Five Elements of Chinese Ancient Architectural Design

Element 1: Conservative
The gardens or natural attractions that Chinese people have built or preferred are generally lofty and secluded, reflecting the Chinese people who have lived in the agricultural society for a long time, their distant friendship for the natural environment and their pastoral awareness of conservation of land and valuing agriculture. In terms of the overall layout, space setting, function division, etc. of the building, more attention is paid to the internal requirements of others and self to "live in peace and not offend each other", which to a certain extent meets the psychological needs of Chinese people who are inclined to be conservative, defensive, and harmonious, and seems to be the same with the orientation of character cultivation of "seeking self protection from outside, getting peace of mind from inside"

Element 2: Group
Chinese architecture, especially courtyard architecture, pays attention to group combination. "Courtyard" is generally the basic unit of the combination, which is a reflection of the Chinese cultural tradition that emphasizes groups and inhibits or even restricts the development of personality, or has a great relationship with it. For example, the endless quadrangles, large and small, square and upright, unfold layer by layer from the ground, showing her rhythm in time. Under each piece of green gray roof, there is a warm home.

Element 3: Static
Pools, canals, etc. in Chinese gardens generally present a graceful, delicate and beautiful state, with the trend of weak waves. Its layout pays more attention to the combination of virtual and real, with more static but less dynamic. This idea and pattern is more suitable for creating a loose and clear, quiet and elegant environmental space, which is conducive to highlighting the humanistic temperament of elegance and nature, transformation and coordination, and placing feelings on the scenery, and expressing the artistic conception of "feeling meets the scenery, and meaning communicates with image".

Element 4: Implicitness
China emphasizes curve and implicit beauty. The layout, conception and landscape selection of gardens all emphasize the combination of reality and fiction, and the combination of literature and quality. Or pursue the natural sentiment, or love the idyllic landscape, or express one's ambition with objects. Work on "borrowing scenery" to achieve implicit, mysterious and vigorous posture; Use the "curve" skillfully to make the nature, environment and garden coordinate and complement each other.. Seemingly careless and flowing, in fact, it has a profound meaning to seize the extraordinary, meticulous and harmonious.

Element 5: Inheritance
China's grasp of formal beauty and engineering technology is often based on intuition and experience, and pays more attention to the mastery and application of skills. In the choice of architectural style, imitation is often greater than transcendence. In terms of architectural theory, attention is paid to the description of building materials, construction technology and management experience, lacking detailed summary and theoretical achievements. China's quadrangles, walls, screen walls, etc., show a kind of introverted, closed and even "once and for all" old ideological tendency, and some people even think that "closed courtyards symbolize our closed society". But at the same time, it can well protect privacy.