China Books

A book of black and white photographs which captures contemporary life in the maze of old alleyways and lanes in the heart of Beijing. About the author Iain Masterton is a freelance photographer who lived in Beijing for 3 years whilst taking photographs for this book. He currently lives in Russia. His photographs can be found on his websites www.iainmasterton.com and www.hutongphotography.com (For this item please quote stock ID 27773) ISBN: 9789889893613

Beijing is almost like a 'museum of temples' built over 1,500 years. In the past decade, some have been turned in museums: Ancient Bell Museum in the Great Bell Temple, Stela Exhibition Hall in the Zhengjue Temple, Scriptures Exhibition Hall in the Yunju Temple, Art Museum in the Wanshou Temple and Commercial Museum in the Baoguo Temple. The ancient temples in Beijing, like the Palace Museum, the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs, are a part of the brilliant cultural heritage of China. These temples are grounds for religious activities and also serve as material for sculpture, painting, literature and folklore. Ancient Temples in Beijing is a remarkable and intensely colourful volume and details twenty-nine sites. Chinese & English text and captions. (For this item please quote stock ID 287) ISBN: 9787505201187

85C 509S (For this item please quote stock ID 1266) ISBN: 9787505405387

Gardens are sites that can be at one and the same time admired works of art and valuable pieces of real estate. As the first account in English to be wholly based on contemporary Chinese sources, this innovative, beautifully illustrated book grounds the practices of garden-making in Ming dynasty China (1368-1644) firmly in the social and cultural history of the day. Who owned Ming gardens? Who visited them? How were they represented in words, in paintings, and in visual culture generally, and what meanings did these representations hold at different levels of Chinese society? How did the discourse of gardens intersect with other discourses such as those of aesthetics, agronomy, geomancy, and botany? By examining the gardens of the city of Suzhou from a number of different angles, Craig Clunas provides a rich picture of a complex cultural phenomenon ? one that was of crucial importance to the self-fashioning of the Ming elite. Drawing on a wide range of recent work in cultural theory, the author provides for the first time a historical and materialist account of Chinese garden culture, and replaces broad generalisations and orientalist fantasy with a convincing picture of the garden?s role in social life. Fruitful Sites will appeal to all students of China?s cultural history, to students of garden history from any part of the world, to art historians, and to readers engaged in Asian and cultural studies. (For this item please quote stock ID 5980) ISBN: 9780822317951

Bridges, the least known and understood of China's many wonders, are one of its most striking and resilient feats of architectural prowess. Chinese Bridges brings together a thorough look at these marvels from one of the world's leading experts on Chinese culture and historical geography, Ronald G. Knapp. While many consider bridges to be merely utilitarian, the bridges of China move beyond that stereotype, as many are undeniably dramatic, even majestic and daring. Chinese Bridges illustrates in detail 20 well-preserved ancient bridges, along with descriptions and essays on the distinctive architectural elements shared by the various designs. For the first time in an English-language book, Chinese Bridges records scores of newly discovered bridges across China's vast landscape, illustrated with over 400 color photographs, as well as woodblock prints, historic images, paintings and line drawings. (For this item please quote stock ID 8913) ISBN: 9780804838849

This pioneering work in Chinese domestic architecture examines for the first time the Chinese house from a cultural perspective. Knapp explores how the typical Chinese home reveals a long folk tradition of craft and symbolism, including the popular practices of fengshui. Extensively illustrated with wood block prints from traditional Chinese homes, original line drawings, and Knapp's own photographs, the book vividly portrays a living tradition of amazing resilience. (For this item please quote stock ID 8914) ISBN: 9780195851151

As an architectural form, the pagoda first appeared in India. Arriving in China with the spread of Buddhism, this special type of structure soon began to take on Chinese characteristics in form and use. It integrated itself with China?s own building style, making it a unique architectural form in ancient Chinese civilisation. The author (Luo Zhewen) is a prominent specialist in ancient Chinese architecture. This book is a result of his study and research, and it gives a detailed and illustrated introduction to the development, structure, uses and features of China?s ancient pagodas, as well as more than 200 typical examples throughout the country. (For this item please quote stock ID 10325) ISBN: 9787119017020

Contains a large amount of historical material describing the development, types and dynastic variations of China's imperial tombs and mausoleums. (For this item please quote stock ID 10326) ISBN: 9787119016191

