Wang Guixiang: I've always said: the highest form of Chinese architecture is timber construction with pitched tile roofs. It embodies the very essence of Chinese civilization. Amazingly, its structural system has remained virtually unchanged for millennia. Since the advent of tongue-and-groove joints, known to the Hemudu culture six to seven thousand years ago, this form has given rise to a stunning diversity of spatial solutions.

Chinese architecture places particular emphasis on proportion. Typically, the ratio of the building's height to its base is one to one. This creates a sense of stability and solemnity. Such buildings are typically wide and slightly squat—they seem to gently sink to the ground, creating a sense of harmony between architecture and nature.

The upper part of the building is always crowned with a dougong bracket system—a transitional element between the columns and the cornice. This is precisely its main advantage: the massive, heavy roof no longer feels heavy. Instead, it creates a sense of floating. The Book of Songs contains a graceful line: "Like a pheasant soaring high." This is a strikingly accurate description of the temple hall—as if the wings of a huge bird were about to spread and lift it into flight.

The Hall of Harvest Prayers rests on a three-tiered terrace of white marble. This makes it resemble a precious object displayed on an artfully crafted tray. And at the very top is an exquisite pearl element, like a work of art on a display pedestal, with impeccably calibrated proportions.

ORIENT