Traditional Chinese Architecture (Experiencing China)

The ancient world was composed of the seven major cultures of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, the West, Islam, and Mesoamerica. Of these, Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, and India are known as the homes of the four great civilizations of the ancient world. The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India declined or died out long ago. Only that of China has continued to develop in an unbroken line for five thousand years.

Each of the world's ancient cultures possessed a distinctive architectural tradition. The three great architectural systems of China, the West, and Islam are the oldest and most extensive, and have been the most influential.

China and the West underwent unique processes of historical and cultural development. As a result, their people developed distinctly different philosophies, customs, religions, psychologies, aesthetics, and ways of relating to the natural world. The differences between East and West find expression in every area of artistic endeavor. Architecture is no exception. The achievements of traditional Chinese architecture are unmatched in the annals of world history, and embody the unique sensibilities of China's ancient cultural inheritance.