The Lijiang old city was famous in the past, blessed with beautiful scenery and a long history and brilliant culture. It is also a city inhabited almost exclusively by a national minority - a situation quite rare in China - that has been preserved intact. In December 1997, it was placed on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage list. This album describes the natural surroundings of Lijiang, its foundation and development, its residential buildings and the residents of Lijiang Old City, the minority culture of Naxi. (For this item please quote stock ID 12254) ISBN: 9787800245169

Chengde has also been placed on the list of the world?s relics. This book depicts the largest existing imperial garden, splendours of the mountain resort, magnificent imperial temples, rare treasures, and outlying temples. Mulan Weichang, the imperial hunting ground, is also included. (For this item please quote stock ID 12255) ISBN: 9787800245176

(For this item please quote stock ID 12947) ISBN: 9783822896570

The rich architectural experience accumulated during the long history of Chinese civilisation has been expressed in dwellings throughout China. This book presents 100 themes dealing with layout techniques used in the design of these dwellings. Some colourful pictures and structural drawings of the dwellings are included. (For this item please quote stock ID 14174) ISBN: 9787561811993

Chinese classical gardens are well represented by personal gardens in Jiangnan area, especially around Suzhou. In 1997-2001, nine classical gardens of Suzhou were successively listed in the Directory of the World Cultural Heritage. This book is an examination and analysis of Chinese classical gardens, their conception, historical background and artistic content. Existing famous Jiangnan classical gardens are introduced, and the relationship between the classical gardens and contemporary life is also studied. This book, with its extensive text and over 200 illustrations, is exquisitely printed. (For this item please quote stock ID 17507) ISBN: 9787534013461

China's broad lands contain thousands of pagodas in various forms. All significant pagodas are under special protection by governments at various levels, and the number of the pagodas under city and county protection alone exceed 2000. Some pagodas appear stately and solemn, some towering and erect, some exquisite and beautiful, some simple and symmetrical. They are of superlative craftsmanship. Although they have been buffeted by wind and rain, they still stand lofty and firm, and reflect the wisdom and superb architectural skill of ancient times. (For this item please quote stock ID 17508) ISBN: 9787536651678

Urban refuge and large-scale work of art, the Chinese garden is both a setting for the good life and a medium for its creator's artistic impression. Illustrated with photographs from Suzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities, The Chinese Garden presents the fundamentals of Chinese garden design. The `reading' of a Chinese garden that it offers is enriched by a greater understanding of the literary and artistic conventions involved in the garden's construction. (For this item please quote stock ID 19913) ISBN: 9780195875867

This book is an overview and summary of Chinese achievements in bridge design and construction up to and including the 20th century. In a systematic and comprehensive historical survey, this guide features over 300 ancient bridges and nearly 1,000 modern bridges from different locations and times. Divided into two sections ? ancient and modern ? the book offers a 'family tree' of bridge construction that includes the beam bridge, arch bridge, cable-stayed bridge and suspension bridge. On the one hand, the book presents the notable successes of the ancient Chinese; on the other, it reflects the rapid progress and brilliant achievements in bridge construction in the later half, especially in the last decade, of the 20th century. In offering a complete history of Chinese bridges, the book illuminates the common heritage shared by the modern and ancient. With expectations of a bright future, those Chinese involved in bridge design and construction at the dawn of the 21st century ? valuing traditional Chinese techniques while absorbing new ideas from all over the world ? stand ready to produce even more marvels. (For this item please quote stock ID 20762) ISBN: 9787119031866

Beijing?s hutongs are famous not only in China but throughout world. They are typical residential districts that provide relief from noise and offer more space and freedom. Beijing?s hutongs are among the most valuable symbols of China?s rich heritage. This album represents many of the hutong?s distinctive charms, and presents fascinating stories from different angles. A fascinating way in which to understand the history, culture and unique life of Beijing. (For this item please quote stock ID 21434) ISBN: 9787503219962

