Handout - CCCH 9001 Course

The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course 2011 – 2012

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden:

Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture Time: First semester (Wednesday 15:00 – 17:00)

Course Description

By looking into the physical significance of Chinese architecture, cities, and landscapes, the course introduces theories and principles of Chinese houses and gardens. Through the study of Chinese houses and their settings in a city, it brings out the daily life and social fabric for a Chinese man under the Confucian influence. Through the study of Chinese Gardens and the literati ideas behind the making of garden, landscape and painting, it introduces the artistic profile for a Chinese intellectual under the influence of Daoism.   

The course investigates how geography, society and economy, as well as aesthetic and ideology shape the traditional physical environment in China. It deals with explorations of form and space, technology and material, as well as the ways in which these architectural attributes affect our life patterns and values in a traditional society. The course particularly addresses how the culture profile was manifested in the architecture and urban spaces during the late Ming, - an era of unique aesthetic orientation cultivated from distinct stage of social and economic development in Chinese history.

Handout - Lecture 01

The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course 2011 – 2012

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden:

Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture 01 (07/09/2011)

Origins and Principles of Chinese Dwelling and Landscape

1. Introduction

1.                   Man, Nature and Physical Environment

2.                   Culture and Geography in Early Dwellings：

i.                    Material Culture developed along Yellow River

ii.                  Material Culture developed along Yangtze River

3.                   Culture Formation in Early History

Handout - Lecture 02

The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course 2011 – 2012

China: Culture, State and Society

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture 02 (14/09/2011)

Courtyard House: Type and Construction

1. House Form and its Prototype:  Physical or Cultural?

1.      Climate and Geography

2.      Materials and Technology

3.      Social Structure and Defense

4.      Culture and Religion

2. “Jia”家—Home and Family in Courtyard Spaces

1.                   Genealogies and  Rituals in Lineage: Center and Growth

2.                   Dwellings as Social Templates: Organization and Social Order

3.                   Spatial Module and Structure Bays: Kaijian 開間

4.                   Courtyard Spaces, Progression and the Concept of Jin進 and Kua 跨

5.                   Multi-Functional Courtyards – Privacy and Defense/Climate Moderator/Social and Production Space/Aesthetics and Symbols /Didactic Narrative

Handout - Lecture 03

The University of Hong Kong Common Core Course 2011 – 2012

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture 03 (21/09/2011)

Courtyard Houses in Beijing and Northern China

1. Cave Dwelling in Northern China 窯洞

1.            Climate, Geography and Material

2.            Prototype and Layout : Cliffside Cave Dwelling 靠崖窯 ;

      Sunken Courtyard Cave Dwelling 地坑窯 ; Above-ground Cave Dwelling 錮窯

3.          Cave Dwelling in the Courtyard Compound

4.          Cave Dwelling and Village Life: Movie Clips from The Yellow Earth 黃土地

Handout - Lecture 04

The University of Hong Kong Common Core Course 2011 – 2012

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture 04 (12/10/2011)

Courtyard Houses in Southern China

1. Lingnan Dwellings 嶺南民居

1.         Traditional Houses in Guangzhou and Southern Guangdong 廣府民居

i.          Prototype: Three Modular Bays and Two Corridors   三間兩廊

ii.         Development and Grid-like Village Layout 梳式布局 

iii.        Variation: Xi-Guan Houses 西關大屋 and Bamboo Barrel Houses 竹筒屋

iv.        Lou Kau Mansion 盧家大屋 and Mandarin’s House鄭家大屋 in Macau

2.         Lingnan Houses and Hakka Walled Villages in Hong Kong and Shenzhen

i.          Lingnan Style Houses: Tai Fu Tai, San Tin 新田大夫第

ii.         Hakka Walled Villages 圍村and Walled Houses 圍屋

- Kat Hing Wai, Kam Tim 錦田吉慶圍

-Tsang Tai Uk, Sha Tin 沙田曾大屋

-Hehu-xinju,Longgang 龍崗鶴湖新居;Dawan-shiju, Pingshan 坪山大萬世居 

- Sam Tung Uk, Tsuen Wan 荃灣三棟屋

 3.        Diao-Lou: Tower Dwellings in Kaiping and Taishan 開平台山碉樓

i.          Colonial Style and Oversea Chinese: Symbol of Wealth and Defense Measure

ii.         Layout, Components and Motifs

Handout - Lecture 06

The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course 2011 – 2012

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

 

