Studio

This is usually a simple but elegant structure built in parks or gardens to give an embellishing touch to the landscape. IT is called xuan after the name of a highfronted ,curtained used in ancient times by people of rank probably because , like the carriage ,it is also high in front and airy and spacious inside.

Architecturally , the xuan is rather similar to the ting(pavilion), and both are used to adorn the scenic views either standing on the side of a lake or nestling on the slope lf a mountain.

The difference between the two is that the xuan is larger in size ,more closed and normally rectangular in plan ,whereas the smaller ring has always a pointed round roof and no walls;the xuan is simply furnished with some tables and chairs so that people may sit down for a cup of tea, play a game of weiqi or appreciate works of art , whereas the ting is as a whole devoid of furniture'

The word xuan occasionally appears in the name of a teahouse or a restaurant. A well-known example is Laijinyuxuan (Come New Fiends Studio ) in Beijing ‘s ZhongshanPark .

Established in 1914 , it operated at the beginning as a teahouse and snackbar. LU Xun, the great writer used to frequent it to have tea ,read newspapers and meet friends . THE present Laijinyuxuan is a restaurant specializing in Sichuan and Jiangsu cuisine.

Among other structures representative of this style of architecture, imperial or private , one should count Xieqiuxuan (Paint Autumn Studio ) in Beijing ‘s SummerPalace and Zhuwaiyizhixuan ( Lone Bamboo Outside the Grove) in Suzhou's Wangshiyuan (Master-of-netsGarden).