Chinese Architecture--Pavilion

    As a common sight in China, China pavilions are usually made of wood, stone or bamboo, and may be square, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, five-petal flower, fan shape, etc. But all pavilions described as 亭 have this in common in China: they have columns supporting the roof, but no walls. In parks, courtyaods,attraction spots and even in wayside, pavilions are built on slopes to command panoramic views or to create interesting images of the water at the edge of the lake. They are not only part of the landscape, but also a viewing platform from which to enjoy it.

    The pavilion also serves multiple purposes. Roadside pavilions, called liangting (cooling kiosk), provide a place for tired travelers to rest and shade from the sun in summer. The "stone pavilion" gives the roof of a stone tablet to protect the carved record of an important event. Pavilions also stand on Bridges or over water wells. In the latter case, skylights were built to allow sunlight to reach the well, as it was believed that water unexposed to sunlight would cause disease. Occasionally, two pavilions are found standing side by side like twins. In modern times, kiosks (also called kiosks in Chinese) have been erected in urban areas to serve as postal booths, newsagents or photographers' sheds to provide a capture service.

    Few of the pavilions were made of bronze. One of the most famous is Baoyun Pavilion at the Summer Palace in Beijing. The entire structure including the roof and columns were cast in bronze. It is metallic blue, 7.5 meters tall and weighs 207 tons. Elegant and dignified, known as the "golden pavilion" said.

    The largest pavilion in China is also in the Summer Palace. The ancient building, named Kuoran Pavilion, covers a floor area of 130 square meters. Its roof, converging on a crown at the top, relies on three circles of pillars (24 round and 16 square), is octagonal and has two eaves. All the woodwork of the pavilion is painted with colorful paint, and it looks solemn and majestic, in harmony with the surrounding open landscape.