CHINESE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE ARCHIVE

Ancient Architecture Guide

Tracing the Art of Chinese Architecture, Through Parchment and Shadow

Seeking scattered archives, drawings, and historical photographs.

Tracing the Art of Chinese Architecture, Through Parchment and Shadow

Xuankong Temple in Datong, Shanxi
Epic of Timber Frame Xuankong Temple in Datong, Shanxi Datong, Shanxi · Xuankong Temple · Contemporary photograph

This archive is dedicated to gathering and preserving the literature and imagery of ancient Chinese architecture, found in aged papers, photographic films, and the works of pioneering scholars.

We believe every document is a path back to a historical site, recording not just the forms of timber and stone, but the aesthetics, techniques, and memories of an era.

Through digital preservation and presentation, we hope to build a lasting foundation for this precious heritage, open to all who seek to explore it.

Featured Topics

Architecture · Grottoes · References

Wooden Pagoda of Ying County Architecture Epic of Timber Frame From the modular system in 'Yingzao Fashi' to the oral formulas of folk craftsmen, these non-textual inheritance systems form the gene pool of Chinese architecture. Ying County, Shanxi · Liao dynasty · Contemporary photograph Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Grottoes Sutras on Stone Walls Dunhuang, Gansu · Cave temple · Contemporary photograph References Browse References View All Rare books and measured drawings · Source material

Categories

Seeking scattered archives, drawings, and historical photographs. Reviving the joinery in beams and the ingenuity in brackets. Creating a digital memorandum for a vanishing architectural heritage.

Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing
Dazu, Chongqing · Rock carvings · Contemporary photograph

Help scattered records find their place

Share a Lead

Have an old photograph, gazetteer reference, inscription, or measured drawing? Send us its source. Every verifiable lead can complete part of a building’s record. Share a source