Case Study Of China's Traditional Chinese Culture

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1.1 CIVILIZATION
An ancient civilized nation and a great country on the East Asian continent, China possesses a vast territory covering 9.6 million sq. km. and a population accounting for over one-fifth of the world's total, 56 nationalities and a recorded history of 3000 years, during which it has created a unique, outstanding traditional Chinese Culture. China's architectural art is a particularly beautiful branch in the tree of Chinese civilization.
1.2 SOCIAL SYSTEM AND STRUCTURES
Siheyuan serves as a cultural symbol of Beijing and a window into its old ways of life. Another aspect of the architecture was the hierarchical organization of space that reflected Confucian code of ethics, which is now may not be suitable for an egalitarian society …show more content…

Particular duties arise from one's particular situation in relation to others. The individual stands simultaneously in several different relationships with different people. Juniors are considered in Confucianism to owe their seniors reverence, seniors also have duties of benevolence and concern toward juniors. The same is true with the husband and wife relationship where the husband needs to show benevolence towards his wife and the wife needs to respect the husband in return. In addition, these kind of duties are also extended to the dead, where the living stand as sons to their deceased family. The only relationship where respect for elders isn't stressed was the friend to friend relationship, where mutual equal respect is emphasized instead. In all other relationships, high reverence is usually held for …show more content…

It is in fact an incarnation of the traditional idea of “de zhi” which means rule by virtue. In addition, harmony and unity also refer to the relationship between different families who lived together in the same yard, due to the population growth in 20th century, it is called Dazayuan.
By highlighting the architectural forms of the siheyuan and emphasizing harmony within a family, between families and between humanity and nature, we can tell that the siheyuan is a signifier of traditional culture. Compared with the alienated, cold relationships in apartment buildings, the siheyuan is depicted as a close, warm neighborhood network. The siheyuan becomes a representational space which carries the memories of Chinese tradition and claims traditional mentalities, attitudes, and moral

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