Illustrated Guide to Old Buildings in Jinan (Residential Volume)

Author: Zhang Runwu, Xue Li, Liu Yingxi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Folk residences refer to traditional folk dwelling buildings. Chinese traditional folk residences stand out worldwide with their diverse types, varied forms, distinctive features, and rich connotations, serving as an important part of the valuable heritage of Chinese architectural civilization and a typical representative of Eastern residential culture. Deeply rooted in the folk culture, Chinese traditional folk residences are closely intertwined with the lives of the people. Folk culture is the most people-oriented artistic treasure in Chinese architectural culture, a crystallization of the wisdom of the people. Jinan is the capital of Shandong Province and a national historical and cultural city. It is an ancient city described as "four sides of lotus flowers, three sides of willows, and one city of mountain colors half-filled with lakes." Nestled against Mount Tai, the highest of the Five Great Mountains to the south, and bounded by the Yellow River, known as the cradle of the Chinese nation to the north, Jinan is a typical northern city with a harmonious blend of mountains and water. The streets and alleys, deep courtyards, and ordinary folk residences scattered throughout the ancient city are all architectural environments where the people live and thrive. These traditional folk residences are renowned for their close integration with the water system of the "Spring City," characterized by simple decorations and a "half-northern, half-southern" style described as "as elegant as Jiangnan." They are the most important constituent elements of the historical and cultural city of Jinan, faithfully recording and depicting its urban history. The old streets and alleys of the ancient city are steeped in history, and every courtyard holds cultural significance. It is crucial to recognize the historical and cultural value of these folk residences. Due to various objective reasons, it is often difficult to verify the exact construction date of folk residences. Therefore, the content described in Illustrated Old Buildings of Jinan·Folk Residences Volume does not focus on historical verification or the chronological order of construction. Instead, it includes all folk residences built before the founding of the People's Republic of China that adopt traditional Chinese residential forms and construction techniques. The existing traditional folk residences in Jinan are gradually disappearing, but it is impossible to encompass all traditional folk residences in the former Jinan Prefecture in this book. The descriptions here can only be considered a drop in the bucket, and it is certain that many outstanding existing traditional folk residences have been overlooked and await and improvement by readers. May the remaining traditional folk residences in Jinan play a greater role in the protection and restoration of the city as a historical and cultural city.