China tour for the architecture buffs
Pagoda style of architecture, most common of which is found in Buddhist temple design, is what most of us associate with Chinese style of traditional architecture. Even though the origin of pagoda architecture is in India, when many of us see pictures of pagodas we think of China. But there is more to Chinese architecture than pagoda.
Although China offers multi sensory experiences and ambiance created by a variety of expressions of culture, architecture is often what contributes most significantly to our sense of a place we visit on our travels.
In large Chinese cities we can marvel at monumental modern architecture, especially skyscrapers that are today among some of the tallest in the world. Anywhere in China’s urban landscape we come across countless multi-storey high-rise tenements that dominate the skyline.
But it is the smaller historical towns and tribal villages that offer the most unique glimpse of Chinese secular architecture. Tibetan architecture possesses one of most unique design forms and can be seen today without having to travel all the way to Lhasa.
Once part of Tibet proper, today part of Sichuan province, Western Sichuan is home to fascinating fortress tower-style Tibetan houses. Unfortunately most luxury tours of China leave out visiting remote parts of mountainous Western China, focusing above all on the eastern provinces, and that is a shame.
Although Yunnan is among the most visited parts of Western China, and all Yunnan tours include visits to UNESCO heritage towns of Lijiang and Dali and offer insight into local culture and history, few include a closer look at the massive Tibetan house architecture around Zhongdian massive Tibetan house architecture around Zhongdian in the north.
If vernacular architecture is of interest to you, you should consider visiting lesser frequented parts of China. Should you contemplate one of the many Guilin tours offered by China tour companies, see if the operator could add a side trip to visit the remarkable Dong and Yao villages in the remote mountainous south eastern corner of Guizhou.
Traditional Dong architecture excels in usage of house construction without a single nail. The houses are of post and beam frame and the all wood design includes joints without using nails, screws, or glue but rather wedge and peg only.
Your tour of China can be a great experience if learning vernacular architectural methods that in the West have long been forgotten.