Rationale of the intangible a cognitive reading of spatial conception in the story of the stone

RATIONALE OF THE INTANGIBLE
A COGNITIVE READING OF SPATIAL CONCEPTION IN THE STORY OF THE STONE











YEO KANG SHUA
M.Arch., B.A. (Arch. Studies)

A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN ARCHITECTURE
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

2006





This thesis has been approved and certified by

Thesis Supervisor Professor LI Xiaodong
Chair Professor, Department of Architecture,
School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, PR China.
(Associate Professor, National University of Singapore, 1997 — 2004)


Thesis Committee:

Thesis Co-Supervisor Associate Professor LI Shiqiao
Department of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
(Associate Professor, National University of Singapore, 2000 — 2005)

Thesis Committee Member Professor HENG Chye Kiang

Head of Department, Department of Architecture
National University of Singapore

Thesis Committee Member Assistant Professor YANG Pei Ju, Perry
Department of Architecture
National University of Singapore




















Copyright © 2006 Yeo Kang Shua.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means —
graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval
systems — without the written permission of the owners.

I






YEO KANG SHUA

Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Design and Environment
Department of Architecture
National University of Singapore


Rationale of the Intangible
A Cognitive Reading of Spatial Conception in The Story of the Stone




Abstract

This research explores the concepts of space in the Chinese context through the
textual analysis of The Story of the Stone, whereby dissonances of cognitive
elements are used to depict space, through the change of actions or situation that
represent behavioural or environmental cognitive element. The research is

particularly interested in the logic of reasoning in the reconstruction of space in
the text. The research comes to an understanding of a method to limit the
cognitive process of the “where” and the “what”, through the use of precedents
under the workings of harmonised dissonance. The significance of The Stone is that
it links the reflection on creative design process with the process of establishing a
coherent cultural value for designers that essentially follow the long Chinese
aesthetic traditions. Attempting further than the simple knowledge base of
precedents in late imperial China, The Stone proffers a system of rules for
designing with precedents.


Keywords: cognitive,
harmonised dissonance,
knowledge base,
precedent, and
spatial conception.
Rationale of the Intangible

II

Preface and Acknowledgement


The search for the Chinese conception of space, the subject of this thesis, has
occupied my thoughts, conversations and correspondences for many years, wherein
a large number of friends and mentors have played an important role in its
development. This framework was developed with my thesis supervisor, Prof. Li
Xiaodong, Chair of Department of Architecture, Tsinghua University, who was then
with the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, from 1997
— 2004; as well as with thesis advisor Emeritus Prof. Alexander Tzonis, Director of

Design Knowledge Systems (DKS) Research Centre, Chair of Architectural Theory
and Design Methods, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology
(TUDelft). It has been a privilege to work with them. Their guidance and
inspirations were essential to my work, and I am foremost deeply indebted to them
for their assistances a well as their theoretical and creative insights. My debt to
Prof. Li is further beyond his role as my supervisor. I have been working with Prof.
Li since 1997 as his student and collaborator, in various stages of my development
as an undergraduate, and latter as a graduate as well as a Research Assistant. I
owe a separate debt of gratitude to Emeritus Prof. S.J. Doorman, Faculty of
Philosophy and Humanities, TUDelft, for his interest and commitment to my thesis,
and for his inspiring seminars held in DKS. Where my research reaches precision in
the use of a clear research method, it is due to their guidance; where it does not,
the shortcoming is only my own.

I would also like to thank my co-supervisor Assoc. Prof. Li Shiqiao, and my thesis
committee panel members, Prof. Heng Chye Kiang, and Asst. Prof. Yang Pei Ju,
Perry, for patiently reading my work and improving it with their precious
suggestions, objections, critical remarks and challenging comments. I am greatly
indebted to Adjunct Assoc. Prof. Thiagarajan K Sabapathy and Asst. Prof. Wong
Yunn Chii, for our discussions and for giving me extremely useful suggestions.
During the course of research and writing, I have incurred substantial intellectual
debts, and I wish here to express my gratitude to the scholarships of many
sinologists, linguists, psychologists and sociologists, whom I benefited greatly in my
pursuit of this project. I also wish to acknowledge those, including anonymous
reviewers, who have read the manuscript, either in its entirety or in portions, and
who gave me their helpful and valuable comments.

My research ran parallel to that of my fellow colleague, Chong Keng Hua. Our
frequent discussions contributed substantially to my understanding of our mutual
research problems. Keng Hua and I often saw similar things differently, and the

divergence of ideas always stimulated new insights. For their contributions in
discussions, seminaries and for their companionship, I would like to thank all past
and present colleagues from the Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture
(CASA): Messrs. Dharmatilleke NAD Senaka, Cam Chi Nguyen, Simon Yanuar Putra
Zhuang, Ho Yenn Giin, Zhang Ji, Md Mizanur Rashid, Tian Yang and Lu Yi; Mses.
Archana Sharma, Chen Yu, Tan Kar Lin, Jeanne-Marie Ten Leu-Jiun, Cai Hui, Li
Rationale of the Intangible

III

Suping, Zhang Tianjie and Huang Yan. In addition, to my past colleagues from DKS:
Dr. Asaf Friedman, Dr. Jun Wu, and Dr. Sophia Vyzoviti.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Mses. Goh Lay Fong, Esther Tan, Jasmine
Law, May Yeo, Cheok Yin Peng, Rozita and Ismurnee (NUS) as well as Ms. Janneke
Mosterd-Arkesteijn (DKS) for their administrative assistances and especially for
their kind support. I would also like to acknowledge the assistances rendered by
the libraries whom the project materials is drawn: the architecture library of
TUDelft, the library of Institute for Sinology at Leiden University, the library of
Tsinghua University and the library of Beijing University; special mention for the
libraries of the National University of Singapore where the acquisition librarian
promptly and expedited many of my requests.

