Sacred Landscapes of Imperial China - Astronomy, Feng Shui, and the Mandate of Heaven (Paperback, 1st ed. 2020)

This book analyses the magnificent imperial necropolises of ancient China from the perspective of Archaeoastronomy, a science which takes into account the landscape in which ancient monuments are placed, focusing especially but not exclusively on the celestial aspects. The power of the Chinese emperors was based on the so-called Mandate of Heaven: the rulers were believed to act as intermediaries between the sky gods and the Earth, and consequently, the architecture of their tombs, starting from the world-famous mausoleum of the first emperor, was closely linked to the celestial cycles and to the cosmos. This relationship, however, also had to take into account various other factors and doctrines, first the Zhao-Mu doctrine in the Han period and later the various forms of Feng Shui. As a result, over the centuries, diverse sacred landscapes were constructed. Among the sites analysed in the book are the "pyramids" of Xi'an from the Han dynasty, the mountain tombs of the Tang dynasty, and the Ming and Qing imperial tombs. The book explains how considerations such as astronomical orientation and topographical orientation according to the principles of Feng Shui played a fundamental role at these sites.

General

Imprint:	Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Country of origin:	Switzerland
Release date:	June 2021
First published:	2020
Authors:	Giulio Magli
Dimensions:	235 x 155mm (L x W)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	179
Edition:	1st ed. 2020
ISBN-13:	978-3-03-049326-4
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > History of science Books > Science & Mathematics > Astronomy, space & time > General Books > Arts & Architecture > Architecture > Landscape art & architecture > General Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Cultural studies > General
LSN:	3-03-049326-1
Barcode:	9783030493264

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!