Architectural Styles
Han Dynasty
Alt names / subperiods
Timeline
Distinguishing Features
Geographic Presence
206 BCE–220 AD
202 BC – 9 AD
25–220 AD
- Monumental Imperial Scale
- Axial symmetry became the governing principle — the emperor at the center, flanked by subsidiary halls and courtyards.
- Perfection of the post-and-beam wooden framework (jian) system, with standardized bay sizes, columns, and beams.
- Extensive use of rammed earth for walls, terraces, and fortifications
- baked brick for floors, tomb chambers, and urban buildings.
- Development of barrel-vaulted and corbelled tomb chambers using brick or stone slabs.
- multi-storey pavilions, watchtowers, and residential towers.
- Standardization of hip-and-gable (xie shan) and gable-and-eave (ying shan) roofs with curved rafters, ceramic tiles, and animal ridge ornaments.
- Planned capitals with rectangular walled grids, cardinal orientation, and designated zones for palaces, markets, and temples.
- Combination of ceremonial halls, throne rooms, administrative offices, and residential compounds around inner courtyards.
- tombs modeled after palaces and cosmic order, with spirit paths, watchtowers, and carved stone guardians.;
- reflected Confucian, Daoist, and cosmological themes — heaven-earth order, immortality, and filial piety.
- Burial goods included ceramic models of houses, barns, granaries, and towers, providing invaluable evidence of wooden architecture.
- China
Common Building Types
Landmark buildings
Historic Accommodation Types
Custom Accommodation Examples
- Palaces (宮 gong)
- Administrative Offices (府 fu, 署 shu)
- Residential Houses (宅 zhai, 屋 wu)
- Watchtowers & Pavilions (樓 lou, 閣 ge)
- Temples & Shrines (廟 miao, 祠 ci)
- Altars & Ritual Platforms (壇 tan)
- Markets, Warehouses & Granaries (市 shi, 倉 cang)
- Military Forts & Garrisons (城 cheng, 營 ying)
- City Walls & Gates
- Mausolea & Tomb Complexes (陵 ling)
- Bridges, Roads, & Canals
- Public Inns & Relay Stations (驛站 yizhan, 館 guan)
- Weiyang Palace (未央宮) Chang’an
- Changle Palace (長樂宮) Chang’an
- Southern Palace Complex of Luoyang (洛陽南宮) Luoyang
- Yangling Mausoleum of Emperor Jing Di (陽陵) Xi’an
- Mawangdui Tombs (馬王堆) Changsha
- Mancheng Tombs of Prince Liu Sheng (滿城漢墓) Hebei Province
- Wu Family Shrines (武氏祠) Jiaxiang
- Brick Tombs of Sichuan Basin Chengdu & Leshan regions
- Qufu Confucian Temple Precursors Qufu, Shandong
- Juyan and Yumen Pass Forts (居延, 玉門關) Gansu & Ningxia
- Architectural Models from Han Tombs Henan, Sichuan
- Relay Stations 驛站 (yìzhàn) / 驛舍 (yìshè) (Walled compounds spaced every 30–50 li (15–25 km) along imperial roads.
- Frontier Stations contained stables, storehouses, lodging Halls (dormitories), kitchens, service courtyards and offices.
- Post Inns / Courier Hostels 驛館 (yìguǎn)
- Government Guest Houses 官館 (guānguǎn) / 賓館 (bīnguǎn)
- Inns for Travelling Officials 旅舍 (lǚshè) / 官舍 (guānshè)
- Market or Merchant Inns 客舍 (kèshè) / 商館 (shāngguǎn)
- Confucian Temples or Buddhist Monastery Lodgings 軍舍 (jūnshè) Guest Halls. Used to host visiting scholars, monks, envoys, or merchants.
- Private Inns & Taverns (proto-commercial) 旅店 (lǚdiàn), 酒肆 (jiǔsì)
- Juyan Han Frontier Stations Gansu
- Liye Administrative Station Hunan
- Yumen Pass (Jade Gate) Gansu
- Turpan Han Garrison Post Xinjiang
Gallery
Adapted Visitor Accommodation
in Adam Style Building
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