An Experiment In The Sinicization Of Islamic Architecture - Phoenix Temple

Islam was first introduced into China in the Tang Dynasty.As an indispensable worship place for Muslim,mosques were also established in the Tang Dynasty.The Islamic architecture was derived from the Christian architecture of Eastern Rome,it interacts constantly with the local society and architectural tradition in the spreading process,which shows worldwide self-conscious and comprehensive nature.In the Ming and Qing Dynasties,Islamic architecture have already had obvious Chinese characteristics,there are also a large number of domestic studies of that time.This article holds the opinion that the style of Chinese-Islamic architecture began in the Yuan Dynasty,which can be seen from Phoenix Temple.Phoenix Temple has been taken seriously in the world,however,got seldom attention in China.The early prayer hall of Phoenix Temple reflects the consensus between Chinese and Islam,in terms of materials,architectural elements,building structure,roof style and so on.We can also find some common ground in architectural form,which reflect rhythmic sense and ‘Cosmic Ordering’.The reason lies in the similarity of culture between Muslim and the ancient Chinese,and related to the "architectural meaning" of Chinese architecture.At the same time,this article is based on the comparison of art between Chinese and Islamic architecture,which is a concrete practice of break down the stereotypical opinion,which restricted comparison in Chinese and Western arts in the past.