Lecture 06 (02/11/2011)

Courtyard Houses of Huizhou and Jiangnan

1. Huizhou Dwelling 徽州

1.            Huizhou Merchants and the Clan Village 

i.          Geography, Society & Culture

- Location and History of the Clan

- Farmer, Merchant, Scholar and the Neo-Confucian 程朱理學

- Sustaining the Clan family

ii.         Layout and Spaces of the Clan Village

- Function and Fengshui (Hongcun宏村/Chengkan呈坎)

                                            - Spaces of Didactic Narrative 敘事的教化空間 (Xidi西递/Tangyue棠樾)

2.            Building Layout and Components

i.           Prototype and Variations:  O, U, H and 日Shape

ii.          Buildings Layout

- Ground Floor: Gate Hall, Light-well（Si-Shui-Gui-Tang 四水歸堂）, Main Hall

- The Upper Floor: Bed Room and Corridor Gallery 跑馬樓

                        iii.        Building Elements and Decoration

- Step-like Gable Wall 馬頭牆 and Carved Canopy 門罩 /門樓

- Wood Brick and Stone Carving

3.             Family Life in a Huizhou House: Yin Yu Tang 蔭餘堂

4.             Ming and Qing Dynasty House : Cheng Zhi Tang 承志堂

Handout - Lecture 07

The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course  2011-2012

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture 07 (09/11/2011)

Nature and Landscape: Painting and the Design of Garden

1. Man and Nature

1.      Gardens and Parks in the World Perspective

2.      Daoism and Nature as Beauty:

Lao-zi 老子, Zhuang-zi 莊子and Confucious 孔子

3.      From Nature to Artificial Landscape:                         

i. Follow the Nature 源於自然 法於自然

ii.       Representation of Nature and Framing the Nature

iii.        Beyond Square and Circle -asymmetry, irregularity, curvilinear

Handout - Lecture 08

The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course 2011 – 2012

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

Lecture 08 (16/11/2011)

Garden, City and Landscape: the 16^th and 17^th Century Suzhou

A.     City and Garden

1.         The Functions of Garden and Garden in a House

2.         Four Famed Suzhou Gardens 蘇州四大名園

i.          The Master of Nets Garden 網師園 (Song 宋1174-)

-           a pocket garden combined with residence

ii.         The Lion Grove Garden 獅子林 (Yuan 元1342-)

-           an originally temple garden conform with literati’s and merchant’s interest

iii.        The Humble Administrator Garden 拙政園 (Ming 明1510-)

-           a large scale water scenery garden designed by literati (Wen Zheng-Ming 文徵明)

iv.        The Lingering Garden 留園 (Ming 明1593-)

-                 a comprehensive garden famous for rock and water

v.         Others: Cang-Lang Pavilion, Suzhou 蘇州滄浪亭 (Song宋 1045-)

-           a small shrine and public garden

Handout - Lecture 09

The University of Hong Kong

Common Core Course 2011 – 2012

China: Culture, State and Society

Chinese House and Garden: Architecture, Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)

 

Lecture 09 (30/11/2011)

Interior, Furniture and Daily Life

1. Furniture: Culture, Style and Type

1.                  Culture and Furniture in History

i.                    Li  禮:  Ritual and Manner

ii.                  From seating on the ground to seating on chairs

ii. From low-heel to high-leg furniture

2.                  Evolving Styles 

i.                    The elegance in Ming Style Furniture明式家具

ii.                   The decoration in Qing Style Furniture清式家具

3.                  Type of Chinese Furniture

i.          Yokeback Armchair官帽椅, Roundback Armchair圈椅, Folded Roundback Armchair交椅, Stool 凳, Folded Stool 交凳, Bench 條凳

ii. Coach Bed榻/ 羅漢床, Canopy Bed架子床

iii.       Kang Table炕桌, Square Table 方桌/八仙桌, Painting Table畫案, Altar Table 案

iv.       Cabinet 櫃

v. Shelf, Screen and others架, 圍屏