The Elegance of Cultural Monuments: The History and Aesthetics of Architectural Art

Author: Xiao Mo
Editor-in-Chief: Chen Zechun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-08-01
Features: Excerpt: On a day over 2,200 years ago, Liu Bang led his army back to the capital Chang'an in grand style. He had just overthrown the Qin Dynasty and established the Han Empire, but was still busy fighting east and west to suppress the various local armed forces that did not recognize the new empire. After returning to Chang'an, he saw the newly built Weiyang Palace, which was magnificent beyond compare, and felt somewhat displeased. He summoned the Chancellor Xiao He, who had overseen the project, and questioned him, saying, "The world is still at war, and it's still uncertain whether we will ultimately prevail. Why such extravagance?" Xiao He replied, "Precisely because the outcome is uncertain, the palace should be even more magnificent. Otherwise, how can it showcase Your Majesty's great power?" After hearing this, Liu Bang understood Xiao He's intention.
Liu Bang held a court meeting in Weiyang Palace, feeling content and fulfilled. He said to his father, "Back then, you always said I wouldn't be able to establish a family fortune like my other brothers. Now, what can you say?" In Chang'an, there was also the Changle Palace, which was rebuilt on the ruins of the Qin Dynasty's Xingle Palace, which had been destroyed during the war. After its completion, the ministers and generals who had risen from humble origins with Liu Bang practiced etiquette and held feasts in the palace. In the grand and majestic atmosphere of the palace, these men who were usually fearless were now so disciplined that not a single one dared to break the rules, even their voices had become quieter. This made Liu Bang, who had once been a minor local official, deeply moved and say, "Today, I finally understand the dignity of being an emperor!" This shows that as early as 2,200 years ago, if not even earlier, people had already recognized the role of architectural art.
In fact, when I walk into the Forbidden City in Beijing today, although the feudal monarchy has long become a thing of the past, passing through the imposing Meridian Gate and entering the Gate of Supreme Harmony, standing before the solemn and majestic Hall of Supreme Harmony, it is not difficult to sense the sacredness of imperial power of the past with just a little reflection. If we are in a Suzhou garden, where pavilions and terraces are shaded by trees, the sound of musical instruments occasionally heard, flowers and trees are lush, and the fragrance fills the sleeves, it is yet another kind of charm. If we stand in the square of the Potala Palace, an enormous building stands before us, as if intentionally contrasting the insignificance of the individual human being. Gazing up at the golden roofs and gilded pillars set against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds, and hearing the low, powerful sound of Buddhist scriptures broadcast from loudspeakers, even if we may not be religious, we cannot escape the profound influence of the religious atmosphere. All of this is the expression of architectural art.
Perhaps we have not consciously entered an artistic aesthetic realm, as we might when admiring a painting in an art gallery or listening to a symphony in a concert hall, but in fact, architecture, through its moving artistic imagery and the atmosphere it creates, is already sending us a powerful message, infecting us. Therefore, architectural art is a universal art, even called a "compulsory" art. This is because architecture is everywhere, and everyone cannot live without it. No matter how people think, architecture is always "compelling" them to accept it. But architecture is also a difficult art, both in creation and appreciation. For the masterpieces of architectural art in the world, they belong to a high-level art like a symphony, much more difficult to appreciate than listening to a pop song or reading a popular illustrated book. This is because architecture is an abstract art, an expressive art, and requires more subjective participation from the audience, higher artistic and aesthetic cultivation, and a more crystalline heart for beauty.
So, although as mentioned above, it seems that everyone can instinctively be moved by it, to truly deeply understand it and delve into its inner world is not that easy. So far, especially in China, how many people seem to only stay at a superficial level of intuition, unable to see or grasp it. Architectural art is also an important art, which can be seen from the origin of the English word "architecture." The English "architecture" comes from the Greek "Archi" and "tekt," where "tekt" means "skill," and "Archi" means "important," "dominant," and "primary." In all qualified histories of art, this architecture, often called "the pinnacle of artistic achievement," is usually placed at the beginning of each chapter, adding glory to the history of art. Architecture not only plays the role of beautifying life everywhere (the ugliness of failed architecture also has the same obvious effect), but it is also a vivid embodiment of human culture; for classic works, it is a profound and immortal record of human culture, reaching the height praised by the great French writer Victor Hugo as a monument to human thought. Hugo also said that architecture is a "book of stones"; the Russian Gogol also said that architecture is the annals of the world, when songs and legends have fallen silent, while architecture still speaks.