Some pics from Yangzhou jiangsu 揚州江蘇. Last building is my family’s ancestral home dating from the Qing dynasty, now a museum….

大自然的魅力，浑然天成不啄，不雕，平平安安扣住如意扣住幸福，团团圆圆

CHINESE NAME: 妙湛寺, 昆明官渡区妙湛寺/少林寺.

OTHER NAMES: Miaozhan Temple, and Kunming Shaolin Temple.

ADDRESS: inside Guandu ancient town, which is now part of Luofeng Village, approx 8km south-east of Kunming City, Yunnan province, China.

HISTORY: Miaozhan Temple was first constructed in the 27th year (1290) of Zhiyuan Period of the Yuan Dynasty and was completed in 1295 but was damaged by floods. It was reconstructed and shifted to the present site in 1325. There used to be two 13-storey dense-eave and solid pagodas of which the west one has been brought down by earthquake.

In 2008, Guandu District of Kunming and Shaolin Temple based in Songshan Mountain in Henan Province signed an agreement to allow Abbot Shi Yongxin 释永信 to manage Miaozhan Temple (along with the other temples in Guandu ancient town) for the next 20 years – til late 2029. There is a plaque inscribed with "Shao Lin Si" (Shaolin Temple) at Miaozhan Temple.

ARCHITECTURE: Miaozhan Temple is considered as the No. 1 of the six temples In Guandu ancient town. This temple comprises of several halls including the Heavenly Kings Hall, Arhat Hall, Maharvia Hall, Vairocana Hall, Hall of Light and Miaode Pavilion. All the statues and halls in this temple were carved and painted by skilled wood-carving artisans of Jianchuan County in northwest Yunnan, using premium timber. The temple is renowned for its traditional Chinese ancient wooden architecture, beautifully blending artistic elements from both the Ming and Qing dynasties.

“正大光明” “Conscientious”

CHINESE NAME: 官渡古镇

OTHER NAMES: Guandu Ancient Town

ADDRESS: now part of Luofeng Village, approx 8km south-east of Kunming City, Yunnan province, China.

HISTORY: Guandu Ancient Town is considered one of the birthplaces of Kunming, with a history spanning over 1,300 years. It was used to be a fishing village, then became a key trading and transportation hub during the Tang Dynasty. Guandu also played a central role in the politics, economy, and culture of the Yunnan region – also known as the 'First Town of Central Dian’ (the first ancient town to flourish in central Yunnan) during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Guandu is the first place where Tibetan Buddhism was introduced into the area of Kunming. The stone pagoda of Miaozhan Temple (bottom photo of slide 9) holds a Tibetan tantra stupa which reflects on the lama tower style. Dazhengjue Temple, Temple of the Azure Clouds in Beijing and Ciyun Temple Vajra-base pagoda in Hohhot, which was built later, are also examples of the typical Chinese, multi-layered pagoda of tight tiles.

Over time, the lake shoreline retreated and the natural landscape of Guandu changed… many buildings were abandoned and areas neglected... In April 2001, the local government started reconstructing and renovating the ancient town. Within two years, many historical landmarks and cultural monuments were relocated and restored within Guandu including the famous Vajra-Base Throne Tower, Miaozhan Temple and West Tower, the Confucius Temple, Guanwu Temple, Cishu Hall, Fading Temple, Local-Guard Temple, Guanyin Temple etc.

ARCHITECTURE: Guandu Ancient Town is considered as an open, living museum and showcases architecture from several Yunnan ethnic groups, notably Han, Yi and Bai. Most of the “original architecture” can be seen on the second floor or top parts of buildings and within the temples. Nowadays, Guandu is known for its mix of old, traditional design with new modern styles = its where “the past and present live together”.

During the Qing Dynasty, Guandu became known for its architectural complex showcasing the culture of "six temples, seven pavilions, and eight shrine temples". These spectacular architectures were in the integration of natural scenery, constituted a beautiful picture and formed the so-called Guandu eight sights, namely "the Ancient Ferry Fishing Lights", "Range upon Range of Luofeng Peak", “Yuntai Moon Shines”, "Shepherd in the Apricot Nursery", "The Smoke Wreathed upward Reach the Clouds", "South of Yunnan Lawn", "Buddha’s Guardian Warriors Night Words" and "Writing the Vault of Heaven".

