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Built as family residences， Chinese folk houses are designed in a variety of architectural styles. This colorful photography collection presents ordinary rectangular huts and cottages， grand and magnificent mansions and luxurious palaces. Ronald G. Knapp， author of Chinese Houses： The Architectural Heritage of a Nation， points out that the diversity of Chinese dwellings is comparable to that of Europe which encompasses styles of numerous countries， and exceeds that of the United States by far.
Knapp has been carrying out research on the cultural and historical geography of China’s countryside since 1965. Over the past half century， he has visited thousands of traditional Chinese houses and witnessed the disappearance of some along with the great transformation of urban and rural architecture. Many traditional houses were exquisitely made. This book focuses on display and discussion of 17 well-preserved residential buildings including Beijing siheyuan（traditional courtyard homes）， residences in southeastern China’s water towns， study rooms of famous scholars， houses of the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）， mansions， courtyards of the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911） ， Fujian earth buildings and other ancient architecture.
The author summarized each building as a fine example of Chinese folk houses built over thousands of years. In the book， he defines Chinese folk houses as a unique category of architecture， and based on their regional differences and historical evolution， he explores construction techniques and function of the houses and how they transcend their physical shells to become the cultural heritage of families and the nation， passed down through generations. Detailed with abundant photos， carvings， historical images and technical drawings， the book vividly and comprehensively displays the unique beauty and vitality of China’s traditional architecture.
Jonathan D. Spence， professor at Yale University and a famous expert in Chinese history studies， wrote the preface for the book. He pointed out that Ronald G. Knapp attempted to prove through the book that these houses are often part of a network of rights and wealth. “Amongst the twenty case studies of specific houses—from Shaanxi to Fujian， from Sichuan to Jiangsu—that Knapp presents in this splendid and comprehensive new book… he has made me reflect on wider issues of Chinese economics and politics，” he wrote.
Receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh， Ronald G. Knapp taught at the State University of New York， New Paltz from 1968 to 2001. He is the author， editor， or contributor of more than 20 books， including China’s Traditional Rural Architecture： A Cultural Geography of the Common House（1986）， which was the first book in English to introduce Chinese vernacular architecture to Western readers. Others include Chinese Bridges： Living Architecture from China’s Past.
The photographer of the book， A. Chester Ong， was born in the Philippines and is currently based in Hong Kong. His specializes in cultural documentary photography， as well as architectural and cuisine photography.
Knapp has been carrying out research on the cultural and historical geography of China’s countryside since 1965. Over the past half century， he has visited thousands of traditional Chinese houses and witnessed the disappearance of some along with the great transformation of urban and rural architecture. Many traditional houses were exquisitely made. This book focuses on display and discussion of 17 well-preserved residential buildings including Beijing siheyuan（traditional courtyard homes）， residences in southeastern China’s water towns， study rooms of famous scholars， houses of the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）， mansions， courtyards of the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911） ， Fujian earth buildings and other ancient architecture.
The author summarized each building as a fine example of Chinese folk houses built over thousands of years. In the book， he defines Chinese folk houses as a unique category of architecture， and based on their regional differences and historical evolution， he explores construction techniques and function of the houses and how they transcend their physical shells to become the cultural heritage of families and the nation， passed down through generations. Detailed with abundant photos， carvings， historical images and technical drawings， the book vividly and comprehensively displays the unique beauty and vitality of China’s traditional architecture.
Jonathan D. Spence， professor at Yale University and a famous expert in Chinese history studies， wrote the preface for the book. He pointed out that Ronald G. Knapp attempted to prove through the book that these houses are often part of a network of rights and wealth. “Amongst the twenty case studies of specific houses—from Shaanxi to Fujian， from Sichuan to Jiangsu—that Knapp presents in this splendid and comprehensive new book… he has made me reflect on wider issues of Chinese economics and politics，” he wrote.
Receiving his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh， Ronald G. Knapp taught at the State University of New York， New Paltz from 1968 to 2001. He is the author， editor， or contributor of more than 20 books， including China’s Traditional Rural Architecture： A Cultural Geography of the Common House（1986）， which was the first book in English to introduce Chinese vernacular architecture to Western readers. Others include Chinese Bridges： Living Architecture from China’s Past.
The photographer of the book， A. Chester Ong， was born in the Philippines and is currently based in Hong Kong. His specializes in cultural documentary photography， as well as architectural and cuisine photography.