Great Imperial Capital: Architectural Heritage of Beijing Through the Ages

Author: Xiao Mo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Beijing is a world-famous cultural ancient capital with a city history of over 3,000 years and a capital history of over 850 years. Beijing is the city with the most and highest-quality historical architectural heritage in China, making it a model of architectural art heritage for China and even the world. This book mainly introduces the achievements of ancient architectural art in Beijing, including the history of Beijing, the layout and evolution of its cities from the Warring States period to the Yuan Dynasty, their characteristics and remains, 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, temple complexes, imperial tombs, Buddhist, Taoist, Islamic, and Christian temples, 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 outstanding traditional architecture of each dynasty, especially since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, while also incorporating theory where appropriate, with arguments grounded in historical evidence. The writing style is fluent and vivid, making it highly readable, accompanied by rich illustrations, making it a delightful and excellent read.