, and extremely inconvenient transportation at the time, he surveyed and meticulously mapped over 2,000 ancient buildings in nearly 200 counties across China in less than a decade. He accumulated a wealth of detailed text and image data for the study of ancient Chinese architecture and wrote a comprehensive scientific research report. His contributions were immense!
Liang Sicheng summarized the key characteristics of ancient Chinese architecture, identified its "grammar," and proposed a research system of "structural, technical, and environmental thought." This groundbreaking work provided support for the study of Chinese architectural history and filled a gap in the research of ancient Chinese architecture. Liang Sicheng's exploration of Chinese architectural thought opened up new avenues for understanding the connection between Chinese architecture and traditional Chinese culture, allowing us to consider how to inherit tradition and how to generate creative energy within it.
"A History of Chinese Architecture" chronologically divides ancient Chinese architecture into several periods, presenting literature, overviews, artifacts, characteristics, and analysis, making it a comprehensive history. Written entirely in classical Chinese, the text is a harmonious and coherent presentation of the spirit and style of ancient architecture. Mr. Liang's writing is lucid and easy to understand, making it a very readable work.

To understand Chinese architecture, one must calm down, understand it with sympathy, seek truth from facts, not mix in any attempt to gain fame, and not make any extreme praise or criticism. Start by understanding Liang Sicheng.
—— Wang Jun
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Different from other versions on the book market, this time Sanlian Bookstore reprinted "History of Chinese Architecture" (general edition), comparing the original simplified Chinese version with Mr. Liang Sicheng's manuscript and the mimeographed version published in 1955, correcting errors and omissions, checking documents, and carefully selecting and producing nearly four hundred pictures.

2023-06-01

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