This thesis argues that the representations of ancient architecture in Chinese period movies, instead of only being criticized for its authenticity, could be considered as research materials in architectural history field, in the meaning of reflecting multiple factors and the relationship between them during the process of creating the images of “Chinese architecture”. Confucius (1940) , which is the first period movie in China that a professional architect, FEI Kang, was in charge of the research and design of the set, is selected to be the subject, and the relationship between the set design, the Chinese architectural history studies at that time, and the modern buildings, is being investigated.
This thesis makes it clear that, facing a serious lack of reference materials for the Spring and Autumn Period (B.C. 770-B.C. 403), FEI Kang turned to materials from later times and adjusted them in a way following theories promoted by Chinese architectural historians in 1930s. The using of dougong of the simplest shape from later times in Confucius's residence set owes to the focus on dougong from architectural historians, and the simplification of existing buildings of Confucian temple to make the set of Apricot Pavilion reflects the rejection to ornaments also from architectural historians. At the same time, in the interior set for Confucius's residence, FEI Kang designed rectangle windows, which indicates an influence from the horizontal window of Modernism, to deal with the blank of research on interior in Chinese architectural history studies.
At the end, this thesis concludes that the representation of ancient architecture in the period movie Confucius is thus a creative concretization of the ideal image of "Chinese architecture" implied in Chinese architectural history studies.
