The roots of the culture of ancient China go back to the deep past. It is distinguished by a wealth of spiritual and material values, as well as tremendous vitality. The numerous revolts, warriors and destruction perpetrated by the conquerors did not break and weaken this civilization, nor did it destroy its basic values and ideals.
Throughout history, the culture of ancient China tried to maintain its solidity and not lose activity. Each era left behind a huge legacy of original, diverse and unique in beauty and craftsmanship monuments. The works of painting, architecture, architecture and crafts are invaluable artifacts of the cultural heritage of this country.
The culture of ancient China briefly
Architecture
Along with the penetration of Buddhism into the territory of China (VI century BC), religious buildings - pagodas and rock monasteries begin to appear here. They consist of several hundred small and large grottoes located in the thickness of the rock.
Since 1127 the first palaces, temples and monasteries have been built. They are built primarily from wood, bamboo, clay, reed.
During the reign of Emperor Han, funerary complexes actively decorated with murals, reliefs and decorated with statues of mythological animals were actively erected.
Many architectural structures in China have one thing in common - these are elevated corners of the roof, as a result of which the roof seems to be slightly bent.
Sculpture
The emergence of this type of art is associated with the development of craftsmanship. The Chinese create ceramic products and decorate them with colorful paintings in the form of nets, spirals and shells. Ritual vessels, funeral urns and other objects also appear.
The appearance of sculptures, stone and bone products, as well as bronze vessels decorated with gold and precious stones are attributed to the 2nd century. BC. In the 4th century BC active production of porcelain and varnishes begins.
The artistic culture of ancient China reflects the main spiritual values of Confucianism and Taoism:
- Spiritual perfection.
- The proximity of nature and man.
- Search for harmony in natural phenomena (animals, flowers, trees).
These ideals contributed to the formation of a unique aesthetic consciousness. The culture of ancient China is permeated with the ideas of a harmonious connection of the world and man. This is reflected both in calligraphy and in painting.
In the traditional culture of China, writing is considered as a separate area of aesthetics and ethics, because the individual peculiar writing of hieroglyphs reflects the emotional experiences of the author. Since ancient times, calligraphic writings have been given magical significance, so they are stored in every house. The Chinese believe that the hieroglyph is an ideal model of a work of art, as it combines simplicity of form, symbolism, depth and severity.
One of the highest cultural achievements of this country is painting on a scroll. This new form of art is completely exempted from the decorative function; it is created exclusively for contemplation. The main genres in which they wrote on the scroll are a portrait (household, historical), landscape, the genre of "flowers and birds."
In the Chinese portrait, realistic authenticity and symbolism are combined, slightly bordering on caricature. The paintings are distinguished by the fact that each item depicted on it is deeply symbolic. A flower, tree, bird or animal characterizes a particular poetic image. So the pine symbolizes longevity, the stork - holiness and loneliness, and bamboo - happiness and fortitude. Traditional landscapes were created in the form of an elongated scroll, this helped create a feeling of immense space.
All works of ancient Chinese art carry a moral meaning and the idea of self-improvement of a person, encouraging to admire the beauty of nature and the skillful work of the master. Apparently, therefore, the beauty and expressiveness that the culture of ancient China carries in itself delights connoisseurs of the beautiful. She opens up a new vision of the world and a new aesthetic.