Larry Speck » Cultural Identity

And, of course, The Great Wall

Larry Speck — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:31:30 +0000

We visited the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall which is more remote and less visited than the Badaling section near Beijing. It was renovated in the 1950s and 1960s and is in an area of magnificent natural beauty.

It would be worth visiting this area just for its mountain scenery even if there were no Great Wall here.

We took a second trip to a different section of the Great Wall which required getting up at 3:30am to see it at dawn. This section was unrestored, and it was great to see it being taken over by nature.

Datong–A Tough Industrial City

Larry Speck — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:01:00 +0000

Although Datong is a very old city and was a dynastic capital of China two different times, it is now dominated by coal mining and power production. It is not a charming city as a whole, but it is interesting as an example of an “ordinary” Chinese city. There is a transformation happening that is common across the country where cities are tearing out their old city fabric and replacing it with more modern buildings. The new architecture is not good, but it is providing much needed decent housing and work places.

Old fabric of single story courtyard houses. At ground level this is a dismal place to live.

Neighborhood undergoing transformation.

New city fabric in Datong

Even in these bland new parts of the city there is a vibrant life. This is a "fast food" joint.

There is a big open central square full of all ages of people--but especially a lot of little kids.

A real treasure of Datong from 700 years ago is the 9 Dragon Screen.

It is 150 feet long and made of glazed tiles.

The countryside outside Datong is dotted with compact farming towns.

Temple Hanging from a Cliff

Larry Speck — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:48:14 +0000

This 1400-year-old temple contains statues of Confucian, Buddhist and Daoist gods in stone, iron and bronze. Many temples in China are similarly ecumenical, bringing together the 3 major religions of the country. The temple was located at a critical pass on a trade route. It is beside a river that is now dammed, but was once prone to flooding. Hanging the temple from the side of the cliff kept it safe from rising waters.

Yungang Caves–Architecture by Subtraction rather than Addition

Larry Speck — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:09:25 +0000

I have long been fascinated by buildings created by carving out a void rather than by building a solid form. I love the rock cut temple at Carli in India and the whole cities carved in the sides of the hills in Cappadocia in central Turkey. But the very best version of this architecture by subtraction may be the elaborate series of spaces created to house Buddhist figures near the border of Inner Mongolia. There are over 51,000 statues here making it one of the most lavish expressions of Buddhist art in the world. Some of the spaces are mammoth and some are tiny. Almost all are articulated elaborately on every surface. These structures were built 453-494 AD at the height of the period when Silk Road trade opened this area up to influences from Greece, Persia, Central Asia and India.

Dramatic scale and light inside.

Some of the more elaborate spaces have wooden temple facades outside.

Mammoth seated Buddha inside.Gateways mix wood and carved-out stone.

Thousands of tiny statues are carved out of some walls.

Much of the detail is still in beautiful condition and shows the uniqueness of each figure.

Soft light shows mottling of surfaces to best advantage.

The front of this space collapsed revealing the giant sculptures within.

Cave 18 is one of the most spectacular with its tall standing Buddha.

Buddha looms above once you are inside.

Sometimes the various spaces work together as an ensemble

Elaborate portals seem almost Egyptian in their scale.

Sendai Mediatheque

jeremy_babel — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:34:04 +0000

The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures

jeremy_babel — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:43:29 +0000

Mu Ta Wooden Pagoda

Larry Speck — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:23:28 +0000

It blows me away that this pagoda was built in the 11th century and was constructed with no nails. It is one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world, and yet huge and magnificently ambitious. It is in a small town between Taiyuan and Datong–just all by itself in an otherwise nondescript landscape. The building actually leans slightly and there is concern about its eventual failure. But, for now, it just seems remarkably ancient and resilient.

Wood joinery is impressive in so many traditional Chinese buildings.

Timbers are massive. You see very few trees currently in the landscape that could produce this size pieces.

The complexity of the joinery combined with the complexity of the polygonal geometry makes for some tricky intersections.

Ancient Walled City of Pingyao

Larry Speck — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:09:29 +0000

Surrounded by one of China’s few intact city walls, dating from 1370, Pingyao is a treasure trove of Ming and Qing architecture. It was an affluent banking center beginning in the 15th century. When the Qing dynasty defaulted on its loans and abdicated in the early 20th century the city’s economy collapsed and financial power moved to Shanghai and Hong Kong. Pingyao became a backwater, but was saved from development and is one of the best preserved examples of traditional city fabric in the country.

