Tibetan-style Buildings

Ta'er Si, Xining

Typical Tibetan architecture is seen in this photograph. The buildings that front this street are elevated on substantial platforms, and present blank facades of plaster or tile on the ground floor. A second floor consists of rows of windows that overlook the street. These are separated by patterned hangings that are suspended from wooden flagpoles. The roofs of the buildings are flat, in contrast to the peaks and gables of Chinese-style roofs. In this monastery, one sees three types of buildings: pure Tibetan as here, pure Chinese (bayed halls + peaked roof) as in the Manjushri Hall, and hybrid (Tibetan walls + Chinese roof) as in the Small Golden Roof Hall.