Artistic Analysis On Traditional Chinese Gate Decorations

Traditional architecture is an amazing part of the glorious Chinese culture and art which deserves further research in order to unfurl its charm. In Chinese traditional culture, the importance of "gate" not only lies in its practical effects but also in its symbolic meanings. Gorgeous gates usually represent status, fortune and cultural taste of the hosts. Before Song Dynasty, there were very strict laws and standards for the decoration of gates. However, along with the rising of the commons, the effects and patterns of gate became more and more diversified. So did the means of decoration.Traditional gate decorations mostly dedicate to the artistic process of the components such as the door perron, the knocker, the door nail, the door clasp and the doorframe. There would be some additional decorations like the door distich and the door numens. Based on a detailed research and fieldwork, this paper compares and analyzes the various gate decoration arts of different times, places and different architectural types with the purpose of exploring their expressions and themes, and unscrambling their decorative meanings. Gate decorations are not dispensable. They reflect people's consciousness of culture. This paper intends to unveil the inner meaning of traditional Chinese gate decorations by exploring the formation of different styles and thus to impel a closer relation between Chinese cultural heritage and the public.