History and Present Situation of Traditional Building Decoration in Harbin, China

- Succession of China Western Architecture of Daowai District in Harbin (1)

Abstract

This study based on fieldwork research and literature review, confirmed the history and present state of Jingyu street in Daowai district of Harbin. The findings can be summarized as follows: 1) This study recorded 964 pieces of architecture decorations in Jingyu street in Daowai district, categorize as plants, animals, characters and soon. 2) These decorations centered around traditional Chinese living culture with the influx of foreign architecture style from europe, Russia and Japan. The unique international style of Daowai district was shaped by blending all sorts of foreign decorations with the different times. And the decorations also reflects the history of Harbin city. 3) The decorations also represents the Chinese traditional living culture as the hope to obtain health, lifelong, safety, happiness and fortune. The residents of Harbin city absorbed the foreign culture with a flexible attitude, and expressed the wishes with clever ways of arrangement in decorations.