The Historical Origin of Xiangshan School's Traditional Architectural Skills

Suzhou Xiangshan is located on the bank of Taihu Lake, with beautiful scenery and beautiful environment. It has a history of more than 2500 years and is one of the birthplaces of Wu culture. Xiangshan School is an architectural school with a long history, which has been passed down for more than 2,500 years. It originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, formed in the Han and Jin Dynasties, developed in the Tang and Song Dynasties, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and declined in the Republic of China. World-famous and exquisite world cultural heritages, such as Beijing Forbidden City, Square and Suzhou Gardens, are all brilliant chapters written in the architectural history of China by Suzhou Xiangshan gang craftsmen with excellent architectural skills. "Four hundred and eighty halls in the southern dynasties, with many towers and misty rain." Suzhou's highly developed Buddhist and Taoist cultures have promoted the development of Xiangshan School architecture from another level and region. For hundreds of years, Suzhou craftsmen have been famous in China for their exquisite traditional architectural techniques. Kuai Xiang, the designer of Tiananmen Square, was also born here, and is known as the originator of Xiangshan Gang because of his superb architectural skills. In the process of centuries' inheritance, many craftsman families handed down from generation to generation have emerged in Xiangshan Gang. Early Xiangshan craftsmen were mainly carpenters and plasterers, wood carvings were managed by carpenters and brick carvings were managed by plasterers. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with the increasingly exquisite and complex architectural carving style and increasing commercial demand, the division of labor of Xiangshan craftsmen has also been developing towards specialization. Xiangshan Gang has gradually formed a huge group integrating carpentry, bricklaying, brick carving, wood carving, stone carving, calligraphy and painting. It is said that there were more than 5000 craftsmen at the peak in Xiangshan area.

1979, in order to inherit and develop the traditional architectural technology of Xiangshan School, more than 60 skilled craftsmen of Xiangshan School were convened to establish Wuxian Ancient Architecture Technology Company. Later, under their command, more than a thousand Xiangshan craftsmen gathered. For more than 20 years, this Xiangshan craftsman team has been invited to participate in the construction and restoration of a large number of classical gardens, cultural relics, tourist attractions, antique street scenes and theme parks. The antique architecture of the famous Nanjing Confucius Temple Scenic Area is the masterpiece of a new generation of Xiangshan craftsmen.