[Indent] The Chinese garden has been explored from a variety of angles. Much has been written about its structural features as well as its cosmological, religious, philosophical, moral, aesthetic, and economic underpinnings. This book deals with the poetic configurations of the private garden in cities from the ninth to the 11th century in relation to the development of the private sphere in Chinese literati culture. It focuses on the ways in which the new values and rhetoric associated with gardens and the objects found in them helped shape the processes of self-cultivation and self-imaging among the literati, as they searched for alternatives to conventional values at a time when traditional political, moral, and aesthetic norms were increasingly judged inapplicable or inadequate. The garden was also an artifact and a locus for material culture and social competition. Focusing on a series of anecdotes about private transactions involving objects in gardens, the author dissects the intricate nexus between the exchange of poetry and the poetry of exchange. In tracing the development of the private urban garden through the writings of Bai Juyi, Su Shi, Sima Guang, and their contemporaries, the author argues that this private space figured increasingly as a place of disengagement for those out of political power and hence was increasingly invaded by political forces. Yang Xiaoshan is Assistant Professor of Chinese Literature at Notre Dame University. (For this item please quote stock ID 21813) ISBN: 9780674012196

Harmony between nature and human beings is the essence of traditional Chinese culture. Numerous examples can be found of the perfect combination of nature and culture in China's mountains and rivers. As of November 2003, the Chinese natural and cultural heritage sites approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for inclusion on the World Heritage List - the Taishan, Huangshan and Wuyi mountains - possess unparalleled scenery, long histories and abundant mountain-related culture and are among the few sites that have both cultural and natural significance. Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou, the Three Parallel Rivers and Wulingyuan have been included in the List because of their wonderful scenery, rare geological formations and unique topography. Mount Lushan is also included because of its delicate scenery and especially its cultural variety. These scenic heritage sites symbolise the intimate relationship between humans and nature with their graceful scenery and abundant culture enhancing each other's radiance and beauty. (For this item please quote stock ID 22788) ISBN: 9787119034010

China is an ancient country with a history of several thousand years. Imperial power and culture have always played an important role historically. As in other imperial systems, the Chinese emperors always had supreme status and priority, though the royal family frequently changed. Imperial palaces, gardens, temples and mausoleums were built on the orders of different emperors using the entire country's labor and financial power. They reflected the socioeconomic conditions and technological levels of their time and the ideology, artistic aims and achievements of an era, leaving numerous precious assets to succeeding generations. Due to China's long history, the frequent changes of dynasty and the chaos of war, many ancient Chinese imperial relics were destroyed. Those relics that have been preserved are mostly from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has approved eight Chinese imperial relics for inclusion in the World Heritage List. The majestic and grand Imperial Palace (Forbidden City) epitomises not only ancient Chinese architecture but also imperial culture. The graceful Summer Palace in Beijing and the imperial Mountain Resort of Chengde are representative of the art of Chinese imperial gardening. The solemn and mysterious Temple of Heaven in Beijing where emperors offered sacrifices, prayed to heaven and tried to create a telepathic field connecting humans and the gods. A comparison between the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor over 2000 years ago and the imperial mausoleums of the Ming and Qing dynasties helps trace the systems and institutions of ancient Chinese imperial mausoleums to the same origin. These sites are not only models of Chinese mausoleum art but also witnesses to the ups and downs of Chinese history. (For this item please quote stock ID 22790) ISBN: 9787119034034

This book presents more than 200 elegant photographs of the Great Wall taken by several famous photographers over many years of hardship. The author, Dong Yaohui, a celebrated Great Wall expert, is Secretary General incumbent of the Great Wall Society. He has investigated the Great Wall on foot, and, as a consequence the location, features, and status of each and every section of the Great Wall is described utterly exhaustively and precisely. (For this item please quote stock ID 24564) ISBN: 9787800696442

Beijing is a place of great antiquity and mystery, with world-famous imperial palaces and gardens, as well as unique hutong alleys of cultural interest. Many celebrities have lived in Beijing's hutongs with their unique architectural style. They have witnessed many historical events, are surrounded by folklore, and are now inhabited by modern Beijingers. (For this item please quote stock ID 25339) ISBN: 9787119033464

