Traditional Chinese Architecture

• Peking, also known as the "Forbidden City," was established as the Imperial capital around A.D. 1260.
• Persia Nammu trees, China's tallest and straightest, served as columns in palaces and temples in Peking.
• Mandarin refers to either governed provinces or members of the Chinese government's elite civil servant class.
• Wood is the primary building material in traditional Chinese architecture.
• A 'Ta' in Chinese architecture is a pagoda.
• The Qin Dynasty is credited with the majority construction of the Great Wall of China.
• A ‘Pailou’ in Chinese architecture is a monumental gateway.
• The Dougong system provides earthquake resistance.

Structural support for roof.

• Most traditional Chinese buildings face south to utilize natural elements.
• The Mingtang symbolizes the intersection of Heaven and Earth.
• The Hall for Prayer for Good Harvests is in the Temple of Heaven complex.
• Chinese pagodas primarily functioned for the storage of relics.
• Gabled and curved roofs are characteristic features of Chinese roof design.
• Yellow is typically reserved for spaces related to emperors in Chinese architecture.
• Water is associated with the color black in Feng Shui.
• Feng Shui balances energy and aligns structures with nature in Chinese architecture.
• The Mingtang is a raised ritual structure symbolizing imperial power.
• In Feng Shui, a square shape represents the Earth element.
• 'Jian' refers to a structural unit of space in traditional Chinese construction.
• The Songyue Temple Ta is China’s oldest surviving pagoda.
• Buddhism heavily influenced ancient Chinese architecture.
• The Yin-Yang principle symbolizes the balance of opposing forces.
• The ‘Bright Hall’ (Mingtang) marked the intersection of heaven and earth.
• Roof projections in traditional Chinese architecture originally protected wooden columns from rain.
• A large pillar or column along a highway is called Stambha/Lath.
• A Stupa commemorates Buddha’s burial place.
• A Chaitya is an Indian assembly hall, shrine, and sanctuary.
• A Vihara is an Indian Buddhist monastery.
• A Mandapa is a Hindi porch hall for dance and music.
• A Sikhara is a Hindi steep pyramidal roof.
• The Indus and Ganges Rivers are found in India.
• Stambha/Lath: A free-standing carved monumental pillar with circular or octagonal shafts..
• Stupa: A mound which is a sacred spot that has a relic on top.
• Chattra is part of a stupa that contains the relic casket.
• Torana is a stupa's gateway/entrance.
• Vedika is the railing.
• Chatri means multi-level umbrellas in a stupa.
• Harmika A cubicle with umbrella in a stupa.
• Chaityas are assembly or prayer halls rock-cut into mountains.
• Viharas are Indian Buddhist monasteries with a central plan and a quadrangle surrounded by a veranda.
• A Sikhara is the steep pyramidal roof in Hindu architecture.
• Garbha-Griha is a small shrine.
• Mulaprasada is a sacred room.
• Nagara is North Hindu architecture style.
• Dravida is South Hindu architecture style.
• Vesara is Mixed Hindu architecture style.
• Nagara architecture has curvilinear towers and square-ish, cruciform plans.
• Dravida architecture has a truncated pyramid with horizontal levels and a dome.
• Akshardham is the largest Vesara temple.
• Japan is also known as the Land of the Rising Sun.
• Japanese architecture was heavily influenced by Chinese architecture via the introduction of Buddhism around the 6th century.
• Zen Philosophy emphasizes simplicity, harmony, and unity with nature.
• Tatami mats are rice-straw mats used as flooring; they standardize room dimensions and add aesthetic appeal to homes and temples.
• Engawa: A veranda that runs along the outside of a building, acting as a transition space between the interior and the exterior.
• Sakura symbolizes the fleeting nature of life.
• Torii Gates are iconic red gates marking the entrance to a sacred space.
• Haiden and Honden are the main worship hall of Shinto Shrines (Jinja) and the inner sanctuary where the deity is enshrined.
• Pagodas are multi-storied towers used to house sacred relics in Buddhist temples.
• Palaces accommodate the lives and work of the imperial family and other dignitaries.
• Sentos are bathhouses that use heated tap water.
• Castles (Shiro) were built during the feudal period for defense and as residences for feudal lords (Daimyo).
• Tea houses (Chashitsu) are simple, rustic structures used for tea ceremonies, reflecting Zen aesthetics.
• Farmhouses (Minka) are traditional rural homes with thatched roofs, designed to withstand local climates.
• Urban Townhouses (Machiya) are narrow, deep wooden buildings in Kyoto, featuring sliding doors and inner gardens (Tsuboniwa).
• Samurai Residences, known as Bukeyashiki, feature sliding doors and inner gardens (Tsuboniwa).
• Kofun (burial mounds) were constructed for the elite, showcasing their power and status.
• Todai-ji houses the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known as the "Great Buddha of Nara."
• The Medieval Period lasted from 1185 to 1603.
• The Samurai Class replaced the aristocracy as the most powerful social group.
• The Kamakura Period’s center was a seaside town 48 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, serving as the Minamoto clan’s base.
• Kencho-ji is considered the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan.
• Ginkaku-ji, also known as the Silver Pavilion, is a Zen temple in Kyoto known for its elegant simplicity and stunning grounds.
• The Azuchi-Momoyama period is marked by the rule of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, unifiers who built castles as symbols of power.
• Oda Nobunaga initiated construction of Azuchi Castle on Lake Biwa's eastern shores.
• A central plan mosque is symmetrical about a central point.
• Four-iwan mosques feature monumental barrel-vaulted halls.
• Hypostyle mosques have interiors divided by rows of columns.
• A courtyard is an unroofed area enclosed by the walls of a large building.
• Adome is a rounded vault forming the roof of a building.
• A horseshoe arch is also called the Moorish arch and the Keyhole arch, it is the emblematic arch of Islamic architecture.
• An Iwan is a hall in a mosque or palace with one open side leading to a courtyard.
• Maqsura is an enclosure in a mosque used by a ruler for protection and status.
• The Minaret is a tall slender tower with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer.
• Minbar is a short flight of steps used as a platform by a preacher in a mosque.
• Mihrab: A niche in the wall of a mosque, at the point nearest to Mecca, toward which the congregation faces to pray.
• Muqarnas is an Islamic type of wall or ceiling decoration used to make a smooth transition from a building's rectangular basis to its vaulted ceiling.
• A pointed arch has a pointed crown, characteristic of Gothic architecture.
• The Qibla Wall is the direction that Muslims face during salat prayers.
• A Mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam.
• Ogival arches are pointed.
• Islamic Architecture can be found all around the world, including the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
• Arabesque are vine-like or plant-like shapes and forms used as a decorative element.
• Mocarabe is a type of ornamental design that looks like rock formations.
• Caliphs : What were palaces called?