Tsinghua University

About this course

Course videos are presented in Mandarin with English subtitles.

China's architectural history spans thousands of years. In this course, we will explore the ancient cities of Chang'an of Han, Luoyang of Northern Wei, Chang'an and Luoyang of Sui and Tang, Kaifeng of Song and Dadu of Yuan, and delve into the history of the awe-inspiring ancient buildings that still grace the landscape of these bustling cities. The course will cover construction and aesthetics of these imperial palaces, religious structures, pagodas, tombs and gardens. We will study the basis of Chinese architecture, the wood framed building, as well as the brick and stone construction of many Buddhist pagodas and tombs. The course will culminate in an examination of the Summer Palace in Beijing, the ancient royal garden at the Chengde Mountain Resort, and the private gardens of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Two seminal textbooks on the Song and Qing dynasties are included in the course in electronic form.

• History and context of ancient buildings in Chinese cities such as Chang'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Dadu
• Construction and aesthetics of Chinese imperial palaces, religious structures, pagodas, tombs and gardens
• Foundations of Chinese architecture: the wood framed building and two books on the Song and Qing dynasties’ building methods
• How cultural heritage is preserved through the building of structures such as the world's tallest timber pagoda
• Impact and significance of royal gardens and private gardens of the Ming and Qing dynasties