The Architectural Fairyland of China (1984 onward): Problems and Recommendations

There was never a clear interpretation of modern architecture in Chinese history. Socialism ended five thousand years of feudalism. Cultural Revolution wiped out any sense of cultural continuity. The sudden return of market economy flooded the country with Western influence. These drastic social changes provided the driving force for a new national identity. However, the rapidly economic growth was accompanied with outmoded institutional practices. In the process of promoting Chinese modern architecture, problems such as intellectual property, bureaucratic practice, traditionalism versus modernism and the shortage in local expertise prevailed. In this paper, the problems of modern Chinese architecture were analyzed and recommendations were presented.