Jing Xie Knihy

The book explores China's rapid urbanization since the 1990s, highlighting its historical roots and the challenges that have emerged, such as housing affordability and environmental issues. By examining urban development during the Tang-Song dynasties, it reveals the qualities of past urban landscapes that can inform modern practices. The interdisciplinary approach encompasses urban planning, design, and cultural studies, asserting the significance of historical context in shaping contemporary urban communities and guiding future development.

Focusing on heritage-led urban regeneration, this book explores the rich histories of three iconic Chinese streets: the Southern Song Imperial Street in Hangzhou, the residential Pingjiang Street in Suzhou, and the commercial Tunxi Old Street in Huangshan. Through detailed narratives, it examines how these streets reflect cultural heritage and the impact of urban development on historical preservation, offering insights into the balance between modernization and tradition in contemporary China.

This book focuses on two significant architectural elements in traditional Chinese buildings, that is, Dougong and Zaojing. Dougong is a bracket set often sitting above columns and beams as a key component in the great buildings and tombs of imperial China. Zaojing is a special structure sunken into the ceiling, often profusely decorated with carvings and colorful paintings in various motifs. The book inquires about the origin of Dougong and Zaojing in the Chinese Bronze Age, and their heavenly interpretations in the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220). Compared to their later technically oriented development during the Tang to the Qing dynasties (c. 618–1912), and their preservation and innovative reinterpretation in modern times, the rich cultural meanings originally embodied in Dougong and Zaojing have almost disappeared.