Geo-Architecture and Landscape in China’s Geographic and Historic Context
Geo-Architecture and Landscape in China’s Geographic and Historic Context

Author: Fang Wang

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-04-19

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 9811004927

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This book approaches the concept of geo-architecture by analyzing the symbolic characters of architectures. It proves that the relationship between architecture and geography is not merely an embodiment of physical and functional demands but rather a formal expression of the materialization of culture. After analyzing the vast number of villages, groups of buildings and individual buildings the forms of which closely resemble the forms of the Bagua (symbol of the Eight Trigrams), Taichi, animals and plants, this book finds that this kind of symbolism creatively places living and working places within the natural geographic environment and, by seeking a relationship between architecture and its surrounding environment, comes to express people’s hopes and dreams, evolving slowly to take on certain cultural connotations. This book is the fourth of a 4-volume book series. The series develops the innovative concept of “geo-architecture” by exploring the myriad influences of natural, human and historical factors upon architecture. These influences are considered in three categories, namely, interaction between architecture and nature, interaction between architecture and its human users and change in architecture over time--each category serves as a lens. Augmenting these lenses is the Time-Person-Place concept applied different geographic. The analysis ultimately focuses on two aspects: geographic influence on architecture and architectural response to geography. The over 1000 pictures of case architectures enriches the study with stunning and unique visual angles. "This unprecedented work will be a unique and valuable contribution to the literature. Integrating as it does the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and geography, Wang Fang’s voice is original, compelling, and will be much appreciated by English-speaking readers (and inside China, too, I can only imagine.)"Stephen M Ervin Assistant Dean Graduate School of Design, Harvard University July 2nd, 2013 "One reason for why there would be interest is because her research would fill some significant gaps in the literature.What is novel about Dr. Wang’s series is that she further extends this intellectual project of looking at Chinese architecture through Chinese eyes, by taking it one provocative step further."Annette M. Kim Associate Professor Department of Urban Studies and Planning, M.I.T. July 1st, 2013

Geo-Architecture and Landscape in China’s Geographic and Historic Context
Geo-Architecture and Landscape in China’s Geographic and Historic Context

Author: Fang Wang

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-04-22

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 9811004838

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This book analyzes forms of architectures within the frame concept of geo-architecture, and looks into the interaction of architecture and its environment. It starts by discussing the collisions between architecture and geography, humanity, as well as other architectures and reflects on the ancient Chinese notion of emotional relief and expression through natural landscape. It then studies important transportation and scenic routes, like pavilions, towers, clan halls and villages within architectural systems. It also discusses the forms of geographic integration and isolation expressed through architecture, which reflects their historical and cultural context.This book is the first of a 4-volume book series. The series develops the innovative concept of “geo-architecture” by exploring the myriad influences of natural, human and historical factors upon architecture. These influences are considered in three categories, namely, interaction between architecture and nature, interaction between architecture and its human users and change in architecture over time--each category serves as a lens. Augmenting these lenses is the Time-Person-Place concept applied different geographic. The analysis ultimately focuses on two aspects: geographic influence on architecture and architectural response to geography. The over 1000 pictures of case architectures enriches the study with stunning and unique visual angles. "This unprecedented work will be a unique and valuable contribution to the literature. Integrating as it does the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and geography, Wang Fang’s voice is original, compelling, and will be much appreciated by English-speaking readers (and inside China, too, I can only imagine.)" Stephen M Ervin Assistant Dean Graduate School of Design, Harvard University July 2nd, 2013 "One reason for why there would be interest is because her research would fill some significant gaps in the literature.What is novel about Dr. Wang’s series is that she further extends this intellectual project of looking at Chinese architecture through Chinese eyes, by taking it one provocative step further."Annette M. Kim Associate Professor Department of Urban Studies and Planning, M.I.T. July 1st, 2013

Geo-Architecture and Landscape in China’s Geographic and Historic Context
Geo-Architecture and Landscape in China’s Geographic and Historic Context

Author: Fang Wang

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-08-16

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 9811004862

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This book approaches the concept of geo-architecture from the perspective of functions of architectures by analyzing the cases of traditional Chinese houses and tombs as well as palaces and places of worship. Houses and tombs, the ‘Yang’ dwellings and ‘Yin’ dwellings of human beings in traditional Chinese interpretation, are the two types of architectures that reveal the wisdom with which different ethnic groups adapted to different geographic environments at different times throughout the long history. Palaces are connected with various religious architectures throughout the Chinese history. The connection between imperial power and religion, along with its geographic and cultural connotations, are implicated in the pattern and layout of religious and imperial architectures. This book is the second of a 4-volume book series. The series develops the innovative concept of “geo-architecture” by exploring the myriad influences of natural, human and historical factors upon architecture. These influences are considered in three categories, namely, interaction between architecture and nature, interaction between architecture and its human users and change in architecture over time--each category serves as a lens. Augmenting these lenses is the Time-Person-Place concept applied different geographic. The analysis ultimately focuses on two aspects: geographic influence on architecture and architectural response to geography. The over 1000 pictures of case architectures enriches the study with stunning and unique visual angles. "This unprecedented work will be a unique and valuable contribution to the literature. Integrating as it does the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and geography, Wang Fang’s voice is original, compelling, and will be much appreciated by English-speaking readers (and inside China, too, I can only imagine.)"Stephen M Ervin Assistant Dean Graduate School of Design, Harvard University July 2nd, 2013 "One reason for why there would be interest is because her research would fill some significant gaps in the literature.What is novel about Dr. Wang’s series is that she further extends this intellectual project of looking at Chinese architecture through Chinese eyes, by taking it one provocative step further."Annette M. Kim Associate Professor Department of Urban Studies and Planning, M.I.T. July 1st, 2013

