Chinese Houses: The Architectural Heritage of a Nation

by Ronald G. Knapp, Jonathan D. Spence, A. Chester Ong

Winner of ForeWord Magazine's Architecture "Book of the Year" Award!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The photographs of each are accompanied by extensive background information and historical content.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 emphasize 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.

Genres: Architecture, China, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2005

Reviews

[Rebecca O'Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs of beautiful houses throughout China, showcasing traditional styles of architecture. Features the tamped earth towers of Fujian, mountain courtyard houses near Beijing, and an immense 18th century fortress in Shanxi, to name but a few.

The book is split into three parts: the first is a brief intro to Chinese architecture over time; the second paints how Chinese houses became spaces lived in by people; and the third features case studies of various different houses throughout China. These case studies are complemented by multiple glossy photos and plans. The treatment of each house is, however, slightly uneven; some of the houses presented towards the end of the book are quite brief, despite their equivalent size/importance to earlier houses given more space. The reader is left with the impression that the author lacked the time to complete these studies.

Generally, the book is worth reading, if only for the photos. The writing is detailed, but can be repetetive in places, and figure captions are copied directly from the main text body. Overall, extremely informative!

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally just page through coffee table-sized art books. This one I read through. The writing was informative and readable, and the pictures were gorgeous. In the process I learned some things about my culture that explained the whys and wherefore of certain beliefs and/or rituals. I didn’t expect that bonus.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good text, great photos.