Paifang Boston Chinatown 1.jpg

A ''paifang'', also known as a ''pailou'', is a traditional style of Chinese architectural arch or gateway structure. Evolved from the Indian subcontinent's ''torana'' through the introduction of Buddhism to China, it has developed many styles and has been introduced to other East Asian countries, such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Etymology

The word ''paifang'' () was originally a collective term for the top two levels of administrative division and subdivisions of ancient Chinese cities. The largest division within a city in ancient China was a ''fang'' (), equivalent to a current day ward. Each ''fang'' was enclosed by walls or fences, and the gates of these enclosures were shut and guarded every night. Each ''fang'' was further divided into several ''pai'' (), which is equivalent to a current day (unincorporated) community. Each ''pai'', in turn, contained an area including several hutongs (alleyways).

This system of urban administrative division and subdivision reached an elaborate level during the Tang dynasty, and continued in the following dynasties. For example, during the Ming dynasty, Beijing was divided into a total of 36 fangs. Originally, the word ''paifang'' referred to the gate of a fang and the marker for an entrance of a building complex or a town; but by the Song dynasty, a paifang had evolved into a purely decorative monument.

Origin

The ancient ''torana'' is sacred gateway architecture found all over the Indian subcontinent. It has influenced the gateway architecture further across asia via the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism; Chinese ''paifang'' gateways Japanese torii gateways, Korean Hongsalmun gateway, and Sao Ching Cha in Thailand have been derived from the Indian ''torana''. The functions of all are similar, but they generally differ based on their respective architectural styles. The Chinese ''paifang'' derived from the torana temple-gate in ancient India, has taken on traditional Chinese architectural characteristics such as multi-tiered roofs, various supporting posts, and archway-shapes of traditional gates and towers.

During the Tang dynasty, it was called a ''wutoumen'' (), because the top of the two posts were painted black. A ''wutoumen'' was reserved for officials of rank 6 or higher.

The construction of wutomen was standardized in the '' Yingzao Fashi'' of the mid Song dynasty. It consisted of two posts and a horizontal beam forming a frame and two doors. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was called a ''pailou'' or ''paifang'', and evolved into a more elaborate structure with more posts and gates, with a superstructural gable on top; the highest rank was a five gate-six post-eleven gable pailou.

Style

''Paifang'' come in a number of forms. One form involves placing wooden pillars onto stone bases, which are bound together with wooden beams. This type of ''paifang'' is always beautifully decorated, with the pillars usually painted in red, the beams decorated with intricate designs and Chinese calligraphy, and the roof covered with coloured tiles, complete with mythical beasts—just like a Chinese palace. Another form of ''paifang'' is in the form of true archways made of stone or bricks; the walls may be painted, or decorated with coloured tiles; the top of the archways is decorated like their wooden counterparts. Yet another form of ''paifang'', built mainly on religious and burial grounds, consists of plain white stone pillars and beams, with neither roof tiles nor any coloured decoration, but feature elaborate carvings created by master masons. Another form is in the Han dynasty style, and is two matching towers, such as in Beihai.

Outside of China, the ''paifang'' has long been the symbol of Chinatowns. The largest outside of China is in the United States: ''Friendship Archway'' at tall and wide, completed in 1986 at H and 7th in Washington D.C.'s Chinatown. In Europe, the largest ''paifang'' spans Nelson Street in Liverpool, completed in 2000 and standing tall. The first paifang in the United States was raised in 1915 as a temporary installation for the Chinese pavilion of the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, and the oldest still standing was erected in 1938 for Los Angeles, ''Chinatown West Gate'' on Hill Street; it was listed as a city Historic-Cultural Monument (#825) along with its counterpart, ''Chinatown East Gate'' (1939, #826) in November 2005. The ''paifang'' at the entrance to Ottawa's Chinatown was decorated by Chinese artists using Chinese materials and techniques.

In the past, "Chastity ''Paifang''" were given to widows who remained unmarried till death, praising what was seen as loyalty to their deceased husbands.

Gallery

Chinese paifang

File:Ornamental Gateway (Pailou) from Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) across a Street Lined with Small Shops. Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, China, 1875 WDL2092.png, Ornamental gateway (''pailou'') from the Han dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) across a street lined with small shops. Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, China (1875).
File:Dongsi Pailou 1920.jpg, Dongsi, an intersection in Beijing, had four ''paifangs'' in the 1920s.
File:An arch pailou in honor of Ma Anliang.jpg, A ''paifang'' photographed in Gansu Province (1933).
File:WHU-pailou0.JPG, ''Paifang'' of Wuhan University (1920).
File:Kong Lin - Tomb of Lady Yu - P1060280.JPG, ''Paifang'' at the Cemetery of Confucius, tomb of Lady Yu, wife of Kong Xianpei (72nd generation) in Qufu, China.
File:Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness 20050810 night.jpg, ''Paifang'' in the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Square (now Liberty Square) in Taipei. Looking east.
File:Taipei Liberty Square Main Gate at Night.jpg, ''Paifang'' at Liberty Square, in Taipei. Looking west.
File:Decorated Paifang in Summer Palace.jpg, Decorated ''paifang'' at the Summer Palace in Beijing.
File:National Palace Museum Front View.jpg, ''Paifang'' at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan.
File:Color glaze gateway Puotuo Zongcheng.jpg, Colour glaze gateway at Puotuo Zongcheng temple, Chengde.
File:Xidi1024x1360.jpg, ''Paifang'' in Xidi.
File:Entrance to Scenic Area of Qiandao Lake.JPG, ''Pailou'' at the entrance to Qiandao Lake Scenic Area.
File:West Lake Pailou.JPG, ''Paifangs'' at the West Lake, Hangzhou.
File:Yonghe Gong Lama Temple.jpg, ''Paifangs'' at the entrance to Yonghe Temple, Beijing.
File:中华武馆.JPG, ''Pailou'' at the China Martial Arts Hall, Jinshitan, Dalian.
File:Paifang chinese gate.jpg, ''Paifang'' at the entrance to Chinatown in Boston, Massachusetts.
File:Chinatown, DC gate.jpg, Friendship Archway in the Chinatown of Washington, D.C.
File:DunedinChineseGardengate.jpg, ''Pailou'' at Dunedin Chinese Garden, New Zealand.

Asian sacred gateway styles originally derived from the Indian ''Torna''

See also

* Chinatown gate
* Shanmen, gate of Chinese Buddhist temple
* Hongsalmun, in Korean architecture with both religious and other usage
* Iljumun, portal in Korean Buddhist temple architecture
* Tam quan, in Vietnamese architecture with both religious and other usage
* Torana, in Hindu-Buddhist Indian-origin also found in Southeast Asia and East Asia
* Toran, ceremonial Indian door decoration
* Torii, in Japanese Shinto shrine architecture

References

External links

* {{commons category-inline, Paifang

Types of gates
Chinese words and phrases
Architecture in China