Qing Dynasty Yangshi Lei Archives

The existing documents range in date from the middle of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, and cover imperial architecture in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning and Shanxi. The archives are rich and invaluable resources, as there are drawings and models about architectural surveys, designs, plans for construction and decoration, referring to cities, palaces, gardens, altars, mausoleums, official residences, modern factories, and schools. There are various materials, including land surveys, architectural sketches, construction plans, and drawings of the floorplans, elevations, sections and decorations, as well as models and notes on construction progress. It also contains some written materials on construction plans, engineering notes, even some imperial or official orders. Yangshi Lei Archives shows its value in many aspects. Most of the Archives concern extant structures, providing unparalleled insight into Chinese architectural history, traditional architectural planning, engineering, and principles of design. At the same time, we can gain further understanding of Qing society, economics, culture, as well as the architectural principles, aesthetics, and philosophies. Read more on the UNESCO Memory of the World Website