Geo-Architecture and Landscape in China’s Geographic and Historic Context
Geo-Architecture and Landscape in China’s Geographic and Historic Context

Author: Fang Wang

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-04-19

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 9811004897

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This book explores the concept of geo-architecture by analyzing the ways architectures are related to the local geography, including mingling or contrasting with surrounding landscape, adapting to mountainous or aquatic terrain, and selection of construction materials. Architectures build with such skillfully contrived strategies and techniques have become live exhibit of folk customs and served to record in profound detail the long history of mankind’s recognition of nature. The combined effect is such that the architecture grows out of the surrounding natural and human environment. This book is the third of a 4-volume book series. The series develops the innovative concept of “geo-architecture” by exploring the myriad influences of natural, human and historical factors upon architecture. These influences are considered in three categories, namely, interaction between architecture and nature, interaction between architecture and its human users and change in architecture over time--each category serves as a lens. Augmenting these lenses is the Time-Person-Place concept applied different geographic. The analysis ultimately focuses on two aspects: geographic influence on architecture and architectural response to geography. The over 1000 pictures of case architectures enriches the study with stunning and unique visual angles. "This unprecedented work will be a unique and valuable contribution to the literature. Integrating as it does the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and geography, Wang Fang’s voice is original, compelling, and will be much appreciated by English-speaking readers (and inside China, too, I can only imagine.)"Stephen M Ervin Assistant Dean Graduate School of Design, Harvard University July 2nd, 2013 "One reason for why there would be interest is because her research would fill some significant gaps in the literature.What is novel about Dr. Wang’s series is that she further extends this intellectual project of looking at Chinese architecture through Chinese eyes, by taking it one provocative step further."Annette M. Kim Associate Professor Department of Urban Studies and Planning, M.I.T. July 1st, 2013

A Historical Geography of China
A Historical Geography of China

Author: Yi-Fu Tuan

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-12

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1351535382

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The Chinese earth is pervasively humanized through long occupation. Signs of man's presence vary from the obvious to the extremely subtle. The building of roads, bridges, dams, and factories, and the consolidation of farm holdings alter the Chinese landscape and these alterations seem all the more conspicuous because they introduce features that are not distinctively Chinese. In contrast, traditional forms and architectural relics escape our attention because they are so identified with the Chinese scene that they appear to be almost outgrowths of nature. Describing the natural order of human beings in the context of the Chinese earth and civilization, "A Historical Geography of China" narrates the evolution of the Chinese landscape from prehistoric times to the present.Tuan views landscape as a visible expression of man's efforts to gain a living and achieve a measure of stability in the constant flux of nature. The book ranges the period of time from Peking man to the epoch of Mao Tse-tung. It moves through the ancient and modern dynasties, the warlords and conquests, earthquakes, devastating floods, climatic reversals, and staggering civil wars to the impact of Western civilization and industrialization. The emphasis throughout is on the effect of a changing environment on succeeding cultures.This classic study attempts to analyze and describe traditional Chinese settlement patterns and architecture. The result is a clear and succinct examination of the development of the Chinese landscape over thousands of years. It describes the ways the Communist regime worked to alter the face of the nation. This work will quickly prove to be crucial reading for all who are interested in this pivotal nation. It goes far beyond the usual political spectrum, into the physical and social roots of Chinese history.

Critical Landscape Planning During the Belt and Road Initiative
Critical Landscape Planning During the Belt and Road Initiative

Author: Ashley Scott Kelly

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 981164067X

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This open access book traces the development of landscapes along the 414-kilometer China-Laos Railway, one of the first infrastructure projects implemented under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and which is due for completion at the end of 2021. Written from the perspective of landscape architecture and intended for planners and related professionals engaged in the development and conservation of these landscapes, this book provides history, planning pedagogy and interdisciplinary framing for working alongside the often-opaque planning, design and implementation processes of large-scale infrastructure. It complicates simplistic notions of development and urbanization frequently reproduced in the Laos-China frontier region. Many of the projects and sites investigated in this book are recent "firsts" in Laos: Laos's first wildlife sanctuary for trafficked endangered species, its first botanical garden and its first planting plan for a community forest. Most often the agents and accomplices of neoliberal development, the planning and design professions, including landscape architecture, have little dialogue with either the mainstream natural sciences or critical social sciences that form the discourse of projects in Laos and comparable contexts. Covering diverse conceptions and issues of development, including cultural and scientific knowledge exchanges between Laos and China, nature tourism, connectivity and new town planning, this book also features nine planning proposals for Laos generated through this research initiative since the railway's groundbreaking in 2016. Each proposal promotes a wider "landscape approach" to development and deploys landscape architecture's spatial and ecological acumen to synthesize critical development studies with the planner's capacity, if not naive predilection, to intervene on the ground. Ultimately, this book advocates the cautious engagement of the professionally oriented built-environment disciplines, such as regional planning, civil engineering and landscape architecture, with the landscapes of development institutions and environmental NGOs.

