Comparative Analysis of Chinese Religious Architectural Culture

Abstract

China is a country with diverse cultures, and both material and spiritual cultures are extremely rich. Religious architectural culture is one branch of the overall culture of society. Chinese religious architecture embodies traditional Chinese culture, the superb architectural skills and the architectural aesthetic, and it is a concentrated manifestation of religious material culture and spiritual culture. While preserving its own cultural characteristics in the process of globalization, religious architectural culture is a topic worthy of exploration. It is important to explore the culture of religious architecture while maintaining its own cultural characteristics. There are many religions in China, including indigenous Taoism and foreign religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Catholicism. Each religion has its own cultural connotations, and each religious architecture has its own characteristics. After the introduction of foreign religions into China, they have been influenced by traditional Chinese culture, resulting in their religious architecture incorporating some Chinese characteristics. In the current cultural context of China, a comparative analysis of the characteristics of various religious architectures is conducive to a deeper understanding of religious architectural culture and is of certain significance for the inheritance and protection of religious architecture. This article conducts fundamental research on Buddhist architecture, Taoist architecture, and Islamic architecture from the perspectives of overall layout and architectural carving art. By comparing and analyzing religious architecture, it reveals the cultural connotations it carries. It is hoped that this will provide new ideas for the protection of religious architecture and the inheritance of architectural culture.