Compiled by the Association for Promoting the Protection and Use of the Imperial Temples of Emperors of Successive Dynasties in Beijing, along with the Administrative Office of the lmperial Temples of Emperors of Successive Dynasties in Beijing The Chinese nation has a long history as a unified entity. For thousands of years, people have the recognition that the Three Sage Kings and Five Virtuous Emperors as the common ancestors of the Chinese nation, and the belief in consanguinity and identity that all Chinese people are descendants of the Fiery Emperor and Yellow Emperor, have been reinforced through the generations. The temple was first founded in the 9th year of Ming Emperor Jiajing's reign (1530). It has a history of over 470 years and become a key national site for the protection of historical relics. It is an imperial temple for performing ceremonies to commemorate the Three Sage Kings and Five Virtuous Emperors, emperors of successive dynasties, accomplished vassals and famed generals. (For this item please quote stock ID 27455) ISBN: 9787119046358

The temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator of the 6th-5th centuries B.C., are located at Qufu, Shandong Province. Built to commemorate him in 478 B.C., the temple has been destroyed and reconstructed over the centuries; today it comprises more than 100 buildings.The cemetery contains Confucius' tomb and the remains of more than 100,000 of his descendants. The small house of the Kong family developed into a gigantic aristocratic residence, of which 152 buildings remain. The Qufu complex of monuments has retained its outstanding artistic and historic character due to the devotion of successive Chinese emperors over more than 2,000 years. (For this item please quote stock ID 28784) ISBN: 9787802281295

This may seem a specialized study of a minority group in Southeast China?whose partially transcribed language he learnt while studying their buildings?yet Xing Ruan has used this marvelous miniature to illuminate the complex relation between many other societies, their daily life, their rituals and ceremonies, and their buildings. But the book is much more. Xing Ruan extrapolates from his miniature a timely and very important reminder of how building and behavior interweave and how essential some understanding of that complex and vital relation must be for the future of the built environment.? ?Joseph Rykwert, Paul Philippe Cret Professor of Architecture Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania (For this item please quote stock ID 29232) ISBN: 9780824821517

Features: The Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty The Ming Tombs of the Ming Dynasty The Xianling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty The Yongling Tomb of the Qing Dynasty The Fuling Tomb of the Qing Dynasty The Zhaoling Tomb of the Qing Dynasty The Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty The Western Tombs of the Qing Dynasty (For this item please quote stock ID 29251) ISBN: 9787802285095

Exquisite examples of traditional dwellings are scattered throughout modern-day China. Chinese Houses focuses on 20 well-preserved traditional homes, presenting examples from a range of rural and metropolitan areas throughout China. The photographs of each are accompanied by extensive background information and historical content. An introductory essay examines the different types of Chinese homes and provides an overview of the rich regional variety of Chinese dwelling forms. It also provides insights into little-known design concepts that emphasise the flexibility, adaptability, and versatility of traditional building forms and the work of traditional craftsmen. Richly illustrated with photographs, woodblock prints, historic images, and line drawings, Chinese Houses portrays an architectural tradition of amazing range and resilience. Ronald Knapp, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at SUNY, New Paltz, is the author of numerous books on China's cultural and historical geography, including Asia's Old Dwellings: Tradition, Resilience, & Change, China's Old Dwellings, and China's Walled Cities. The photography of Chester Ong is featured in, amongst others, Tropical Living: Contemporary Dream Houses in the Philippines and China Modern. (For this item please quote stock ID 25417) ISBN: 9780804835374

About 460,000 years ago, Beijing was merely a primitive settlement. Later it grew into a political centre of Yan and Ji, two kingdoms in north China, then the Capital of six feudal dynasties. Today, the capital of the People's Republic of China is an ever-expanding international cosmopolis. As a city, Beijing has an uninterrupted history of over 3,000 years, which makes it unique in the world. The cultural antiques and historical artefacts bestowed by each era were passed down from one generation to another, turning the city into a huge museum itself. There are some 130 officially registered museums in Beijing, preserving 3.2 million artefacts in total. (For this item please quote stock ID 29909) ISBN: 9787119043876

The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), known as the imperial palace during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, is the largest ancient architectural complex in china. In 1987 it was put on the UNESCO world Cultural Heritage List. Besides magnificent and resplendent buildings, the Forbidden City is also famous for its exhibitions of luxurious lives of the imperial family. As a national museum, it also houses numerous rare relics of the past, which are witnesses of the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization. (For this item please quote stock ID 30289) ISBN: 9787119053431

