"The Mosts" About Paifang

The City with the Largest Number of the Paifang: Beijing

Although only 100 or so original Paifangs are still standing across tour attractions in Beijing, there used to be300 well-known Paifangs in ancient time. In addition, over 100 new Paifangs have been built in recent years.

The Smallest Paifangs:

The smallest stone Paifang in Beijing is Zhiyu Fang, located at the northeastern corner of the Summer Palace.

The smallest wood Paifang is LiuliTa Fang (the Glazed-Tile Pagoda Paifang), also located in the Summer Palace in Beijing.

The Largest Paifangs

Located in the Ming Tombs in Beijing's Chang Ping District, the largest stone Paifang was built in the year of 1540. It is 28.86 meters long and 14 meters high.

Located in Beijing's Shunyi County, the largest wood Paifang is 42 meters long and 16 meters high, ranking the first not only in Asia but also the world.

The Shortest Wood Paifang:

The shortest wood Paifang is Puan Dian Fang, located in Beijing's Beihai Park.

The Oldest Paifang:

The oldest Paifang is Dongyue Miao Fang (the Paifang at the entrance of Dongyue Temple) in Beijing.

Nowadays it is easy to find Paifang in the rest of the world. Chinatowns in Canada, Britain, the United States, Japan, Mauritius, and Australia are all marked by impressive-looking traditional Paifangs, which has helped overseas people have a better understanding of traditional Chinese values.

 The Connotations of Chinese Paifang

Paifang has long become a symbol of China. It is valued for its rich connotations. Deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture, carved decorative designs in the beams of the Paifang are meant to carry various symbolic meanings. Look at the following examples:

Dragon and Phoenix: Honored as the king of beasts, in ancient China the dragon symbolized the overwhelming imperial power enjoyed by emperors, while the phoenix, honored as the queen of birds, was a token of the nobleness of queens in Chinese feudal society.