DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9541#0733
Chap. II.
DOMESTIC ARCHITECT D B E.
709
394. Arch w;ty in the Xankau Pass. (From a Photograph.)
qualified person, accompanied by a photographer, is enabled to visit
the central and western provinces of the empire. Even then his visit
will be of very little use, unless he is sufficiently familiar with the
style as now known, to be able to discriminate between what is new
and what is old, and by an extended series of inductions to check the
absurdities of native tradition, and form his own opinion on the facts
presented to him. Assuming all this, it is still doubtful whether the
materials exist in China for any extended history of the art. Such
facts as have come to light are not encouraging. Wood has been far
too extensively used throughout for any very permanent style of
architecture ever having been employed. But there are things in
Cambodia, and other neighbouring states, which seem to have come
neither from India, nor from any other country we are acquainted
with, hut are nevertheless of foreign origin, and must have been
imported from some extraneous land; and it is difficult to say when;
we are to look for their originals if not in central or western China.
The same remarks apply to Japan. So far as our knowledge at
present extends, there is not a single permanent building in the
DOMESTIC ARCHITECT D B E.
709
394. Arch w;ty in the Xankau Pass. (From a Photograph.)
qualified person, accompanied by a photographer, is enabled to visit
the central and western provinces of the empire. Even then his visit
will be of very little use, unless he is sufficiently familiar with the
style as now known, to be able to discriminate between what is new
and what is old, and by an extended series of inductions to check the
absurdities of native tradition, and form his own opinion on the facts
presented to him. Assuming all this, it is still doubtful whether the
materials exist in China for any extended history of the art. Such
facts as have come to light are not encouraging. Wood has been far
too extensively used throughout for any very permanent style of
architecture ever having been employed. But there are things in
Cambodia, and other neighbouring states, which seem to have come
neither from India, nor from any other country we are acquainted
with, hut are nevertheless of foreign origin, and must have been
imported from some extraneous land; and it is difficult to say when;
we are to look for their originals if not in central or western China.
The same remarks apply to Japan. So far as our knowledge at
present extends, there is not a single permanent building in the