China had the use of red and gold for a color palette. They used layers in their construction. Instead of using nails, they used joinery techniques for their structures. Their buildings were very intricate and solid due to this; especially since they were made out of wood. The structures have lasted 900 plus years and are still standing today. The buildings created today may not withstand that long of time. Another unique fact with their buildings is that they would have rituals before they placed the wood on their structures. They would light firecrackers and the like to scare off any demons or bad vibes. It was more so focusing on their religion and beliefs in order to create harmony and peace.
China and India both had a stupa. A stupa is a mound of dirt, such as a burial ground, where a more permanent structure is built over the mound. This prototype was birthed in India. The stupa came to China as Buddhism spread to that region. There were great limitations with the stupa due to it not having enough space for visitors. Due to this, Chinese invented the Pagoda; a combination of the Stupa and Chinese tower building. An example of this is the Liuhe Pagoda that was created in 1165 AD. An Indian stupa example is the Great Stupa of Sanchi.
A great architectural element during this time was the Great Wall of China. It was built of stone, brick, wood, mud, and earth. It is located along the Northern border of China. It is said to be 5,500 to 13,000 miles long. The structures included watch towers so they could watch over their land for intruders.
Some of their furniture includes the folding chair and the yoke back chair. Their overall structure of their furniture includes weightlessness, beautiful, and stability. Both regions had a lack of furniture. People mostly sat on the floors or even slept on the floors.
Images | Past
Images | Present
Extra Credit | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7BF0HiaP2s
Here's a short clip of more modern Chinese interiors.
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