Warning! really loved this place and got kind of carried away with the photography–so there are lots of pictures on this post.

Forty foot high walls that enclose the entire city.

NOrth Gate is one of six major entry points.

Delicate towers contrast sharply with fortified base.

Tops of walls are broad roads for moving around the periphery of the city.

Wood framing and bracketing in towers is as impressive as in temples.

South gate is even more foreboding than the north gate with huge blank walls.

Walls are mostly rectilinear, but this gentle curve near the south gate offers a remarkable counterpoint.

Sallyport through the wall into the city.

View from the top of the wall looking into the city.

Bell Tower spans over one of the city's major streets.

Other more minor streets have similar gateways.

Major streets are lined with very elaborate stone buildings.

Many of the old buildings are fully inhabited.

There is an elaborate pedestrian street scene in many areas.

Colorful make-shift shops abound.

There is a powerful contrast between the timeless old buildings and the ephemeral current inhabitation.

It's clear that this was once a very affluent place, but all of that glory is veiled in a patina of time.

Many buildings give the sense of protection and security natural to a banking center.

Though most buildings are stone, mud brick or rammed earth, wood is a common material as well.

Behind the street walls, most buildings are formed around courtyards.

Details in these interior environments are often lavish.

Residential and business uses were often mixed together around the courtyards.

Courtyards are filled with soft greenery and bright colors.

Interior rooms were small but sometimes beautifully appointed.

Some interiors are distinctly for business.

Business was also sometimes conducted from bed in residential quarters. These are mattresses placed on stone bases that kept temperatures more stable in a climate that can get very hot and very cold.

Harsh summer sun is nicely modulated by thick walls.

Traditional pedi-cab in "garage" off courtyard.

Contemporary versions of old rickshas are all over the streets today.

Pedaling a load of watermelons around would be really hard work.

In some parts of the city life on the streets is wonderfully lively.

Groups of guys hanging out is a national pass time in China.

Board games on the street are often a spectator sport.

Away from the main streets, the city is deteriorated and much quieter.

There are still signs of past glory.

But there is also poverty and neglect.

The courtyards are still the focus of life.

Outside of Pingyao to the south of the city is the Shuanglin Temple--also built around courtyards.

A kind of miniature version of the city, it has a series of portals that lead from court to court behind tall walls.

There is an austere beauty here you do not see in the restored Buddist temples in larger cities.

The wood is mostly unpainted and heavily weathered.

What color there is has been muted by time.

The traditional ornament is very powerful even without the normal polychrome surfaces.

Craft in the complex joints is more explicit than when covered by painted patterns.

As in the rest of Pingyao, time seems to have stood still over the last century.

This temple is particularly well known for its statures--like these guardians.

Many arms on a religious figure connotes great capability and power to do things.

Chinese Open Air Markets

Larry Speck — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:44:39 +0000

In the Muslim Quarter in Xian there is an amazing night market that is bustling with people, food and activity. It is clearly the social heart of an ancient and cohesive neighborhood. The street market weaves into a narrow bazaar that could be in Istanbul and finally up to the gates of the mosque. What a visual feast! And the people are a gas to watch.

At the peak of the market at 9:00pm or so the crowds are dense and represent every age group in the community.

Colorful and exuberant architecture is an appropriate framework for the market.

Permanent shops and restaurants mix with temporary stalls.

Pedi-cab stand at one end of the market to take people to and from.

A few people challenge the rules by bringing in bikes and motorcycles.

Landmark Drum Tower anchors one end of the market street.

Side street off of the main market leads to "turkish bazaar".

Displays are colorful and meticulously arranged.

The food on the main market street is the most luscious visual feast.

Sunflower seeds.

Pomegranites

Lots of mystery stuff.

Snake for dinner?

Rice cooked inside bamboo.

Supermarket in the middle of the open air market.

Full meals available on the street.

Ming Dynasty Artifacts in Xian

Larry Speck — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:54:32 +0000

Once the largest city in the world, Xian has been the capital of China for over 4000 years of its history. There are artifacts from many periods of Chinese development. In the central city, however, there are beautifully preserved relics that date back to the 14th and 15th century, the height of the Ming Dynasty. The 9-mile long city walls are still intact and well preserved as are the Bell Tower, Drum Tower, the Great

Bell Tower

Drum Tower

Courtyard House in Muslim Quarter

Great Mosque--largest one in China. It is interesting to see this mix of Muslim religion and Chinese culture embodied in a single piece of architecture.

Mosque and several landmark homes.