Chinese architecture: Modern Styles

Since the late 19th cent. the Chinese have adopted European architectural styles. When first under Communist rule they tended to imitate modern Soviet buildings. The trend has been toward the impressively massive and the clearly functional in public buildings (e.g., the Great Hall of the People, 1959; Beijing). In such buildings only in the detailing around window frames and doorways can traditional features still be seen.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Modern Styles
• The Forbidden City
• Architectural Development: T'ang Dynasty and Thereafter
• The Pagoda
• The Chinese Ground Plan
• Structural Elements
• Early Architecture
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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