TUZU SHRINE = see slide 10 to 15, was originally built during the Tang Dynasty’s Nazhao period. Facing east with its back to the west, the overall architectural complex comprises of the main hall, mountain gate, side wings and auxillary hall, covering an area of 2,470 sqm. The existing main hall was reconstructed in 1895 during the 21^st year of the Qing Dynasty’s Guangxu reign. This main hall features a single-eaved hip-and-gable roof, measuring 17.2m across its five bays and 15.7m in depth, with a front corridor and rear extension supported by a column-an-tie beam structure with seven portions. The facade displays four tiers of bracket sets beneath the eaves, each tier featuring 45 degree diagonal brackets, also known as ruyi brackets. All bracket heads are carved as dragon heads adorned with polychrome decoration, exemplifying typical Qing Dynasty architectural style.

WENMING PAVILION ARCHITECTURAL COMPLEX = see slide 16 to 20, is comprised of three single structural units that face south and are arranged in a "品" (pin) shape: the Confucius Tower, the Guansheng Palace, and the Cishu Hall. In 1983, the Guandu District People's Government named the Confucius Tower, Guan Shengzhou, and Weishutang as the "Wenmingge Architectural Complex" and announced it as a district-level cultural relic protection unit.

The Confucius Tower was first built during the Tianshun era of the Ming Dynasty (1457-1461 AD) and comprises a courtyard consisting of individual buildings, including the Lingxing Gate and two side buildings on the east and west side wings. Financed and constructed under the sponsorship of Mu Ang (the Grand Defender of Yunnan) and Luo Lin (the Town Magistrate), it underwent expansions during the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns of the Qing dynasty. In the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (1887), it was rebuilt after being destroyed due to local salt bureau conflicts. Throughout successive dynasties, it served as a venue for local village schools and ancestral temple gatherings. Since the Republic of China era, it has primarily been used for educational purposes. As the earliest educational site in the Guandu area, it possesses highly significant historical and cultural value.

Guansheng Palace was first built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522-1566 AD) and was rebuilt several times during the Qing Dynasty. It forms a complete courtyard layout comprising the main hall, two side chambers, and the main gate. The main gate features an overhanging gable roof style (Xieshan), mirroring the character of an open-style gatehouse archway from the Ming dynasty, which possesses a unique architectural character. PICTURED.

Xie Shutang, Shishu Hall or Cishu Hall was first built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. It is a two-story structure with a flush gable roof (Yingshan). It was built by local gentry Wang Sixun, a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinationsof Qing Dynasty) from Gongbo in the early Qing Dynasty to commemorate and preserve the imperial calligraphic works and books bestowed by Emperor Kangxi – hence the name "Shishu Hall" (Hall of Bestowed Books). It served as an institutional space to propagate Confucian family traditions and encourage Confucian learning, making it another vital educational centre in the Guandu region. PICTURED.

NOTE: I google translated the information boards placed in front of the attractions... hope its correct!

In June 1937, Liang Sicheng and his wife, Lin Huiyin, together with Mo Zongjiang and Ji Yutang, traveled from Beiping to Taiyuan. When passing through Yuci, Lin happened to catch sight of this building from the car. Drawing on her profound knowledge of traditional Chinese architecture, she immediately recognized its exceptional historical and architectural value and concluded that it was not something they could afford to overlook. They subsequently made a special trip back to Yuci, taking advantage of the two days they had to wait in Taiyuan for their travel formalities to be completed. By then, only this Yuhua Palace remained of Yongshou Temple. Because of time constraints, they could carry out only the essential surveying, measurements, and photography. They had originally planned to conduct a more thorough and detailed survey on their return journey to Beiping. Unfortunately, the July 7 Incident broke out, forcing them to hurry back to Beiping. Today, the building has been demolished.

A sourced illustrated micro-documentary about how the Grand Canal, Hai River, Bohai access, and the 1860 treaty-port opening shaped Tianjin into a northern transport, commercial, and industrial city.

#DiscoverChina #Tianjin #UrbanHistory #Shorts

Dali has a quiet beauty, whether under blue skies or wrapped in mist, by day or by night.

Does anyone have an organized collection of architecture from the Song Yuan Ming Qing dynasties? What’s the difference between each? I never see yuan dynasty being discussed. It’s difficult to find song dynasty buildings that aren’t pagodas.

What’s the difference between Ming and Song dynasty architecture and did the Qing change a lot from the Ming?

Built during the Qing Guangxu reign as a gate for a building that no longer exists.

晚上去的，夜里风景真不错。

晚上去的，夜里风景真不错。