Great Imperial Capital - Architectural Heritage of Beijing Through the Ages

Author: Xiao Mo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Beijing is a world-renowned cultural ancient capital with a city history of over 3,000 years and a capital history of over 850 years. It is the city with the most and highest-quality historical architectural heritage in China, making it a model of architectural art for China and even the world. This book mainly introduces the achievements of ancient architectural art in Beijing, including its history, the layout and evolution of Beijing from the Warring States period to the Yuan Dynasty, its characteristics and ruins, the urban layout and artistic features of Beijing during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as detailed introductions to surviving heritage such as the Forbidden City, temples, royal tombs, Buddhist, Taoist, Islamic, and Christian churches, pagodas, guild halls, gardens, princely residences and ordinary houses, and the Great Wall. The book is organized chronologically, combining macro-historical studies and comparative research to link architectural phenomena with social and historical processes. It follows a complete academic framework, showcasing the excellent traditional architecture of Beijing, especially from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, while also incorporating theory where appropriate, blending history and analysis, and deriving arguments from historical evidence. The writing style is fluent and vivid, making it highly readable, and it is accompanied by rich illustrations, making it a delightful and outstanding read.