Paifang
| Paifang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 牌坊 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Literal meaning | memorial archway gate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pailou | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 牌楼 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 牌樓 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | memorial archway edifice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | páifāng |
| Bopomofo | ㄆㄞˊ ㄈㄤ |
| Wu | |
| Romanization | ba平 faon平 |
| Hakka | |
| Romanization | pai2 fong1 |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Jyutping | paai4 fong1 |
| Southern Min | |
| Hokkien POJ | pâi-hông |
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | páilóu |
| Bopomofo | ㄆㄞˊ .ㄌㄡ |
| Wu | |
| Romanization | ba平 leu平 |
| Hakka | |
| Romanization | pai2 leu2 |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Jyutping | paai4 lau4 |
| Southern Min | |
| Hokkien POJ | pâi-lâu |
A Paifang, also known as a pailou, is a traditional style of Chinese architectural arch or gateway structure that is related to the Indian Torana from which it is derived.
The word paifang (Chinese: 牌坊; pinyin: páifāng) was originally a collective term for the top two levels of administrative division and subdivisions of ancient Chinese cities. The largest division within a city in ancient China was a fang (坊; fāng), equivalent to a current day precinct. Each fang was enclosed by walls or fences, and the gates of these enclosures were shut and guarded every night. Each fang was further divided into several pai (牌; pái; "placard"), which is equivalent to a current day (unincorporated) community. Each pai, in turn, contained an area including several hutongs (alleyways).
This system of urban administrative division and subdivision reached an elaborate level during the Tang dynasty, and continued in the following dynasties. For example, during the Ming dynasty, Beijing was divided into a total of 36 fangs. Originally, the word paifang referred to the gate of a fang and the marker for an entrance of a building complex or a town; but by the Song dynasty, a paifang had evolved into a purely decorative monument.
It is suggested that the Chinese paifang may have been derived from the torana temple-gate in ancient India, though it has taken on traditional Chinese architectural characteristics such as multi-tiered roofs, various supporting posts, and archway-shapes of traditional gates and towers.
During the Tang dynasty, it was called a wutoumen (烏頭門; wūtóumén; "black top gate"), because the top of the two posts were painted black. A wutoumen was reserved for officials of rank 6 or higher.
...
Wikipedia