A Comparative Study Of The Architectural Cultures Between Chinese And Western Classical Temples

This paper aims to make a comparison of the architectural cultures between Chinese and Western classical temples,taking Qu Fu Confucian Temple and Parthenon Temple as examples.Through the comparison between Qu Fu Confucian Temple and Parthenon Temple in the aspects of space consciousness,substantial medium,aesthetic idea,decorative ingenuity etc.,the paper reveals their cultural connotations and humanistic spirits of the architectures in the long history.Qu Fu Confucius Temple and Parthenon Temple can be called models of Chinese and Western classical temple architectures.Based on the two major cultural systems of the East and the West,Qu Fu Confucian Temple and Parthenon Temple were constructed.Although they are the typical representatives of the world's architectural history,their architectural forms have obvious differences in space consciousness,substantial medium,aesthetic idea and decorative ingenuity.In the spatial structure,Qu Fu Confucian Temple possesses the characteristics of group dynamics.The architectural pattern shows an integrated beauty and the whole building is obviously axisymmetric.However,the Parthenon Temple shows the static spatial feature,pursues the upward extension in space,and highlights the beauty of individualism.Qu Fu Confucian Temple takes earth and wood as the main construction materials,which are closely related to the traditional Chinese agricultural civilization,and also reflects the changing thinking of ancient China,not pursuing the eternality.However,the Parthenon Temple utilizes stone as the main construction material.On the one hand,ancient Greek civilization as the Marine civilization enjoys more islands and less plains,employing stones as the architecture material selection is relatively convenient.On the other hand,it originates from the religious consciousness of the stone worship in Europe.Unlike the properties of the earth and stone,the stone is regarded as the symbol of eternity,with the implication of the immortality of the soul after the death,which reflects the western people's religious feelings towards the stone.The architectural decorations of Qu Fu Confucius temple,including colors,techniques and patterns,reflects the rigid hierarchical system of ancient China and embodies the concentration of Confucian ethical thoughts,while the Parthenon temple reveals the sacred status of "god" in westerners' hearts and reflects the strong religious consciousness in the various selections of its decorative materials.The Chinese classical architecture reflects the aesthetic concept of "people-centered" in ancient China in terms of its spatial pattern,overall structure and modeling decoration,and pursues the concept of "man is an integral part of nature",emphasizing the harmonious coexistence of man and nature,the harmony of man and society,and the good neighborhood in human beings.The western classical architecture,however,reflects the aesthetic idea of "god-centered",seeking the harmony of man and god,and expressing the desire for the afterlife.Through the comparative study of the two classical architectures,the differences in economy,politics,culture and religion can be deeply explored.