This book falls into two sections: a brief introduction and examples. The brief introduction is devoted to the development track, achievements and features of ancient buildings in Chaozhou city, and the example section introduces Architectures under State Protection, civil architecture, and other ancient buildings and architectural decorations. Architectural examples such as Kaiyuan Temple, Guangji Bridge and the Mansion of Lord Xu, Royal Son-in-law etc, the kind of which are difficult to find, are the State Protection Architectures. This book provides a panorama of the ancient buildings in Chaozhou, with the combination of the illustrations and writing. (For this item please quote stock ID 30306) ISBN: 9787112096664

Sensuous Surfaces is a richly illustrated and in-depth introduction to the decorative arts in Ming- and Qing-dynasty China. Jonathan Hay explores materials and techniques, as well as issues of patronage and taste, which together formed a loose system of informal rules that affected every level of decoration in early modern China, from an individual object to the arrangement of an entire residential interior. By engaging the actual and metaphoric potential of surface, Hay contends, this system guided the production and use of the decorative arts during a period of explosive growth, which started in the late sixteenth century and continued until the mid-nineteenth century. This understanding of decorative arts in China made a fundamental contribution to the sensory education of its early modern urban population, both as individuals and in their established social roles. Sensuous Surfaces is also an elegant meditation on the role of pleasure in decoration. Often intellectually dismissed as merely pleasurable, Hay argues that decoration is better understood as a necessary form of art that can fulfill its function only by engaging the human capacity for erotic response.
Featuring 250 color images of a wide range of early modern Chinese objects and artworks, this book will engage anyone with an interest in decoration, art, China?or the experience of pleasure itself.
280 illus., 250 in color (For this item please quote stock ID 31172) ISBN: 9780824833619

This lavishly illustrated book is a comprehensive and authoritative study of Chinese architecture from Neolithic times through the late nineteenth century. Six of China?s greatest architectural historians have joined with a leading Western scholar to write this book, the first in-depth, collaborative history of Chinese architecture in more than 50 years. Drawing on recent discoveries and current scholarly work inside China, this handsome volume recounts the story of China?s architectural achievements, the forms they took, and the historical, political, cultural, and social factors that shaped them. Each chapter includes sections on cities, palatial architecture, religious architecture, tombs, and gardens as well as discussions of bridges, walls, fortifications, academies, and architectural writings. Amply enhanced with colour plates and line drawings - many of which are reproduced here for the first time - explanatory maps and charts, and an index that includes Chinese terms, the book will be an invaluable and accessible resource for both scholars of China and visitors to China alike. (For this item please quote stock ID 19180) ISBN: 9780300095593

Tianjin has 615 historic buildings in all. As there are the double influences from the traditional Chinese architecture and western architectural thoughts, the coexistence of various styles has come into being. The book gives a brief introduction to Tianjin historic architecture in the first section. The second example section enlisted 38 of the most representative historic architectures which covers a wide range of architectural types such as residence buildings, educational buildings, financial buildings, commercial buildings, office buildings, religious buildings and so on. Each historic building has an introduction of 200 to 300 words along with the geographical location plan, design drawings, real scene photos etc. (For this item please quote stock ID 30307) ISBN: 9787112094639

China possesses a long continuous architectural history, and architecture plays a distinctive role in Chinese civilization itself, in which the concept of architecture and the way of construction are entirely different from those in the West. In the field of architectural history, a specialist study by a variety of distinguished scholars, both Chinese and non-Chinese covered the style and aesthetics of Chinese architecture that has been recognized as timeless and unchanging quality. The architectural diversity, variation, technological innovation and evolution of Chinese architecture have largely been ignored. This book presents a thematic discussion of architectural history and a critical evaluation of city planning, with a focus on the issues of ideas, methods and techniques in the context of the culture, politics and religion of the pre-modern China. In the book Qinhua Guo establishes a broad periodisation for the architectural formation and development with a clear conceptual framework for it, and interprets its architectonics and typology in details. This study attempts to identify major characters of Chinese architecture and planning in order to understand how they were formed and why. With 340 illustrations (For this item please quote stock ID 30330) ISBN: 9783932565540

