Scenic Openings

Jingdong or the "scenic opening" is the general term for fancy gates and windows, another feature of the national art of Chinese architecture. Usually found in parks and private gardens, they make part of the landscape or provide picture frames, as it were, to natural scenes while serving their proper practical purposes.

The fancy gate (jingmen) may be of any form - round, square, oval, a polygon, a vase, a crescent, a bay leaf, a lotus petal, a garland and what not. On either side of such a gate are usually planted bamboos, flowering plants and grass and occationally also rockeries. Leading to and through the gate is sometimes a pebbled pathway with flowery patterns. Thus beautiful scenes are created with the fancy gate as the focus.

Fancy windows (jingchuang), likwise, may be built in various shapes - round, oval, a drum, a crescent, a polygon, an open book, a bay leaf, a flower... And as a rule they are fixed on fancy or corridor walls in pleasure gardens and, through them as picture frames, sighteers may view scenes on the other side, which change as they walk on.

Noteworthy is the type of scenic windows called louchuang or "hollowed windows". They may be constructed of tiles or bricks, wood or stone carvings, leaving openings of geometric patterns and decorated with carved-through human or animal figures. Strollers, through the openings of such windows, will get fragmentary and changing glimpses of the views across the wall. The idea of the louchuang, probably an artistic conception unique to Chinese architecture, has recently been extensively adopted for modern buildings such as theatres, art galleries, cultural centres, exhibition halls, art shops and certain high-class residences. They help ventilation and interior lighting, and create pleasing sights as well.