an architect’s travel diary
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Hokkien Temples of Guangdong: a marvelous encounter
I love traditional architecture. It is one of the greatest driving motivations of my travels, and I love to look at every small, intricate detail. Therefore, you can imagine that my first encounter with a Hokkien style temple in the Southern Chinese city of Shantou (Guangdong Province) left me awe-struck and speechless. “Yes, we have
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Dikengyuan: sunken courtyard houses from the Loess Plateau
The Loess Plateau, which extends to the north of China through the provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and Henan, boasts one of the most interesting vernacular architectural typologies of the country: the Yaodong (窑洞), or “cave houses”.It is estimated that over 30 million people still live in Yaodong dwellings in northern China. This kind of building is in
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Exploring Guizhou ethnic minorities: Wudong Miao Village
During my trip to visit the ethnic minorities of Guizhou Province, I made my final stop in the Miao ethnic village of Wudong (乌东村 – Wū dōng cūn). The village is located in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南 苗族 侗族 自治州), 30 km from Xijiang Qianhu (西江 千户 苗) and 50 km from Kaili, the
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Exploring Guizhou ethnic minorities: Queniao Miao Village
During my trip to visit the ethnic minority cultures of Guizhou Province, I made a stop in the remote Miao village of Queniao (雀鸟村 – Què niǎo cūn). Queniao is located in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南 苗族 侗族 自治州), 50 km from Xijiang Qianhu (西江 千户 苗) and 75 km from Kaili, the biggest city
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Exploring Guizhou ethnic minorities: Getou Miao Village
The third stop along my journey through Leishan county in Guizhou Provinc to visit some remote authentic Miao villages brought me to Getou (格头村 – Gé tóu cūn). The village is nested between the slopes of the Leigong Mountain at a height of 1030 m above sea level. The village develops at the side of
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Exploring Guizhou ethnic minorities: Datang Miao Village
During my trip to Guizhou to explore the Miao Ethnic Minority culture, I had the luck to visit the Miao village of Datang (大塘 苗寨 – Dà táng miáo zhài). Datang is located in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南 苗族 侗族 自治州), 30 km from Xijiang Qianhu (西江 千户 苗) and 50 km from Kaili, the
What is it about?
This travel blog is born from my desire to share the architectural beauty that surrounds us.
Architecture is indeed much more than just construction techniques; it integrates: design, sociology, psychology, technology, and popular wisdom. It can be regarded as a form of art, one that we experience everyday, actively shaping our daily lives.
With my articles and my pictures I intend to show the memorable places that I have visited, as well as providing information based on my experience that may be useful for fellow travelers and architecture geeks like me.
It is my hope that it will not only inspire people to travel, but to more fully understand and appreciate the local architectural heritage of the places they visit.