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Hokkien architecture, also called Hoklo architecture or Minnan architecture, refers to the
architectural style An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...
of the
Hoklo people The Hoklo people or Hokkien people () are a Han Chinese (also Han Taiwanese) subgroup who speak Hokkien, a Southern Min language, or trace their ancestry to Southeastern Fujian, China and known by various endonyms or other related terms such ...
, the Han Chinese group who have historically been the dominant demographic of the Southern Chinese province of
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its c ...
(called "Hokkien" in the Hoklo language),
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...
, and
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. This style shares many similarities with those of surrounding Han Chinese groups. There are, however, several features that are unique or mostly unique to Hoklo-made buildings, making many traditional buildings in Hokkien and Taiwan visually distinctive from those outside the region.


Minyue architecture

Prior to the annexation of the Minyue Kingdom by the Han dynasty, the region was inhabited by the Minyue people, a branch of the
Baiyue The Baiyue (, ), Hundred Yue, or simply Yue (; ), were various ethnic groups who inhabited the regions of East China, South China and Northern Vietnam during the 1st millennium BC and 1st millennium AD. They were known for their short hair, b ...
aboriginals. The
Minyue State's Imperial City Minyue () was an ancient kingdom in what is now the Fujian province in southern China. It was a contemporary of the Han dynasty, and was later annexed by the Han empire as the dynasty expanded southward. The kingdom existed approximately fro ...
(Traditional Chinese: 閩越王城遺址) gave some clues about what their architectural style was like.


Swallowtail roof

Swallowtail roof (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ìnn-bé-tsiah; Traditional Chinese: 燕尾脊, literally "swallowtail ridge") is a feature rarely (if at all) seen in non-Hoklo Han Chinese architecture. It is very common in Hokkien and Taiwan. The term refers to a roof that has an upward-curving ridge shaped like the tail of a swallow. The degree of curving may vary. The "swallowtail" in question can be single- or double-layered and is typically decorated with a large amount of colorful carvings. This feature originated in 16th century (Ming Dynasty). At that time, Hoklo people were doing business with
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...
,
Ryukyu The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...
( Ryūkyū-kan) and Japan, and decided that they would like to show off their newfound wealth - resulting in this garish architectural style. Due to its bright and showy nature, this architectural feature is commonly found in major temples, mansions, and ancestral halls. File:Zhangzhou Nanshan Si 20120225-4.jpg, Mahavira Hall of Nanshan Temple,
Zhangzhou Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefect ...
, Fujian. File:Singang Fengtian Temple 20081012.jpg,
Fengtian Temple Xingang Fengtian Temple ( zh, t=新港奉天宮, p=Xīngǎng Fèngtiān Gōng), sometimes romanized as Fongtian Temple, is a temple located in Xingang Township, Chiayi County, Taiwan. The temple is a county-level monument and the destination of ...
, a prominent
Mazu Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. ...
temple in
Chiayi City Chiayi (, Taigi POJ: ''Ka-gī''; ), officially known as Chiayi City, is a city located in the plains of southwestern Taiwan. Formerly called ''Kagee'' during the late Qing dynasty and ''Kagi'' during the Japanese era (), its historical name i ...
, Taiwan. File:Li teng-fang Historical Home ,TAIWAN.jpg,
Lee Teng-fan's Ancient Residence The Lee Teng-fan's Ancient Residence () is a former residence in Yuemei Village, Daxi District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. The residence is part of Daxi Wood Art Ecomuseum. History The residence building was built in 1859 after Teng-fan was recomme ...
, Taoyuan. Many Hakka clans in Taiwan adopted Minnan architecture. File:鎮福社.JPG, A shrine dedicated to Tudigong, a Chinese Earth Deity, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan; It is an example of a less garish swallowtail roof. File:Thian Hock Keng Temple - entrance.jpg, Thian Hock Keng Temple, dedicated to Mazu, one of the oldest Hokkien temple in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. File:Penang Malaysia Leong-San-Tong-Khoo-Kongsi-02.jpg, Khoo Kongsi in
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De Chinese Tempel te Makassar op Celebes. TMnr 60013074.jpg, Historical image of a Mazu Temple in
Makassar Makassar (, mak, ᨆᨀᨔᨑ, Mangkasara’, ) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, ...
, Sulawesi,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. The building was burned in 1997 during anti-Chinese riot in the city. The temple was being rebuilt and renamed as ''Vihara Ibu Agung Bahari''. File:Chonghocktong.jpg, Chong Hock Tong Temple at the Manila Chinese Cemetery in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...


