Post by NZBC on Jun 13, 2010 20:06:24 GMT 12
VILLAGES IN CHINA.
Villages, not badly built by any means, occur at intervals of a mile or more apart along tbe roads of China. Very good brick composes the wall of the better bouses, while for tbe poorer edifice used. The brick walls in Cbiu is excellent. When villages are constructed of mud there ia a striking resemblanse to the villages of Egypt. The houses have no outside windows, and but one opening, which ia the door. The openings for light are upon the inner courts or back yards, and are without glasss. The eaves are made to project, so as to keep out the rain, and in doing so exclude much light as well. Blinds made of slats are sometimes used, and thin, light paper pasted over the slats serves to keep out some of the cold air and let in a little light. The houses are invariably one storey high, and at the bottom of tbis custom is a superstition tbat higher houses wouid interfere with the spirits of the air. (" Fung Chui") and offend tbem, thus bringing 'disaster upon the house or village. In the front of each door and at a distance of eighteen feet, stands a detached wall tfipßph feet long and as high as the eaves of the house, concealing the door from any person standing in front of it. This is for the purpose of defending the house and family from the malignant " Fung Chui," or spirits which is popularly believed to fly onfs|sns straight lines, and to be incapable of turning a corner. It follows that even traversing the air in search of a certain house, when they come in contact with the wall they are thrown off at an angle, and thus baffled of their purpose, fly in tangent through infinite space and are lost. A Chinese village has but little in common with those of this country either in detail or general appearance. The villages of China are compact, huddled together, and present from a distance the aspect of a mere dead wall. One peculiar aspect of all Chinese cities and villages is the absence of all steeples, spires, or pinnacles of any kind While Mohammedan countries have the mosque, with its flashing domes and graceful minarets, and European and American centres of population are marked by lofty towers and spires, China is almost absolutely -without many of these striking architectural The result is great monotony and dullness of aspect.
Bruce Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 1685, 2 October 1885, Page 6
Villages, not badly built by any means, occur at intervals of a mile or more apart along tbe roads of China. Very good brick composes the wall of the better bouses, while for tbe poorer edifice used. The brick walls in Cbiu is excellent. When villages are constructed of mud there ia a striking resemblanse to the villages of Egypt. The houses have no outside windows, and but one opening, which ia the door. The openings for light are upon the inner courts or back yards, and are without glasss. The eaves are made to project, so as to keep out the rain, and in doing so exclude much light as well. Blinds made of slats are sometimes used, and thin, light paper pasted over the slats serves to keep out some of the cold air and let in a little light. The houses are invariably one storey high, and at the bottom of tbis custom is a superstition tbat higher houses wouid interfere with the spirits of the air. (" Fung Chui") and offend tbem, thus bringing 'disaster upon the house or village. In the front of each door and at a distance of eighteen feet, stands a detached wall tfipßph feet long and as high as the eaves of the house, concealing the door from any person standing in front of it. This is for the purpose of defending the house and family from the malignant " Fung Chui," or spirits which is popularly believed to fly onfs|sns straight lines, and to be incapable of turning a corner. It follows that even traversing the air in search of a certain house, when they come in contact with the wall they are thrown off at an angle, and thus baffled of their purpose, fly in tangent through infinite space and are lost. A Chinese village has but little in common with those of this country either in detail or general appearance. The villages of China are compact, huddled together, and present from a distance the aspect of a mere dead wall. One peculiar aspect of all Chinese cities and villages is the absence of all steeples, spires, or pinnacles of any kind While Mohammedan countries have the mosque, with its flashing domes and graceful minarets, and European and American centres of population are marked by lofty towers and spires, China is almost absolutely -without many of these striking architectural The result is great monotony and dullness of aspect.
Bruce Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 1685, 2 October 1885, Page 6