A pioneer in the scientific study of Chinese architectural history, Liang Ssu-ch'eng (1901-1972) virtually created this field in China. Written in English for a Western public, the text, accompanied by the author's magnificent, original drawings, provides a rare record and analysis of the temples, pagodas, tombs, bridges, and imperial palaces that are China's architectural heritage. The book should be required reading for anyone interested in traditional Chinese architecture. An unabridged republication of A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture, originally published by the MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1984. '...an invaluable contribution to our understanding of Chinese civilisation' - Frederick Mote, Princeton University. (For this item please quote stock ID 24225) ISBN: 9780486439990

'As a comprehensive overview of Chinese everyday folklife, China's Living Houses is invaluable. It removes the arbitrary academic categorisations of anthropological and architectural approaches and underlines the ligitimacy, vitality, and embeddedness of belief in everyday surroundings ... An excellent resource and interdisciplinary link for humanities and social sciences approaches to Chinese culture' - China Review International. (For this item please quote stock ID 8909) ISBN: 9780824820794

China's Old Dwellings is the most comprehensive critical examination of China's folk architectural forms in any language. It and its companion volume, China's Living Houses: Folk Beliefs, Symbols, & Household Ornamentation, together form a landmark study of the environmental, historical, and social factors that influence housing forms for nearly a quarter of the world's population. Both books draw on the author's thirty years of fieldwork and extensive travel in China as well as published and unpublished material in many languages. China's Old Dwellings begins by tracing the interest in Chinese vernacular buildings in the twentieth century. Early chapters detail common and distinctive spatial components, including the interior and exterior modular spaces that are axiomatic components of most Chinese dwellings as well as conventional structural components and building materials common in Chinese construction. Later chapters examine representative housing types in the three broad cultural realms-northern, southern, and western-into which China has been divided. Knapp completes his survey with an exploration of China's old dwellings in the context of the rapid economic and social changes that are destroying so many of them. (For this item please quote stock ID 8910) ISBN: 9780824822149

(For this item please quote stock ID 12929) ISBN: 9780824821968

The alleys and lanes of Beijing took their initial shape in the early 13th Century. From then until the early 20th century, they were home to just about every resident in the capital except the royal families. Even today, a great percentage of Beijing?s residents still have their houses located in these lanes. However, as time passes and particularly as the result of urban construction, the number of lanes in Beijing are decreasing and tall buildings are springing up in their place. An examination of the alleys and lanes not only help with understanding the path of history and culture, but also allows us to feel the pulse of the people of Beijing. Life in Hutongs is beautifully presented and is full of photographs showing the life of Beijing?s residents. (For this item please quote stock ID 12562) ISBN: 9787119019178

A series depicting, in colour, the natural environment and cultural significance of local structures from throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15776) ISBN: 9787534010934

A series depicting, in colour, the natural environment and cultural significance of local structures from throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15777) ISBN: 9787534010880

A series depicting, in colour, the natural environment and cultural significance of local structures from throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15778) ISBN: 9787534010828

A series depicting, in colour, the natural environment and cultural significance of local structures from throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15779) ISBN: 9787534010835

A series depicting, in colour, the natural environment and cultural significance of local structures from throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15780) ISBN: 9787534011016

Linyi City, in southeast Shandong Province, boasts rural scenery of vast richness. In May and June of 2003, two large-scale brick-built tombs of the Jin Dynasty were discovered during an extension project on the former residence of Wang Xizhi (the most prominent calligrapher in Chinese history). This was a rare discovery of well-preserved tombs of the Jin Dynasty - on such a large scale and with such a great number of cultural relics - not only for Shandong Province, but also for China. It was one of China's top 10 archaeological discoveries for 2003. (For this item please quote stock ID 25340) ISBN: 9787508506814

The books forms only a part of the author's creative endeavours concerning China's minority nationalities. It covers numerous types of vernacular dwellings, as well as their temples, pagodas and bridges. With a deep understanding of his subject, Xin Kejing's paintings reflect local customs and ways of life, and may serve as a reference for architects, artists, folklorists and sociologists. (For this item please quote stock ID 21433) ISBN: 9787112045600