Cut porcelain carving

Cut porcelain carving (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tsián-huî-tiau; Traditional Chinese: 剪瓷雕, literally "cut porcelain carving") is also prevalent among Hoklo architecture and, to a lesser extent,
Vietnamese architecture Vietnamese architecture () is the architectural style used in Vietnam through the process of historical development and the absorption and integration of regional and international architectures. Vietnamese-style architecture is formed accordin ...
. Traditionally, Hoklo porcelain artists would often gather small colored porcelain artifacts (such as bowls and other eating utensils), cut and/or grind them into smaller fragments, and then paste these fragments onto sculptures attached to buildings for the purpose of decoration. This art is frequently used on the ridges, window frames, and doors of temples and larger residences, often in conjunction with swallowtail roof. The topic of these sculptures may vary - ranging from plants and animals to figures from
Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of ...
or
Hoklo folktales The Hoklo people or Hokkien people () are a Han Chinese (also Han Taiwanese) subgroup who speak Hokkien, a Southern Min language, or trace their ancestry to Minnan region, Southeastern Fujian, China and known by various endonyms or other relate ...
. In Taiwan, a new style has even been formed by combining cut porcelain carving with
cochin ware Cochin ware or Kochi ware or Jiaozhi ware () is a type of Chinese pottery from Guangdong Province, southern China. History Koji pottery was brought to Taiwan in the 19th century. The English term "Cochin" derives from the Taiwanese Pronoucia ...
. File:Ximen Memorial Temple of Lord Guan 08 2013-09.JPG, A
Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon, also known as ''loong'', ''long'' or ''lung'', is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture at large. Chinese dragons have many Outline of life forms, animal-like forms such as Bixi (my ...
sculpture on the roof of Amoy Memorial Temple of Lord Guan,
Amoy Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, ...
, Hokkien. File:Nanfeng Ancestral Temple 11 2013-09.JPG, Cut porcelain carving decorations above the main door of Nanfeng Ancestral Temple. File:北埔 慈天宮 屋瓦.JPG, Cut porcelain carving decorations on Beipu Citian Temple,
Hsinchu County Hsinchu County ( Wade–Giles: ''Hsin¹-chu²'') is a county in north-western Taiwan. The population of the county is mainly Hakka; with a Taiwanese aboriginal minority in the southeastern part of the county. Zhubei is the county capital, wh ...
, Taiwan.


Hokkien Sanheyuan

Sanheyuan ''Sanheyuan'' (Chinese: ; pinyin: ''sānhéyuàn''; Wade–Giles: ''san1-ho2-yüan4'') is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in Ea ...
(Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sam-ha̍h-īnn; Traditional Chinese: 三合院, literally "Three-combo building") is a type of building found throughout most of the Greater China region. They are residences with structures on three sides of a courtyard, forming an inverted U-shape. While this style is shared by nearly all Han Chinese groups, Hokkien Sanheyuan have been noted by their usage of multiple wings (called "protecting dragons" in Taiwan) to spread outward, a trait quite distinctive to Hoklo Sanheyuan.


Têng-á-kha

Têng-á-kha (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Têng-á-kha; Traditional Chinese: 亭仔跤) is a style of architecture found in much of
Southern China South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not ...
and is considered the Hokkien counterpart to the Cantonese
tong lau Tong lau or ke lau are tenement buildings built in late 19th century to the 1960s in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southern China, and Southeast Asia. Designed for both residential and commercial uses, they are similar in style and function to the shophouse ...
. It is a style that incorporates elements from
Western European Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
architecture, arising slowly in late 18th century due to the Hokkien contact with Western European culture in Southeast Asia. A typical têng-á-kha has a ground floor used for running some sort of business (such as a grocery store) and upper floors that are used for residential purposes. Amoy's têng-á-khas are said to be marked by having pink and white as main colorings, use of streets full of têng-á-khas such as markets, and the distribution of têng-á-khas in net-like structures. The city of Chinchew has also been noted for having a well-preserved set of têng-á-khas. File:Zhongshanrd.jpg, Zhongshan Road, Amoy, is filled with têng-á-khas. File:原林百貨店-1.jpg, The Hayasi Department Store in Tainan, Taiwan, is also considered a good example of têng-á-kha. File:Calle Rosario, Manila, Philippines, 1915.png, Calle Rosario(Modern Quintin Paredes St.),
Binondo Binondo () is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city's Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the ...
,
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, 1915.


Others


Hokkien earthen buildings

Hokkien earthen buildings (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hok-kiàn thóo-lâu; Traditional Chinese: 福建土樓, literally "Hokkien earthen building"), called "Fujian Tulou" in
Mandarin Chinese Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language ...
, is another distinct type of architecture found in the Hokkien region. It is a set of large, enclosed and fortified earth buildings associated with the
Hakka people The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zh ...
, who speak the
Hakka language Hakka (, , ) forms a language group of varieties of Chinese, spoken natively by the Hakka people throughout Southern China and Taiwan and throughout the diaspora areas of East Asia, Southeast Asia and in overseas Chinese communities around ...
, rather than Hoklo. However, it has been noted that this style of architecture is found almost exclusively among Hakka people in
Fujian province Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
and thus has become associated with the region.Joseph Needham, Science and civilisation in China V4 pt3. p. 133-134, 1971 Cambridge University Press


In Modern Architecture


See also

*
Architecture of Taiwan The architecture of Taiwan can be traced back to stilt housing of the aborigines in prehistoric times; to the building of fortresses and churches in the north and south used to colonize and convert the inhabitants during the Dutch and Spanish perio ...
* Architecture of Singapore * Cantonese architecture * Hakka architecture * Architecture of Jiangxi *
Chinese architecture Chinese architecture ( Chinese:中國建築) is the embodiment of an architectural style that has developed over millennia in China and it has influenced architecture throughout Eastern Asia. Since its emergence during the early ancient era, th ...


References


Bibliography

* Minnan architecture Architecture in China Chinese architectural styles


News articles

* {{cite news , title = Exhibition sheds light on architectural influence between Fujian, Singapore , publisher =
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' is an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and currently owned by SPH Media Trust (previously Singapore Press Holdings). ''The Sunday Times'' is its Sunday edition. The newspaper was establish ...
(online) , date = 2019-10-28 , url = https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/exhibition-sheds-light-on-architectural-influence-between-fujian-spore , access-date = 2022-07-09