BetweenthefalloftheHandynastyin220CEandtheyear600,morethanthirtydynasties,kingdoms,andstatesroseandfellontheeasternsideoftheAsiancontinent.ThefoundersandrulersofthosepolitiesrepresentedthespectrumofpeoplesinNorth,East,andCentralAsia.Nearlyallofthembuiltpalaces,altars,temples,tombs,andcities,andalmostwithoutexception,thearchitecturewasgroundedinthebuildingtraditionofChina.Illustratedwithmorethan475colorandblack-and-whitephotographs,maps,anddrawings,ChineseArchitectureinanAgeofTurmoilusesallavailableevidence—Chinesetexts,secondaryliteratureinsixlanguages,excavationreports,andmostimportant,physicalremains—topresentthearchitecturalhistoryofthistumultuousperiodinChina’shistory.Itsauthor,NancyShatzmanSteinhardt,arguablyNorthAmerica’sleadingscholarofpremodernChinesearchitecture,hasdonefieldresearchatnearlyeverysitementioned,manyofwhichwereunknowntwentyyearsagoandhaveneverbeendescribedinaWesternlanguage.
Thephysicalremainsareahandfulofpagodas,dozensofcave-temples,thousandsoftombs,small-scaleevidenceofarchitecturesuchassarcophagi,andcountlessrepresentationsofbuildingsinpaintandreliefsculpture.Togethertheynarrateanexpansivearchitecturalhistorythatoffersthefirstin-depthstudyofthedevelopment,century-by-century,ofChinesearchitectureofthethirdthroughsixthcenturies,plusaviewofimportantbuildingsfromthetwohundredyearsbeforethethirdcenturyandtheresolutionofarchitectureofthisperiodinlaterconstruction.ThesubtextofthishistoryisanexaminationofChinesearchitecturethatanswersfundamentalquestionssuchas,Whatwasachievedbyabuildingsystemofstandardizedcomponents?WhyhasthisbuildingtraditionofperishablematerialsenduredsolonginChina?Whydidithavesomuchappealtonon-Chineseempirebuilders?DoescontemporaryarchitectureofKoreaandJapanenhanceourunderstandingofChineseconstruction?HowmuchofaroledidBuddhismplayinconstructionduringtheperiodunderstudy?Inansweringthesequestions,thebookfocusesontherelationbetweencitiesandmonumentsandtheirheroicorpowerfulpatrons,amongthemCaoCao,ShiHu,EmpressDowagerHu,GaoHuan,andlesser-knownindividuals.SpecificanduniquelyChineseaspectsofarchitectureareexplained.Therelevanceofsweeping—andsometimesuncomfortable—conceptsrelevanttotheChinesearchitecturaltraditionsuchascolonialism,diffusionism,andtheroleofhistoricalmemoryalsoresonatethroughthebook.
KINGDOMS AGE CHINESE ARCHITECTURE
