The Aesthetic Culture Of The Traditional Villages In Canton Prefecture During Ming And Qing Dynasties

The Canton Prefecture during Ming and Qing dynasties north depends on Nanling mountain corridor,and south meets the vast sea.It has varied terrains and landforms,different ethnic groups(clans)distribution,multiple economic forms and developed clan culture etc.,of which the factors have given birth to numerous traditional villages.The villages have also formed its own unique aesthetic and cultural system through the long history.Based on the integrating research perspectives of Architectural History and Architectural Aesthetics,drawing on the relevant theoretical achievement of the subjects like Sociology,Aesthetic Culture and Culture Geography etc.,the Aesthetic Culture of the traditional villages in Canton Prefecture during Ming and Qing dynasties is studied to reveal the logical structure of its aesthetic culture,to divide the zones of aesthetic culture circle and to outline its historical evolution.The Cultural and Regional Characteristics,the important theory of Architectural Aesthetics proposed by Professor Tang Xiaoxiang is introduced to set up its research framework,so that the diversity of the regional configuration features,the richness of the Zeitgeist and the profoundness of the humanistic and artistic characteristic of the traditional villages in Canton Prefecture during Ming and Qing dynasties are fully explored.It is conducive to further promote the theoretical research of the aesthetic culture of the traditional Lingnan villages and the development of the traditional Lingnan village conservation practice,which is a useful supplement for the broader study of the Traditional Settlement History,Architectural Aesthetics and the Renovation and Protection Design theory of the traditional architecture,etc.Firstly,the environmental pattern,spatial layout and landscape patterns of the traditional villages in Canton Prefecture during Ming and Qing dynasties are analyzed.The watery region developed earliest and formed its waterside-village pattern,which is one of the typical representatives of the traditional Canton villages.The type of villages blending of Cantonese and Hakka people most forms the environmental pattern of “Five Locations and Four Spirit”.The environmental pattern of the overseas Chinese hometown villages of modern times presents the distinguishing feature of diversity,such as the village pattern of watery region in the Pearl River network,the pattern of backing the mountains and closing the farmland,the pattern formed near the farmland and convenient for the transportations,etc.And Yao villages are mainly set up with the hill at the back and terraced fields in front.More specifically,the traditional Cantonese villages evolved its prototype “comb-typed layout” to a variety of forms,emphasizing the features of “water around”,“surrounding hills”,“along the watercourse' and “synthetic form”.The type of villages blending of Cantonese and Hakka people highlight the “enclosing” layout,but the overseas Chinese hometown villages mostly adopt the structured–web layout.The Yao villages mainly present the features of stressing free arrangement.From the point of village landscape elements,the landscape elements of the traditional Guangfu villages mainly contain the Shrine of the Earth-god with the lush banyan tree,a small bridge over the flowing stream,water-gap garden,river vegetation,revetment water port,and the rural scenery.In contrast,the landscape of the village blending of the Cantonese and Hakka people is mainly embodied in the combination of the enclosing landscape of Hakka settlement and the “comb-typed layout” landscape of Guangfu village.The architectural landscape of the overseas Chinese hometown villages is prominently shown on the integration of the Western-styled architecture and the traditional Guangfu architecture.The Yao villages are characterized by the vertical landscape form of the "mountain-village-terrace-valley".Secondly,the humanistic and artistic characteristic of the traditional villages in Canton Prefecture during Ming and Qing dynasties is clarified through the analysis of the relationship between the economic foundation,ancestral consciousness,cultural customs and the type of the village,resident pattern,the formation of the cultural space,the social spirit of Canton Prefecture during Ming and Qing dynasties.Agri-businesses gave birth to the unique traditional watery Guangfu village of Lingnan region.In a mountainous,hilly blending-typed villages mainly based on farming economy,the scale of the village is small and its form is simple.The development of the overseas Chinese hometown villages of modern times benefits from the support of the remittances economy.Ethnic minority areas have formed the scattered,grand mixed-inhabited,small-settled village pattern owing to the coexistence of its shifting cultivation and mountain rice farming.Deeply influenced by the lineage consciousness,people have very strong clansman concept,living together,of which the layout of the villages manifests the characteristics of cluster,disparity,regularity and defensiveness.What's more,the cultural customs have great impact on the form of the village space.There are numerous temples in the villages contributing to the villagers' Polytheistic religion.We can find the Folk relics of different ages from Nanyue dynasty to the Republic of China in the traditional architecture.For example,the landscape layout is influenced by the learning spirit reflected by “Wen Fang Si Bao”(the four treasures of the study like writing brush,ink stick,ink slab and paper).Thirdly,the humanistic and artistic characteristics of the traditional villages in Canton Prefecture during Ming and Qing dynasties are revealed through analyzing the ethnic psychology,the value orientation,the thinking mode and the aesthetic ideal reflected in the traditional village taking the Landscape Assemble Appellation Culture,architectural decoration and the Non-substantial Cultural Inheritance for stressing.The Aesthetic features of the Landscape Assemble Appellation Culture of the Traditional Villages are mainly related to the natural,humanistic and living aspects.Its aesthetic characteristics include the aesthetic thinking of “holistic harmony and intuitional comprehension”,the aesthetic taste of “respecting the nature and taking water as the core” and the aesthetic state of “advocating peace and being a hermit,living in their homeland(native place)with the living style of painting and writing poetry”.The architectural ornament of the traditional villages reflects the humanistic spirit including the aesthetic sentiment of both advocating pragmatism and enjoyment,the social psychology of compatibility and innovation,the pursuit value of commitment to learning and attaching importance to education,and the poetic aesthetic realm of loving happy life.The recreation entertainment and Cantonese music,a significant component of the Non-substantial Culture of the traditional villages in Canton Prefecture during Ming and Qing Dynasties,presents the aesthetic psychology of pragmatic and pleasure,as well as the aesthetic interest of appealing to both refined and popular taste.