The Flying Ramble Tower in Shanxi Province

Chinese cultural spirit pays special attention to the harmony and affinity of man with nature, and towers andpavilions particularly embody this characteristic. In boundless nature, people are not content with their limited self, they demand a personal experience of spiritual sublimation. The Goddess Chang'e, Yuren and Feixian express the mystical fantasy of this pursuit, while towers and terraced pavilions express the reality. Therefore, Chinese towers and pavilions are clearly different from ancient European buildings in terms of spirit, style and feature. The latter's buildings are laid with bricks and stones, with small windows; outside the building there is no corridor, the inner and the outer parts are separated from each other; stress is put n the vertical tapering form, as if the earth is not worth a glance, revealing an estrangement between man and nature.

Chinese towers are wide open, so that air is circulating and infiltrating the space inside and outside the tower. Around various floors there are corridors for climbing and looking into the distance. The level-oriented eaves n every floor, and the corridors and balustradesaround each floor, greatly reduce the soaring kinetic potential of the overall vertical form, so that the towers can overlook the vast land from time to time. The notched and Curvedroofing, and the rounded corners of the tower, avoid a rigid and solitary appearance. The towers are beautifully inlaid in nature, so that they become part of the universe containing the infinite yearning of the people for nature. Many poems and prose clearly express the human spirit contained in these towers, Such as the lines: "The sun sets behind the mountain, theYellow Riverflows into the sea, ascending another story to see a thousand miles". This describes the vivid experience of the poet who climbs the tower and looks afar between heaven and earth to clear his mind. This meaning can also be seen from the magnificently perceived names of various towers, such as Watching the Sea Tower, Seeing the Mountain Tower, Looking at the Cloud Tower, Catching the Moon Tower, the Mist and Rain Tower, the Refreshing Breeze Tower, the Absorbing River Water Tower, Reaching-the-Clouds Tower, the Sunset-Bathed Tower, etc.

Among towers and pavilions in history, most which enjoy a high reputation are essentially structures for sightseeing, built in scenic areas, Such as the Huanghe (yellow crane) Tower, the TengWang Tower andYueyang Tower, the three famous towers south of theYangtze RiverSites for such towers are often in sections beside rivers or lakes bordering cities for the convenience of looking afar, and for closer ties with cities-making it easy to "capture the sights", the size and pattern are based on careful conception, the structure and nature acting in harmonious coordination with each other, the tower itself also increases the beauty of nature and becomes an object of appreciation, called "ChengJing"(Established Scenery).