“China is a closed culture for us, but was way ahead of us in the West.” This is a clear admission professor Albert Speer presented recently. He is an internationally recognized architect and city planner from Frankfurt am Main. The remarks came during his presentation in Frankfurt at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry last Friday. His theme was, “Thoughts regarding the development of Chinese cities.” It seemed to animate the 74-year-old.
He called proof of early China’s development “completely unexpected and fascinating” from his discovery of historic data and archeological discoveries. He compared the arrangements of the clay warrior army to the exactness of length and breadth. The terracotta warriors are said to contain chromium that modern people say was first discovered in Europe in 1920.
A City as Symbolism of Cosmic Order and Harmony
Speer quoted Confucius who had spoken of the city as a symbol of cosmic order and harmony. The architect’s thoughts revolved around the Chinese concept of living in “quarters,” to be derived from “li,” a square approximately measuring 400 x 400 meters. Each of these was in former times surrounded by a protective wall and gates that were locked every night. The whole city was based on this principle of “squares.” They were laid out in a definitive north-south axis around a main thoroughfare. According to tradition, the emperor was the only permitted to look south during large ceremonies while the subjects had to look north, toward the emperor.
