As long as you talk about "Chinese architecture", you must mention someone. He is Mr. Liang Sicheng, who is known as the "father of modern Chinese architecture". Almost all of his life has been dedicated to ancient Chinese architecture.
Since 1937, Liang Sicheng and his wife Lin Huiyin have traveled to 15 provinces and more than 200 counties in China, surveying, mapping and photographing more than 2,000 pieces of Tang, Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming , Relics of ancient buildings preserved in Qing dynasties. Because of the backward transportation and other aspects, they often had to walk dozens of miles to complete the surveying and mapping of an ancient building. The hardships can be imagined.
But none of this can stop his determination. In the end, a masterpiece of Chinese architectural history came into being. It is Mr. Liang Sicheng’s "History of Chinese Architecture". Today, Let's take a look at his old manuscripts of ancient buildings.
The first hand-painted manuscript: Guanyin Pavilion of Dule Temple, Jixian County, Hebei Province
What catches the eye is the handwriting comparable to print, clean and tidy, and the composition is not muddy. Its accuracy is comparable to modern CAD technology (computer-aided design). Under Mr. Liang Sicheng's pen, this Liao Dynasty building from more than 1,000 years ago is perfectly presented.
The second hand-drawn manuscript: Evolution of Dougong in the past dynasties
Dougong, also known as Chatuo, Dooke, Chatuo, Paving, etc., Dougong is divided into 2 parts, one is Located at the junction of the column and the beam, the arch-shaped load-bearing structure protruded from the top of the column is called "arch"; the square wooden block between the arch and the arch is called the "bucket". Plus, form a "Dougong".
Its main function is to bear the weight of the eaves spent on the upper part. It is a unique structure of Chinese architecture and first appeared in the Warring States Period. The picture shows the evolution of dougong over the past dynasties carefully drawn by Mr. Liang Sicheng, which is of high reference value.
The third hand-drawn draft: the detailed structure diagram between the buckets, foreheads and eaves
The level of detail in this picture is simply breathtaking. Every detail is Coupled with the corresponding Chinese and English names, the drawing is clean, generous, and clear at a glance.
The fourth hand-drawn manuscript: the detailed drawing of the Dunhuang stone room of the Tang Dynasty
To complete this detailed drawing of the Dunhuang stone room, the entire team spent almost half a month, Liang Sicheng was in charge of photography, and Mo Zong Jiang was responsible for the survey, and Lin Huiyin was responsible for copying the inscriptions, and then each recorded the details of the building structure, and then summarized them to complete such a detailed drawing.
Fifth hand-drawn manuscript: Foguang Temple Hall, Wutai Mountain, Shanxi
In 1937, the Japanese army was raging on Chinese soil, and countless Chinese people were destroyed and displaced by the war. At this time, the Japanese were arrogant and arrogant. They tried to deny and attack China from all aspects. The Japanese publicly announced that “there are no wooden buildings in the Tang Dynasty in China. , Kyoto.”
Liang Sicheng who was on the inspection road was suddenly furious. He and the inspection team rushed to Wutai Mountain not far away. After many days of toss and turns, they finally found the Foguang Temple, which came from more than 1,000 years ago. After many confirmations, they announced: “China has wooden buildings in the Tang Dynasty, and the Japanese can stop!”
Mr. Liang Sicheng swiped his pen and wrote "Remembering the Architecture of the Wutai Mountain Foguang Temple". Once it was published, it caused a sensation in Chinese and foreign architecture circles. Fo Guang Temple reappeared and was known as the "Asian Buddha Light". Today, it has been included in the World Heritage List.
Sixth hand-drawn draft: Zhaozhou Bridge (Anji Bridge), Shijiazhuang, Hebei
Zhaozhou Bridge, located in Zhao County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, was built in the Sui Dynasty by a carpenter Designed and built by Li Chun, Song Zhezong Zhao Xu gave it the name Anji Bridge, which was later named after Zhao County in ancient times as Zhaozhou.
Many people don’t knowDao, in fact, Mr. Liang Sicheng had suffered a car accident, which caused some disabilities in his legs and spine, and he often had to wear a supporting iron frame. However, with such a body, he has completed such a huge survey and mapping. He has even carefully surveyed the Zhaozhou Bridge with his feet hanging in the air. Such spirit is admirable.
Foreign academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, British scholar Joseph Needham once said: "Liang Sicheng is the master of the study of the history of Chinese architecture."
