In order to enrich the campus cultural life, a series of Chaoshan cultural experience activities, such as Chaoshan vernacular architecture, Chao Embroidery and Chaoshan Gongfu tea art performance are held at GTIIT, to promote the understanding of the excellent traditional culture of Chaoshan area and let more people feel the charm of it.

The first cultural activity of this series is Chaoshan vernacular architecture lecture.

On August 22, Mr. Cai Haisong, a member of Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association and Guangdong Photographers Association, brought a lecture to GTIIT teachers and students, talking about the beauty of Chaoshan local architecture.

Chaoshan area has a long history, a large number of people and cultures, and has also preserved lots of local buildings with obvious features. These buildings inherit Chinese traditional architecture, whose essence is to pursue the harmony and unity of the three elements of heaven, earth and human beings, and advocate nature and culture. The blending of art, nature and architecture fully integrates the local culture and climate characteristics. Specifically, the building has formed a plane layout with closed outside and open inside. It reflects the cultural accumulation in the historical period of Chaoshan area, and has a high historical, artistic and scientific value.

"The most important feature of Chaoshan architecture is exquisite. One of the delicacy lies in the beautiful implication of the basic form of architecture." Said Mr. Cai. The shapes of "Downhill Tiger", "Five Rooms", "Sima Trailer" and "Birds paying homage to the phoenix" are all based on "Four-point Gold", whose construction is shaped like a Chinese character "well", similar to the "Quadrangle Courtyard" in Northern China. Courtyard, a form of integration and closeness between nature and people, is regarded as the most suitable living space for people in Chaoshan area.

The second delicacy lies in the superb workmanship of architectural decoration. The extreme usage of visual beauty and mathematical calculation could make the audience who attended the lecture deeply admired the Chinese craftsmen.

Mr. Cai, who grew up in Chaoshan, was asked why he was willing to spend most of his time studying Chaoshan architecture. He smiled and answered "because of homesickness".

Text: Liu Huayi, GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: Chen Yanfan, Wang Xinyi, GTIIT News & Public Affairs