<P> The architecture of China is as old as Chinese civilization . From every source of information--literary, graphic, exemplary--there is strong evidence testifying to the fact that the Chinese have always enjoyed an indigenous system of construction that has retained its principal characteristics from prehistoric times to the present day . Over the vast area from Chinese Turkistan to Japan, from Manchuria to the northern half of French Indochina, the same system of construction is prevalent; and this was the area of Chinese cultural influence . That this system of construction could perpetuate itself for more than four thousand years over such a vast territory and still remain a living architecture, retaining its principal characteristics in spite of repeated foreign invasions--military, intellectual, and spiritual--is a phenomenon comparable only to the continuity of the civilization of which it is an integral part . </P> <P> Throughout the 20th Century, Western - trained Chinese architects have attempted to combine traditional Chinese designs into modern architecture (usually government), with great success . Moreover, the pressure for urban development throughout contemporary China required higher speed of construction and higher floor area ratio, which means that in the great cities the demand for traditional Chinese buildings, which are normally less than 3 levels, has declined in favor of modern architecture . However, the traditional skills of Chinese architecture, including major and minor carpentry, masonry, and stonemasonry, are still applied to the construction of vernacular architecture in the vast rural area in China . </P> <P> A very important feature in Chinese architecture is its emphasis on articulation and bilateral symmetry, which signifies balance . Bilateral symmetry and the articulation of buildings are found everywhere in Chinese architecture, from palace complexes to humble farmhouses . When possible, plans for renovation and extension of a house will often try to maintain this symmetry provided that there is enough capital to do so . Secondary elements are positioned either side of main structures as two wings to maintain overall bilateral symmetry . The buildings are typically planned to contain an even number of columns in a structure to produce an odd number of bays (間). With the inclusion of a main door to a building in the center bay, symmetry is maintained . </P> <P> In contrast to the buildings, the Chinese gardens tend to be asymmetrical . The principle underlying the garden's composition is to create enduring flow . The design of the classic Chinese garden is based on the ideology of "Nature and Man in One", as opposed to the home itself, which is a symbol of the human sphere co-existing with, but separate from nature . So, the arrangement is as flexible as possible to let people feel they are surrounded by and in harmony with nature . The two essential elements of the garden are hill stones and water . The hill stones mean the pursuit of immortality and water represents emptiness and existence . The mountain belongs to yang (static beauty) and the water belongs to yin (dynamic wonder). They depend on each other and complete the whole nature . </P>

An anthropologist who studies the designs on pottery from the han dynasty is