Architecture is characterizedby the region, religion, nationality, and times. Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, and Catholicism have a long history in China.
As宗教文化的大熔炉, there is a variety of religious buildings in China. Below are four representatives of different religions.
1. The Temple of Heaven in Beijing
The Temple of Heaven.The Temple of Heaven is the largest existing imperial sacrificing temple in China and has been listed as aWorld Cultural Heritage Siteby UNESCO.
Built in the early 1400s during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), this Taoist temple wasthe altar where emperors offered sacrificesto God and prayed for a good harvest.
The temple complex covers 4 square km (1½square miles) and is comprised ofthree symbolic constructions: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Circular Mound Altar.
The design of the Temple of Heaven complex, true to its sacred purpose,reflects the mystical cosmological lawsbelieved to be central to the workings of the universe.
One interesting fact is that the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests isbuilt completely without nails．
2. The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang
Mogao Grottoes.Located on the remote northwest Silk Road,the Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as "the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas", arefamous for their beautiful frescoes and statues．
Work on the Mogao Grottoesspanned a period of 1,000 years．
There are 735 caves, 45,000 square meters (480,000 sq ft) of frescoes, and 2,415 colored statues currently in existence at the Mogao Grottoes. They are regarded asthe largest and most plentiful Buddhist grottoes in the world．
3. The Niujie Mosque in Beijing
Niujie清真寺。Mosques first appeared in Chinaduring the Tang Dynasty (618–907) when Islam was introduced to China by Arabic traders. Mosques constructed before the Ming Dynasty followed Arabic architectural styles.
However, during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1911),elements of traditional Chinese wooden structuresbegan to appear in mosques.
Niujie Mosqueisone of the oldest mosques in Beijing．这是第一次built during the Liao Dynasty (907–1125) and then it was reconstructed and enlarged three times.
Niujie Mosque reflectsa mixture of Chinese and Islamic architectural designs: the outer architecture shows the Chinese influence while the interior presents a blend of the two cultures.
Read moreonmosques in China．
4. St. Ignatius Cathedral in Shanghai
St. Ignatius Cathedral.St. Ignatius Cathedral, or Xujiahui Cathedral, isthe largest Roman Catholic cathedral in China．It is located in the Xujiahui district.
Originally built in 1906, it wasthe first Catholic church in Shanghaiafter the Opium Wars and it was once the highest building in Shanghai, before the 1920s.
Services are availableevery Sunday morning.
The cathedral is a churchmodeled after a Western architectural style．Its exterior shape is like a long cross, modeled after French medieval Gothic architecture.
With red brick walls, white stone pillars, and a gray slate roof, thetwo bell towersin front of the church are 60 meters high (the spire is 31 meters high).
These two towering structures aremagnificent and solemnwith a north-south confrontation.
Enjoy Chinese architecture first-hand in China
If you have an interest in architecture,let us know when you are booking your tour with usso that we can make sure your tour focuses mostly on those aspects of Chinese architecture you're interested in.
