Buddhist architecture in china
2 min readBuddhist Architecture
Buddhism reached China first through the silk road that had started as a great trading route in the mid of the Former Han period.Buddhist architecture was introduced into China with the introduction of Buddhist religion during the Han dynasty.The Buddhist architecture was considered as aesthetic and cultural.
Generally speaking，Buddhist architecture follows the imperial style.Chinese Buddhist architecture consists of temple，pagoda and grotto or stone cave.
A large Buddhist monastery normally has a front hall，housing the statue of a Bodhisattva followed by a great hall，housing the statues of the Buddhas.Accommodations for the monks and the nuns are located at the two sides.
The main emphasis in the Chinese Buddhist architecture was given on symmetries and layered roofs.
As the centuries passed，however，the shape of these tem-ples took new forms.In the second and third century，the structures were basically made out of wood.Their shape took the form of a tetragonal under the Song during the 10th Century.The next dynasty，the Tang，decided to have their towers shaped into an octagon or diagonal.The number of stories varied with each of the buildings.The height demised regularly from the base to the summit but everything else remained the same.
Buddhist Temple
One fabulous example of Chinese architecture is the Buddhist temple ，which can be found scattered around China.Normally，the main structure is the central line of symmetry，facing the south.Additional structures are on the west and east flanks.Temple Gate，Heavenly King Hall，the Main Hall and Sutra Library successively constructed on the line of symmetry.Dorm，kitchen，dinning hall，storehouse and antechamber usually cluster on the right side while left side remains for the visitors.
The layout of the temple varied in Chinese history.Previous to the Sui Dynasty，the pagoda，as the main building，was built in the center of a temple.Later，the figure of Buddha was emplaced into the hall of a temple to be worshipped.As a result，pagoda was built in other places，and the hall became the center of religious activities.In terms of architectural models and artistic styles of these temples，there are differences on account of different sects and different nations.