All the emperors of the Ming dynasty, except the first and second ones, were entombed in Beijing. Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor, was buried in Nanjing, and the second one, Emperor Jianwen, was lost in a palace coup, whose whereabouts are unknown. After moving his capital to Beijing, Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, Built not only the Imperial Palace in Beijing, but also his tomb, in which he was to be buried when he died. In the 230 years that followed, all the later Ming emperors had their tombs build on the left and right sides on his tomb. These tombs, located 40 kilometres north of Beijing proper, have become known as the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming dynasty. The book is illustrated with beautiful photographs to show the style and dimension of these imperial tombs as well as some of the highly valuable artefacts unearthed there. Throughout the pages are true and legendary stories about the life of the emperors, empresses and imperial concubines. (For this item please quote stock ID 30278) ISBN: 9787119054414

In the Backside of tombs, corpses and those buried with dead, it is splendid civilization emerging. The book contacts ancients from the nearest distance, reveals the secrets buried in the past by digging layers of dust. With abundant precious cultural relics, unusual historical documents and the help of authoritative archaeologists, the book tells not only adventures of archaeological excavation but also splendid historical stories. (For this item please quote stock ID 31392) ISBN: 9787508510484

China?s imperial tombs were constructed to reproduce for the afterlife the magnificence and splendour emperors enjoyed while they reigned. The Imperial Tombs of Beijing introduces the history of the tombs and shows typical examples in and around Beijing. (For this item please quote stock ID 4822) ISBN: 9787119020723

This beautifully presented album provides an introduction to Chinese garden design and horticulture and shows examples of what are considered to be some of the best gardens in China. It examines classical Chinese gardens and their buildings, the differences between Chinese and Western gardens, aesthetic features and elements in Chinese gardens. Imperial gardens in Beijing and Chengde are covered in some detail, and private gardens in Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Lignan are also included. If you are a gardener (fanatic or otherwise), this book is bliss material. (For this item please quote stock ID 9858) ISBN: 9787503216244

Dongcheng District is an integral part of downtown Beijing. Richly variegated, the classical buildings in this district are of superb architectural value. This book, available in Chinese and English editions, showcases 76 classical buildings - under protection as national or municipal cultural relics - through a vast collection of colourful photographs and a text which amounts to more than 50,000 words. [The ISBN of the Chinese edition is: ISBN 7-5044-0538-1] (For this item please quote stock ID 16810) ISBN: 9787505405615

An architectural history of the Beijing City walls and gates is conveyed through some 300 photographs of the gates and walls, and more than 90 watercolour paintings of the towers, watch towers and corner towers, from different historical times and angles. (For this item please quote stock ID 21485) ISBN: 9787543449213

Chinese architecture, art and culture have been greatly influenced by a variety of religions throughout China's history. UNESCO had approved seven Chinese religious sites for inclusion in its World Heritage List by November 2003. Those listed include key Buddist sites - such as the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, the Leshan Giant Buddha near Mount Emei, the Dazu Rock Carvings and the Yungang Grottoes - which have blended carving, mural painting, coloured sculpture and architecture into one to become outstanding representatives of ancient Chinese art. The ancient Taoist architectural complex on Mount Wudang is an important site of Taoism, and is a treasure house of traditional Chinese architecture. In Tibet, politics and religion are combined in the majestic and splendid Potala Palace - a group of buildings devoted to Lamaism, a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet. The palace represents the pinnacle of Tibetan art in terms of architecture, sculpture and painting. (For this item please quote stock ID 22787) ISBN: 9787119034003

(For this item please quote stock ID 24195) ISBN: 9787801138224

There is a folk saying amongst old Beijingers that describes their multitudinous Huton: 'There are 3600 major hutongs in Beijing while the minor ones are as many as the hairs on an ox'. This album is a compilation of 170 photographs by well-known photographer Wang Wenbo with the text provided by folklorist Liu Jianbin. (For this item please quote stock ID 26577) ISBN: 9787800697098

(For this item please quote stock ID 28154) ISBN: 9787112086542

China has a glorious ancient civilisation and the enormous amount of precious material and non-material cultural sites that have survived have become the common treasure of all humanity. They include grand ancient projects, such as the world famous Great Wall and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System near Mount Qingcheng; uniquely designed and well-preserved ancient towns and villages, such as the old town of Lijiang, the ancient city of Pingyao, and the ancient villages of Xidi and Hongcun; graceful and delicate classical gardens, such as those in Suzhou; cultural sites revered by Chinese people, such as the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius, and the Peking Man site at Zhoukoudian; and uniquely charming examples of non-material heritage, such as Kunqu opera and ancient Chinese guqin music. These relics and sites, including the two forms of non-material culture, are among the 10 cultural sites that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee had approved for inclusion in the World Heritage List. Of all that world civilisation has produced, these examples of cultural heritage stand out and have become symbols of ancient Chinese culture. (For this item please quote stock ID 22789) ISBN: 9787119034027

