Copyright 2024 - Ningbo Life / Ningbo Expat

Special exhibition on China-Japan architectural communications to be held

A special exhibition on the China-Japan architectural communications over the past two thousand years will be held at the Sci-tech Protection Center of the Museum of Ancient Architecture of the Baoguo Temple on September 12, and the 75 exhibits include 52 pieces of carpentry tools of all kinds and 26 models of the bucket arch, the teahouse and the wood-inlaid craft window.

As the No.101 project of the activities of the "2019 promotion year for China-Japan youth communication", the exhibition is jointly sponsored by the Ancient Architecture Museum of Baoguo Temple and the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum of Kobe, Japan.

The exhibition is composed of three parts: wood culture and Japanese architecture, architecture techniques introduced through Buddhist buildings, and the tea-tasting culture. The exhibits include various kinds of carpentry tools. The most noteworthy exhibits are the bucket arch model (with a scale of 1:2) of the eastern courtyard and the Soanfu teahouse model (with a scale of 1:1) of the Yakushi-ji Temple. According to Bao Muping, coordinator of the exhibition and researcher from the Institute of Prodcution Technology, Tokyo University, "The bucket arch model is made of the precious cypress wood from Japan, and the cypress is also found in the building materials of the Baoguo Temple. This is the evidence to show that that is a very long history for the communications between the architectural cultures of China and Japan along the marine silk road. This is the first time for a complete Soanfu teahouse model to be exhibited outside of Japan, which is used to display the tea culture of Japan in the 12th century." She also explained the features of the teahouse model, "the entrance of the teahouse is so small and low that all the guests have to bend down and take off their shoes or swords when entering the teahouse." 

The Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, with a total exhibit amount of over 32,000 pieces, is the only carpentry tools museum in Japan. The director of the Skills Department of the museum arrived at the Ancient Architecture Museum of Baoguo Temple on September 5 for the exhibition preparation. He said that the carpentry tools museum has a tradition of conducting three carpentry experience activities every week, which is very well received by the local Japanese people. Among all the 5,000 visitors to the museum every month, about 2,000 will take part in the carpentry experience activities.

Besides, over 20 pieces (or sets) of traditional carpentry tools are exhibited at the Ancient Architecture Museum, including a 2-meter long frame saw. On the morning of September 13, a famous artisan from Japan will be invited to the museum to perform the carpentry techniques on the spot

f t g m