Tag: architecture

photo of the day

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Dragon relief at the Daci’en Temple in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. The Daci’en Temple (大慈恩寺 Temple of Great Mercy and Kindness) holds the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, an important Tang dynasty Buddhist site in China.

beijing treasures reconstructed

A new series of exhibitions in Beijing features beautiful reconstructions of some of the capital’s landmarks. These impressive scale models are made by the China Red Sandalwood Museum of ebony and red sandalwood, materials that will last for generations. The models shown thus far include the Temple of Heaven, a Ming dynasty gem in beloved Tiantan Park, and the former Andingmen and Yongdingmen gates. The latter two were gates in Beijing’s old city wall, which was torn down in the 1950’s to make way for a new street system. Yongdingmen has since been reconstructed adjacent to its original location at the south central entry into the walled city.

To view the models, visit the National Museum of China, 16 East Chang’an Avenue, before December 29.
http://en.chnmuseum.cn

 

photo of the day

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Yonghegong (雍和宫), Beijing, also known as the Lama Temple, a Lamasery of Tibetan Buddhism.

The yellow roof tiles signify the imperial status granted to the temple by the Qianlong Emperor in the 18th century. The various animals decorating the ridge also lend symbolism to the building. The man riding a chicken on the right is often associated with imperial buildings, while the three sea creatures at the left are meant to protect the wooden building from fire. The number of animals in between the sea creature and the man signify the importance of the building. This temple has five; the grandest hall in the Forbidden City has the maximum of nine animals.