Famous Chinese architecture buildings

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Updated June 9, 201713 items

List of famous buildings in the Chinese architecture movement, listed alphabetically with photos when available. This list of Chinese architecture buildings, structures and monuments includes information like what city the structure is in, and when it was first opened to the public. There are a lot of historic Chinese architecture structures around the world, so why not save some money and check them out here without having to pay for travel? These popular Chinese architecture buildings attract visitors from all over the world, so if you're ever near them you should definitely pay them a visit. List is made up of a variety of items, including Forbidden City and Jin Mao Tower.

This list is a great source for answering the questions, "What are the most famous Chinese architecture buildings?" and "What do Chinese architecture buildings look like?"

  • Forbidden City

    The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It is located in the center of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. It served as the home of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for almost 500 years. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 72 ha. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum's former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War.
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  • Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

    Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or Big Wild Goose Pagoda, is a Buddhist pagoda located in southern Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China. It was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty and originally had five storeys, although the structure was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian and its exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming Dynasty. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang.

  • Gyeongbokgung

    Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung served as the home of Kings of the Joseon dynasty, the Kings' households, as well as the government of Joseon. Gyeongbokgung continued to serve as the main palace of the Joseon dynasty until the premises were destroyed by fire during the Imjin War and abandoned for two centuries. However, all of the palace's 7,700 rooms were later restored under the leadership of Prince Regent Heungseon during the reign of King Gojong. Some 500 buildings were restored on a site of over 40 hectares. The architectural principles of ancient Korea were incorporated into the tradition and appearance of the Joseon royal court. In the early 20th century, much of the palace was systematically destroyed by Imperial Japan. Since then, the walled palace complex is gradually being restored to its original form. Today, the palace is arguably regarded as being the most beautiful and grandest of all five palaces.

  • Hsi Lai Temple

    Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple is a traditional Chinese Buddhist mountain monastery, in the U.S. state of California. It is one of the largest of its kind in North America. The temple complex is located in the northern Puente Hills, within Hacienda Heights, in eastern Los Angeles County. The name "Hsi Lai" means Coming West in the sense of the "Great Buddhadharma Coming West." The temple is affiliated Fo Guang Shan, one of Taiwan's largest Buddhist organizations. It is the order's first overseas branch temple, and serves as the North America regional headquarters for Fo Guang Shan. Hsi Lai was the site of the founding of Buddha's Light International Association, established in 1991. The temple, like its mother temple in Taiwan, practices Humanistic Buddhism, which incorporates all of the eight traditional schools of Chinese Buddhism - especially the Linji Chan and Pure Land schools - to provide guidance deemed most useful to modern life.

  • Jin Mao Tower

    The Jin Mao Tower, also known as the Jinmao Building or Jinmao Tower, is an 88-story landmark skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. It contains a shopping mall, offices and the Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel. It is currently the seventeenth tallest building in the world. Along with the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Shanghai Tower it is part of the Lujiazui skyline seen from the Bund. It used to be the tallest building in China but its height was surpassed on September 14, 2007, by the Shanghai World Financial Center which is located close by. The Shanghai Tower, a 121-story building located next to these two buildings, once completed, will surpass the height of both these buildings.

  • Liuhe Pagoda

    Liuhe Pagoda, literally Six Harmonies Pagoda, is a multi-story Chinese pagoda in southern Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. It is located at the foot of Yuelun Hill, facing the Qiantang River. It was originally constructed in 970 AD during the Northern Song dynasty, destroyed in 1121, and reconstructed fully by 1165, during the Southern Song dynasty.