Chinas Sacred Sites: Spiritual Dwellings in Nature

China’s Sacred Sites reveals how Chinese mountainscape culture merges architecture and nature, embodying the philosophical idea of heaven, earth and man as one. This book documents more then 50 ancient architectural and environmental sites including temples, monasteries, pagodas and pavilions, bridges covered walkways, caves, cliffside and lakeshore dwellings, all throughout southern, central and northern China. Divided into two parts, introductory chapters provide an overview of traditional Chinese philosophies of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism and explain the historical roots of fengsui, yin and yang and chi. Part one explores China’s geography and climate and its impact on the development of mountainscape architecture. Part two comprises the highly detailed architectural site descriptions and specifications. A glossary, index, bibliography and travel log are, also, included for quick and easy reference. This book is heavily illustrated with 250 sumptuous full colour photographs plus 100 architectural drawings. Many of the sites are documented and in print for the first time.