Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-05-31
Unexpected in Architecture.

Indeed. an, unexpected is the es.
senoe Of Chinese architecture. One
can never get a complete view Of a
temple or yamen unless there be
some adjacent hin or tower or city
wall from which % view IL.
On level ground only the outer wall
and the entrance are seen, and when
these are passed one sees only the
first court. with It's more elaborate
entrance TO the second; and SO on
through three. four, i've. six. IL may be
seven courtyards. each complete In
Itself. each with a central building.
through which one passes 20 the court
beyond. each building larger, higher,
or more decorative than the last. each
break ng upon the beholder with d
fresh surprise.
This is especially true OF the Inn
perlal palace. which is perhaps the
most effectively arranged group OF
buildings in all China. Gateway
after gateway. each gate a palace In
itself. pillared. rooted and buttressed.
leads into a wide-lying courtyard,
whose placid expanse dwarfs an
cient trees around its edges into seem
Ing shrubs.
Each court Is a unit OF grandeur
and magnifioence In itself. and at the
same time ar integral member Of Sc
ries leading up 60 the marble-ter-
raced courtyard Of the great throne
hall.
Although the imperial palace is the
finest architectural ensemble in the
capital. Il Is In the Temple OF Heaven,
or. as the Chinese call IL, The
Happy Year Hail." where the en-
peror used 20 offer annual suppllca-
ton 20 Heaven FOR a prosperous new
year. that we find a single building
In which the simple dignity Of Chi
nese architecture Is az its best.
The Happy Year Hall.
This Is perhaps the most frequently
pictured II all Chinese buildings.
Every Chinese photographer displays
Il In his window; every vender OF
postcards features IL; every book on
China reproduces &c; II Is probably
the one view Of things Chinese which
every westerner who knows anything
at all about China has seen. Yet there
are few buildings which most pictures
fail 50 pltlfully TO portray.
In the usual print or photograph IL
is squat. plump ana heavy, like a
German wedding cake. In reality IL Is
strong and gracious and mighty. and
when the visitor comes into It's pres
ence he comes into the presence OF
a great peace.
There il stands on n vast platform.
Its base above the treetops. Above
the platform Is a threefold marble ter
race, white and circular; then red
columns. green-gold friezes. and three
ane. fnring circular roofs. with
shadows and mystery under the caves,
and the roof tiles not crying-yellow.
Ike those OF the imperial palace. but
deep. deep blue.
But il is Just In this. its chief mas
terpiece. that Chinese architecture. In
its inslstence on the unexpected. has
gone farthest astray. The temple Is
IN the midst % a huge park; acres OF
lawn and dense groves OF ancient
evergreen surround IL; there Is every
condition conducive 10 the most ef-
fectlve use OF distance and vista; yet
the temple approaches are so clouded
ana eluttered with cheap. tawdry. de
cadent gateways that nothing OF the
temple Is seen until one actually
stumbles upon II through the last
gate.
Another Of the unexpected treas
ures Of Picking is the dragon screen,
II Is barely mentioned IN some OF the
guldebooks. and not mentioned at all
IN others. II Is hidden behind a
hIIiock In the winter palace grounds
ana nlne-tenths Of the visitors 20 Pc
king walk within a hundred yards Of
Il and never dream OF its existence
II is wall perhaps 20 feet high
and a hundred long. faced complete
Is with tile cast 70 represent nine
ufe-sIze dragons In bas-rellef, of va
rious colors-yellOw. purple. maroon
orange-dancing Eayly above emerald
bnlows. against a pale-hlue sky.
Doubtless. one should not speak
o. 'llfe-slze" dragons: but these
creatures az the screen are the alivesi
dragons one may ever hope 20 see
they give rise 20 the feeling that II
a dragon lived he would De exactly
Ike one OF these