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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Emotive architecture in China

of the highest realm in Chinese culture. This ideal is deeply “chengshi” (城市) – a combination of “cheng” (城), meaning
rooted in the relationship between humans and the land, city or city wall, and “shi” (市), meaning market – reflects
calibrated by the state of harmony, which will be elaborated the historical role of cities as political centers with bustling
in Section 3. Furthermore, qing is not just an instrument markets. Unlike rural areas, where land ownership was
for achieving this ideal but also a phenomenon shaped by common, urban land in capitals and major cities was typically
it. This interplay of influence and formation highlights the state-owned for public and administrative purposes.
unique perspective and methodology of Chinese philosophy Throughout history, China has witnessed the evolution
in understanding and addressing emotions (Blowers, 2010). of urban centers like Chang’an and Kaifeng into world-
4
5
2.2. The connotation of “urban” and “rural” in the class metropolises, characterized by an agrarian-mercantile
Chinese historical context civilization. These cities integrated agriculture with trade
to create a unique urban landscape distinct from Western
In Chinese culture, the terms “urban” (城市; chengshi) industrialized centers (Shiqiao, 2014). Urban areas in
and “rural” (乡村; xiangchun) are imbued with rich China evolved from village societies while maintaining
connotations. They are not merely physical and lineage relationships from agrarian civilization, serving as
administrative concepts but are deeply rooted in the extensions of rural society within the broader context of
cognitive domains of psychology and values formed by the Chinese agrarian culture.
agrarian civilization of Chinese culture (Ji et al., 2010).
Agrarian civilization, developed through long periods 2.3. The essence of urbanization and rural
of agricultural production, encompasses state systems, revitalization
ritual practices, cultural education, and unique cultural While the historical Chinese concepts of “urban” and “rural”
characteristics. It has influenced concepts of state are deeply rooted in agrarian civilization, modernization
governance, interpersonal interactions, and language processes like “urbanization” and “rural revitalization” are
within Chinese society. This agrarian civilization has key aspects influenced by industrial development.
been instrumental in shaping Chinese social structures, Although the “urban” existed in ancient China,
legitimizing its existence, and molding both material and the process of urbanization from the modern era to
immaterial cultural forms. contemporary times is not a natural extension of agrarian
Within agrarian civilization, land serves as the civilization. During the mid-19 century, with the opening
th
fundamental basis for agricultural production. Farmers of the five treaty ports, Chinese cities began a significant
rely on the land for cultivation to sustain their livelihoods. transformation toward an exogenous modern industrial
The relationship between people and land extends beyond development. After the establishment of the People’s
agriculture, influencing social status, economic well-being, Republic of China, policy-driven cities, such as enclave
lifestyles, and values. The land is revered as a source of cities built during the Third Front Movement and special
life and a cornerstone of social order, embodying deep economic zones emerging after the reform and opening
emotions and values that form a significant land ethic in up, began to reshape urban development (Hu, 2018).
Chinese society (Yue & Cheung, 2018). At the same time, China’s traditional agrarian cities also
underwent significant transformations due to globalization
Therefore, the profound bond between people and
landforms the cornerstone of Chinese culture. This (Verebes, 2015). These shifts have fundamentally altered the
kin state of rural-urban relationships (Chan et al., 2010) and
relationship has given rise to a “ripple effect” (涟漪; lianyi), pose critical challenges to the millennia-old philosophical
a dynamic centered on kinship, locality, and affection within construct of the “Oneness of Heaven and Humanity.”
rural communities (Fei et al., 1992). Known as the “group
pattern” (团体格局; tuanti geju), this framework emphasizes In recent years, to eliminate the urban-rural divide,
equality among members and shapes individual behavior, China has proposed the strategy of rural revitalization,
morality, and emotions based on these relationships aiming to modernize agriculture and rural areas.
(Barbalet, 2021). This collective bond fosters stability and Simultaneously, the direction of urbanization has also faced
order within rural Chinese society (Hwang, 2000). new adjustments, such as urban renewal (Ni & Xu, 2022),
While rural areas have historically been the primary 4 Chang’an, known today as Xi’an, served as the capital
foundation of agrarian civilization, urban development of China during various dynasties, including the Western Han
in China has been present since ancient times. Cities have dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE), the Sui dynasty (581–618), and the
existed since primitive and early slave societies, serving as Tang dynasty (618–907).
administrative centers and hubs for agricultural trade (Wu & 5 Kaifeng, another historically significant city in China,
Gaubatz, 2020). The contemporary Chinese term for urban, was the capital during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127).

Volume 6 Issue 4 (2024) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1606