10 Historically Accurate Details About The Architecture In 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'

Like much of the Earth Kingdom, the nation's rural villages are based on the rural villages that make up much of China. As is the case with China, the Earth Kingdom is by far the largest nation in the world of A:TLA. As a result, in addition to the nation's major cities, there are also plenty of smaller settlements scattered across the countryside. These settlements are more rural and less developed, and are based on the villages of China that were undeveloped for much of the nation's history. 

The Earth Kingdom in general is closely modeled on China, and that's especially true when you compare Ba Sing Se to Beijing. The Earth Kingdom capital is directly influenced by the Forbidden City (source: Britannica.com), and that's even true of the rulers of both kingdoms, who were at one time forbidden from leaving the palace. The general architecture of the city, with its tiled rooves and beautiful palaces, evoke the architecture of some of Beijing's most famous buildings. 

One of the Royal palace's least ostentatious features is actually inspired by China. As it turns out, the gardens that are part of the palace grounds are based on similar gardens in China (source: Chinahighlights.com). The gardens are beautiful, featuring ducks and other animals as well as a variety of plant life. These gardens existed in some imperial Japanese homes, but they were much more common in wealthy Chinese homes. 

As is the case with many aspects of Water Tribe culture, the architecture in the Southern Water Tribe especially is based on the Inuits (source: Britannica.com). The igloos that we see at the very beginning of the series suggest the roots of the Water Tribe's culture, but also speak to the way the Southern Water Tribe has been decimated by the war. They not longer have the massive structures that their counterparts in the North are able to maintain. 

China doesn't have a place that resembles Lake Laogai, at least not physically. The lakes are named after the system of Chinese reeducation camps that existed when Mao Zedong ruled the country (source: Laogairesearch.org). Of course, the purpose of Lake Laogai is very much the same as those camps. The goal was to stamp out dissent completely, even if the camps in actual China weren't hidden under a lake. 

Of all the architectural marvels in the world of A:TLA, the air temples might be the most impressive. Each one has a different design, and they're all explicitly based on skills that are unique to Airbenders. Although each temple has a different design, they all have an aesthetic that feels of a piece with one another, and is based on Chinese Buddhist pagodas (source: Britannica.com). These pagodas are multilevel structures that feature distinct breaks between each floor. The pagodas are also an inspiration for the Fire Nation temples that we see in the series.