Sacred Landscapes of Imperial China
Sacred Landscapes of Imperial China

Author: Giulio Magli

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-06-15

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 3030493245

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This book analyses the magnificent imperial necropolises of ancient China from the perspective of Archaeoastronomy, a science which takes into account the landscape in which ancient monuments are placed, focusing especially but not exclusively on the celestial aspects. The power of the Chinese emperors was based on the so-called Mandate of Heaven: the rulers were believed to act as intermediaries between the sky gods and the Earth, and consequently, the architecture of their tombs, starting from the world-famous mausoleum of the first emperor, was closely linked to the celestial cycles and to the cosmos. This relationship, however, also had to take into account various other factors and doctrines, first the Zhao-Mu doctrine in the Han period and later the various forms of Feng Shui. As a result, over the centuries, diverse sacred landscapes were constructed. Among the sites analysed in the book are the “pyramids” of Xi’an from the Han dynasty, the mountain tombs of the Tang dynasty, and the Ming and Qing imperial tombs. The book explains how considerations such as astronomical orientation and topographical orientation according to the principles of Feng Shui played a fundamental role at these sites.

China's Geography
China's Geography

Author: Gregory Veeck

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2021-04-07

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 1538140810

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Despite China's clear and growing importance on the world stage, it remains often and easily misunderstood. Indeed, there are many Chinas, as this comprehensive survey, the most current and authoritative introduction available, vividly illustrates. Now in a thoroughly revised and updated edition, this text traces the changes occurring in this powerful and ancient nation across both time and space. Beginning with China's diverse landscapes and environments, and continuing through its formative history and tumultuous recent past, the authors show contemporary China as a product of both internal and external forces. They consider historical and current successes and difficulties, including economic, political, cultural, and environmental challenges, while placing China in its international context as a massive, developing, diverse nation that is meeting the needs of its 1.4 billion citizens while becoming an aggressive major regional and global player. Through clear prose and 160 insightful maps, tables, and photos, China's Geography illustrates and explains the great economic, political, and social differences found throughout China's many regions. Accompanying the book is a companion website that provides a wealth of additional materials, including sample lectures, color versions of all the graphics, time series and provincial data files for student projects in Excel, lists of favorite films and websites, and public domain maps for student use.

The Geography of Contemporary China
The Geography of Contemporary China

Author: Jing’ai Wang

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-06-28

Total Pages: 466

ISBN-13: 3031041585

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This textbook provides a comprehensive and very detailed insight into Chinese Contemporary Geography in English. It documents the geographical issues associated with China's rapid growth. Since initiating the reforms and open policy, China has achieved tremendous success. China's rapid growth is now a driving force in the global economy and is achieving unprecedented rates of poverty reduction. However, China also faces a number of sustainability and emerging challenges associated with rapid growth such as growing regional disparities in terms of per capita income and social-economic development, sustainable resource development, and issues related to regional and global economic integration. In addition, rapid economic growth has also brought about major challenges such as resource shortages, ecological and environmental destruction, land degradation and frequent disasters. This book presents the authors’ reflections. This lavishly illustrated book covers physical geography, history, and economic and political systems of the world's most populous country. The major focus is on geographical issues in China's contemporary development: agriculture, population, urbanization, resource and energy, and environment. The lead author of the book has taught relevant courses in China for three decades, and authored and edited multiple textbooks for Chinese students. This book will appeal to undergraduate students of geography and related disciplines with a regional focus on China and to the general reader who wants to learn different geographical aspects of modern China with little academic background in geography.

Nanjing: Historical Landscape and Its Planning from Geographical Perspective
Nanjing: Historical Landscape and Its Planning from Geographical Perspective

Author: Yifeng Yao

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-07-15

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 9811016372

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This book studies the historical changes of the cityscape of Nanjing from the point of view of geographical systems. Nanjing is a city located along the Yangtze River, originated 2500 years ago, after which ten dynasties established their capital dependent on the geographical conditions. The book focuses on the analysis of the characteristics of mountain and river systems in the various historical periods, and provides investigations of historical sites along with these systems. This enables the search for the laws of historical evolution and spatial structure changes, which is also the research of the relationship between man and nature. It extends the traditional preservation and cityscapes planning to that of geographical landscape system. Readers working in the area of geography, history, urban and landscape planning will benefit from it.