Approaching China Through Its Architecture

The art of architecture provides an accurate reflection of every nations uniqueness. Chinese architecture is the crystallization of Chinese civilization, and one of the worlds three major building systems to have arisen among the different cultures of the world, along with those embodied in Western and Islamic buildings. As the only building system mainly based on wooden structures and on traditional Chinese culture, Chinese architecture has always preserved its own distinctive characteristics. However, the architectural traditions of Chinese ethnic minorities also display specific attributes.