Gönpa Gang—The First Application of Dendrochronological Dating to Study the Traditional Architecture of Upper Mustang (Nepal)

Gönpa Gang is an example of the traditional Buddhist architecture of Upper Mustang. It is also the first monument in Upper Mustang to be studied using the dendrochronological dating method. The gönpa is a two-story building of imposing size, made from simple elements of Tibetan architecture, namely masonry walls, timber posts, and beams. A total of 14 samples were collected from elements on both the ground and the first floor. The limited number of samples results from the cultural and religious character of the object under study. Only the elements consistent with the structure and the space arrangement, interpreted as original features, were examined. Microscopic observation and the analysis of the anatomical features of all 14 samples resulted in the identification of Himalayan pine (blue pine), Pinus wallichiana A.B. Jacks. Intra-annual density fluctuation, false rings, and missing rings were detected. From 14 samples collected in Gönpa Gang, 18 series were worked out. Thus, 15 series from 12 samples were synchronized and used for the development of the mean chronology, UMGG_m, with a total length of 160 rings. The chronology covers the period from 1524 to 1683. Examination of the Gang Gönpa wood resulted in the age determination of 13 elements. The results were compared with architectural stratification by Harrison and historical data from written sources. The timber used in the gönpa comes from the Southern Mustang area. The examined wood demonstrates a correlation with the timber used in the Upper Mustang historical buildings further north.

INTERACTION OF TRADITIONS IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF BUDDHIST MONASTERIES OF TIBET AND CHINA OF THE 13TH-18TH CENTURIES

Данная статья посвящена анализу процесса взаимного проникновения архитектурных традиций Китая и Тибета. Этот неоднородный процесс активно шел с XIII по XIX в. С одной стороны, привнесение китайских черт в тибетскую архитектуру и наоборот было тесно связано с политическим контекстом. Неслучайно первые попытки соединения двух стилистик на территории Тибета начали возникать именно во время правления династии Юань, когда глава школы Сакья стал официальным духовным наставником Хубилая. Схожие процессы происходили и при проникновении тибетских черт в китайскую архитектуру, когда по велению императорского двора династии Цин около дворцов в Пекине и Чэндэ возвели целый ряд ламаистских монастырей, в архитектуре которых были напрямую заимствованы композиционные и объемные решения тибетских построек. В то же время шел процесс и естественного проникновения тибетской архитектурной традиции в близлежащие регионы провинций Сычуань, Ганьсу, Внутренняя Монголия и Цинхай, что привело к появлению новых форм монастырских построек, где китайские черты проявились гораздо четче, чем в Тибете. На территории Тибета в архитектуре шли схожие процессы постепенного проникновения китайских традиций, что выразилось как в планировке отдельных монастырей, так и в применении деревянных конструкций и элементов отделки и декора. В данном исследовании сделана попытка обобщить обширный и разнородный архитектурный материал с целью более глубокого понимания стилистического развития архитектуры Тибета и Китая. Анализ взаимодействия тибетской и китайской архитектурных традиций на протяжении XIII-XIX вв. позволяет выявить то, как проходили процессы поиска новых форм и образов, стилизации и переосмысления устоявшихся приемов в новых культурных и географических условиях. This article focuses on the analysis of the process of interaction between the architectural traditions of China and Tibet. This complex process began in the 13th century and lasted until the 19th century. On one side, penetration of Chinese features into Tibetan architecture and vice versa was closely connected with the political context. It is no coincidence that the first attempts of combining two different styles in Tibet started to appear during the reign of Yuan dynasty, when the head of the Sakya Buddhist school became an official spiritual advisor of the Kublai Khan. Similar processes led to Tibetan influence affecting Chinese architecture, when several Lamaist temples and monasteries were built around emperor palaces in Beijing and Chengde by order of the Qing Dynasty court. The compositional and volumetric structure of those buildings was directly borrowed from Tibetan architecture. On the other side, Tibetan architectural traditions were naturally spreading into nearby regions, such as Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia with the expansion of Tibetan Buddhism. It led to the creation of new forms of monastery buildings, where Chinese features exhibited themselves much more clearly than in Tibet. Meanwhile, Chinese architectural traditions in the same time period were equally influencing Tibetan architecture. It may be seen in the evolution of plans, constructions and decorations of buildings. The present article attempts to summarize broad and disparate material with the purpose to better understand the evolution of Tibetan and Chinese architecture. Analysis of interactions between architectural traditions of Tibet and China throughout the 13th-19th centuries allows us to highlight the manner in which the processes of searching for new forms and architectural images in different cultural and geographical conditions have been unfolded..

A Study on Protective Reuse of Traditional Architecture in Lhasa

Traditional Tibetan architecture in Lhasa has a unique position in the world. Under the special social background of economic development demand and tourism, it has gradually become a pillar industry, and how to rationally protect and reuse this traditional architecture has become an urgent problem that must be solved. Based on the traditional architectural patterns, regional characteristics and modern needs of Lhasa, this paper discusses the strategies for the protection and reuse of architectural heritage, the specific methods of reuse and their advantages and disadvantages, in order to provide a reference for the protection of traditional buildings and the inheritance of culture in Tibet.

Virtual Reality Technology in the Application of Tibetan Architectural Heritage and Protection Research

Tibetan architecture wrote immortal chapter in the world the Chinese architectural history, Potala Palace was listed in the world cultural heritage list. Tibetan Architecture in the history of World Architecture and wrote the immortal chapter, Potala Palace was inscribed on the world heritage list. Potala Palace's annual tourist capacity is also facing enormous increment, the protection of cultural relics and open utilization in the continuous emergence of new problems and contradictions. This paper studies the use of virtual reality technology and 3D animation technology in virtual roaming system of Potala Palace.

Tibetan Traditional Architecture Analysis

Talking about Tibet, people will associate to the bright blue sky, white clouds float across the sky, the red sun and the Mani-stone-pile everywhere. All of these factors make people to get intimacy to Tibet, however, the factor that reflects its mysterious is the unique Tibetan architecture. The architectures mainly include the palace for royal families, the buildings for monks to living and practice, and the houses for ordinary people. The distribution of these architectures are scattered and ordered in Tibet, forming vivid and unique architecture scenery and environmental features. The authors will make a simple summary and brief analysis of Tibetan architecture.

Study on the Composition of Inner Mongolia Wudangzhao Monastery Building Complex

Tibetan Buddhist monasteries embody almost all achievements of the Tibetan community in religious, scientific, cultural and artistic. The erection of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries are closely related to the history of Tibetan Buddhism in Inner Mongolia. As the Tibetan Buddhism had been spread to Inner Mongolia in different periods, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries presented different features in its architectural style. Wudangzhao Lamasery is the grandest integral monastery complex still remaining in Inner Mongolia.Its buildings have high value of art and characteristically Tibetan Buddhist Architectural style on monasterys arrangement and style. Different types of the building gathered together form a Tibetan monastery, buildings complex reflected the intact standard of Tibetan Architecture. They express the Tibetan traditional mountain worship idea, and Buddhist the Mandala Cosmology and Three Realms idea.

Modern and Traditional Smart Improvements of the Traditional Tibetan Architectural Materials and Security

The Wenchuan and Yushu earthquakes damaged local Tibetan traditional buildings dramatically. With the unique geographical characteristics and religious significance of traditional Tibetan architecture, post-disaster reconstruction should inherit the local people's collective memory and create a positive, intimate space, so that the victims could envision their original homeland. Therefore, with the premise of respecting local customs and traditions, this paper argued that applying advanced disaster-resistant construction techniques and materials into building design could improve the security and stability traditional buildings, as well as highlighting its regional characteristics.