How ancient '#skywells' are keeping Chinese homes cool

In the eras before air-conditioning, southern China's skywells played a key role in keeping people's homes cool. Could they do it again today?

By Xiaoying You, 12th July 2023

"[A] revival of interest in traditional Chinese architecture is leading some of historic buildings with skywells to be restored for modern times. Meanwhile, as a government push has made low-carbon innovations in the building sector a trend in the country, some architects are drawing inspiration from skywells and other traditional Chinese architectural features to help keep new buildings cooler.

"A skywell, or 'tian jing' (天井) in Mandarin, is a typical feature of a traditional home in southern and eastern China. Different from a northern Chinese courtyard, or 'yuan zi' (院子), a skywell is smaller and less exposed to the outdoor environment.

"They are commonly seen in homes dating to Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, which were designed to house different generations of relatives, according to a 2010 paper published by the Journal of Nanchang University in #China."

Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230712-how-ancient-skywells-are-keeping-chinese-homes-cool?utm_source=pocket-newtab

#LowTech #Cooling #Architecture #History #Histodons #MingDynasty #QingDynasty

The porcelain of the Ming Dynasty of China (1368-1644 CE) benefitted, as did other arts, from the economic success of the 15th century CE, in particular, and the consequent surge in demand for quality handcraft production both at home and abroad. https://www.worldhistory.org/Ming_Porcelain/ #History #HongwuEmperor #MingDynasty #MingPorcelain

The Yuan Dynasty was established by the Mongols and ruled China from 1271 to 1368 CE. https://www.worldhistory.org/Yuan_Dynasty/ #History #KublaiKhan #MingDynasty #MongolEmpire

unknown artist - Master Thunder (Lei Gong), 1542 #scrollpainting #MingDynasty #China #art

I've just started watching the 1971 film A TOUCH OF ZEN on the Criterion Channel. What fun! Although it takes it's time developing the story, it remains interesting shot to shot. I love the way filmmakers told stories at that time—creative use of camera, framing, zooms, pacing, etc. Great acting too.

https://youtu.be/ccYoSiMHYUM

Read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Touch_of_Zen

#俠女 #Chinese #Taiwan #movie #cinema #Wuxia #MingDynasty #epic #Mandarin #Criterion #武俠

Globalization is a current buzzword in business, communications, and politics, especially in this early part of the 21st century. Traditional American historical interpretations focus on the post-World War II era of the 1950s and 1960s as the beginnings of globalization. As Ali Humayun Akhtar argues, however, globalization began over 650 years ago in China. The information contained within 1368... https://www.worldhistory.org/review/320/1368-china-and-the-making-of-the-modern-world/?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=Zapier&utm_campaign=whencyclopedia #history #MingDynasty #China #14thCentury

Women in ancient China did not enjoy the status, either social or political, afforded to men. Women were subordinate to first their fathers, then their husbands, and finally, in the case of being left a widow, their sons in a system known as the “three followings” or sancong. Often physically ill-treated, socially segregated, and forced to compete for their husband's affections with concubines,...https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1136/women-in-ancient-china/ #China #HanDynasty #MingDynasty

A pipa from the late Ming dynasty #Pipa #Chinesemusicalinstrument #Neckedbowllute #Stringedinstrument #MusicalInstrument #Music #MingDynasty #China

The Rise of the Ming Dynasty
As the Yuan Dynasty lost ground against rebel uprisings, a leader of the Red Turbans would eliminate his rivals until finally driving the Yuan out of Khanbaliq and founding the Ming Dynasty.

#History #Japan #Podcast #Patreon #MingDynasty #China #RedTurbans
https://ahistoryofjapan.com/2022/12/08/the-rise-of-the-ming-dynasty/
#EarlyMuromachi #Season8 #China #History #Japan #MingDynasty #MuromachiPeriod #Rebellion #RedTurbans #WhiteLotus #YuanDynasty

> .. when King #Sejong was inventing Hangul the #MingDynasty.. in China.. changed the pronunciation of Chinese characters, making it harder for #Koreans to learn.. to record their words..illiteracy level.. stayed high.. Chinese characters [were].. by the ruling class..[which] took advantage.. #ChineseCharacters became a symbol of power and privilege.. to make written language more accessible.. #KingSejong started creating Hangul secretl..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunminjeongeum
#Hangul #KoreanAlphabet