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

Yueqin, Qing Dynasty #Yueqin #QingDynasty #MusicalInstrument

Vase with the three star gods
Qing, Kangxi(1622 - 1722)

By its name (vase=ping), this vase represents a wish for peace (ping).

It shows the 3 star gods: blessings with a child (left), success with a court tablet (center), longevity with a peach of immortality (right).

#QingDynasty #starGods

My wife suggested asking Dall-E 2 what Burning Man looked like during the Qing Dynasty. It had mutant elephants! #dalle2 #burningman #qingdynasty

Daoist Paradise
Carved in jade
1700s

#QingDynasty #mountainJourney #daoism

scholar's window
#contemplation #bamboo #landscape #QingDynasty

One of my favorite things is the #VisualPuns in a lot of Chinese designs.

This #QingDynasty #YongzhengPeriod plate shows 4 plants that together represent the blessing "The Fungus Fairy offers birthday greetings!".

The 4 plants (really 3 plants and a rock) are fungus (lingzhi), narcissus (suixian), nandina (tianzhu), and rocks (shoushi). Reading selectively, these rhyme with the phrase "zhixian zhushou" by which the Fungus Fairy blesses the birthday occasion.