Beijing was at one time capital of the Yuan dynasty, and the city's streets and lanes were designated as the nine 'jing' (south-north oriented streets) and nine 'wei' (east-west oriented streets). In these areas there were 384 huoxiang and 29 hongtong as well as a large number of strictly laid out quadrangles. The close residential style that had existed since the Han and Tang dynasties had began to change. There were no high walls to separate these areas but they were bordered by streets, and become 'hutong' where Beijing people have now lived for many generations. A long time has elapsed since these days and Beijing's hutong have experienced the vicissitudes of history. Most of the pictures included in this album were taken in the period 1991-1998. The author compiled the photographs as a footnote to people who lived in Beijing's hutong so they are not forgotten. (For this item please quote stock ID 26583) ISBN: 9787800078866

In this series black-and-white photographs illustrate the structure, layout, and cultural significance of traditional Chinese dwellings throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15781) ISBN: 9787534411366

In this series black-and-white photographs illustrate the structure, layout, and cultural significance of traditional Chinese dwellings throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15782) ISBN: 9787534411359

In this series black-and-white photographs illustrate the structure, layout, and cultural significance of traditional Chinese dwellings throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15783) ISBN: 9787534411342

In this series black-and-white photographs illustrate the structure, layout, and cultural significance of traditional Chinese dwellings throughout China. (For this item please quote stock ID 15784) ISBN: 9787534411335

Noted for its magnificent architecture and extraordinary history, the Yuanming Yuan is China's most famous imperial garden. The complex was begun in the early eighteenth century, and construction continued over the next 150 years. While Chinese historians, and many Chinese in general, view the garden as the paramount achievement of Chinese architecture and landscape design, almost nothing is known about the Yuanming Yuan in the West. A Paradise Lost is the first comprehensive study of the palatial garden complex in a Western language. Written in a broad and engaging style, Young-tsu Wong brings ?the garden of perfect brightness? to life as he leads readers on a grand tour of its architecture and history. Wong begins by inspecting the garden's physical appearance and its architectural elements. He discusses the origin and evolution of these structures and the aesthetics of their design and arrangement. Throughout he refers to maps and original models of individual buildings and other existing gardens of the Ming-Qing period, including the well-preserved Yihe Yuan and the Chengde Summer Mountain Retreat in Rehe. A special feature of the book is its exploration of the activities and daily life of the royal household. (For this item please quote stock ID 14298) ISBN: 9780824823283

The city of Suzhou was a leading force in the development of an urban China for nearly a millennium. The one-time capital of the state of Wu, Suzhou lay at the heart of a region vital to the economic and cultural growth of the Chinese empire from as early as the ninth century. In this masterful study of the formation and transformation of Chinese urban form and space, Suzhou is presented as both the object of and witness to a complex history. Drawing on a wealth of primary materials detailing the city's history, customs, and urban construction as well as on recent work in Chinese history, culture, and religion, Yinong Xu examines characteristics of building and transformation in pre-modern Suzhou, characteristics that, while particular to the city's own historical development, reflect or were determined by factors representative of China's urban history in general. Richly detailed, impeccably researched, judiciously argued, and generously illustrated, The Chinese City in Space & Time will engage scholars in a wide range of disciplines, including urban history, Chinese history, comparative historical studies, popular religion and mythology, and architectural history. Yinong Xu is Joukowsky Post-doctoral Fellow in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at Brown University. (For this item please quote stock ID 17348) ISBN: 9780824820763

This is a short and comprehensive introduction to Chinese architecture. Some of the topic covered are: Ancient Cities, The Supreme Imperial Power, The Palaces of Gods, Appreciation of Chinese Gardens, Vernacular Dwellings, Architectural Ornamentation, and Western Influences on Chinese Architecture. Many pictures and photos included. (For this item please quote stock ID 31878) ISBN: 9787508509969