For their love, encouragement and care, I would like to thank my family members:
my parents for their untiring care, my sisters, Cortina and Trecia, and my niece,
Abery and nephews, Dillion, Max and Ethan for giving me hours of joy. I reserve
particular thanks to my friends Alfred Goh, Yan Dah Wea and Dr. Lok Wan Chee for
their kind support and companionship, as well as my running group — cutues — for
both putting up with and encouraging the final stages of this long labour.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Design Knowledge Systems (DKS)
Research Centre, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology for
providing me with a Guest Research Fellowship in 2004. Finally, I would like to
express my gratitude to Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture (CASA),
Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore (NUS) that is
generously supporting this project through the NUS Research Scholarship, where
my work and research are carried out.


箭夐糠壁个, 倡ム稜符鞘!
歓咄崘坏駅, 桧糸貞奩鵡?
(HLM I.1.7)




Yeo Kang Shua
Oct 2006, Singapore
Rationale of the Intangible

IV

Notes on Transliteration


Transliteration of Chinese names into English follows the Hanyu pinyin•現區跳冂‚
romanization system in this thesis. All Chinese names, terms, books and articles
were transcribed into the Hanyu pinyin romanization system.

In most cases, the titles of Chinese sources are translated into English by the

author. The Chinese characters are also provided to facilitate the checking of
romanization. In the bibliography, if the author used Wade-Giles romanization
system, it is included in parentheses after the pinyin name. In places where there
existed an English version of the title, the original title is either maintained, or re-
translated without further acknowledgement.

The order of the Chinese naming system is also retained. That is, the family name
(surname) comes first, followed by the given name.


Rationale of the Intangible

V

Editorial Notes


A number of translations have been provided throughout this research. Many of the
sources have been translated previously. In the selection and production of the
translation for this research, I have chosen to observe a few principles and
conventions. Firstly, I have attempted, wherever is possible, to use existing
standard translations and the original Chinese text appended alongside. Secondly,
if there is no standard translation or for any reason, that the standard translation is
not suitable, I will abide by the distinction between normative and flexible
translation in my translation. In general, normative translation will serve well for
technical terms or everyday objects. However, if one tries to render more complex
ideas unalterably with but a single English word, then one is usually restricted to
the most literal of translations. Therefore, in this research, I will tend to opt for
flexible translation on the principle that one should employ the English word or
phrase which modern speakers would use to convey an idea. One should try to be

as literal as possible, but not at the expense of intelligibility. Lastly, when working
with standard translation, it has sometimes been necessary to introduce minor
editorial changes to make the passage read more smoothly or intelligibly.


Principal Chinese Edition
The main reference text used in this research is published by Beijing: Renmin wenxue
chuban she, π蒔: 椴藻滅露甥ヵ矧, 1998. Annotated by Feng Qiyong 去貞刧 based on
“Zhiyan zhai zhongping shitou ji [gengchen (1760)] qiuyue dingben”·壓于噎姆鎮伐忘妻
•窟雲 (1760)‚湯咒勧Д.

English Translated Edition
There are a number of translations available, which are generally pared down versions that
omit much of the text. The five volumes “The Story of the Stone” David Hawkes & John
Minford’s edition is used in this research and is considered as the Standard English edition.

Note: In Hawkes’ translation, Daguan yuan•廻迎吁‚is translated as “Prospect Garden.”
And “Garden of Total Vision” in Andrew H. Plaks’ Archetype and Allegory in the Dream of
the Red Chamber, following Dore J. Levy, suggesting that the complex allegory of garden as
a microcosm of universe (Plaks 1976: 178 — 211; Levy 2001: 175). Although, this study
follows Hawkes’ translation; in this specific case, it retains the Hanyu Pinyin romanization
without translation — Da-guan Yuan (Ta-guan Yuan — Wades-Giles)

Reconstructed Plans of the Ning-Rong Mansions and the Da-guan Yuan•廻迎吁‚
This research does not attempt to reconstruct the plans of the Ning-Rong Mansions and the
Da-guan Yuan. The examination of the physical dimensions of the space is not of the
interest of this study. What this research seeks is to render a conscious attempt to
investigate the stated objectives. Hence, the position of this study is to adopt Guan
Huashan’s 頚広農 reconstruction in “Honglou Meng zhong de jianzhu yanjiu”·醐凄叢奩廓捌
嬶腕実 for the purpose of analysis.

Rationale of the Intangible

VI

List of Abbreviations


HLM
–
Cao Xueqin, Gao E (Qing) 胃婁党, 金銖 (嶋). “Honglou Meng”·醐凄叢
[Dream of the Red Chamber], annotated by Feng Qiyong 去貞刧 based on
“Zhiyan zhai zhongping shitou ji [gengchen (1760)] qiuyue dingben”·壓
于 噎 姆 鎮 伐 忘 妻 • 窟 雲 (1760) ‚ 湯 咒 勧 Д  , Beijing: Renmin wenxue
chuban she, π蒔: 椴藻滅露甥ヵ矧, 1998.
Citations refer only to this edition, unless otherwise stated.



SS
–
Cao Xueqin, Gao E (Qing). (Trans. David Hawkes and John Minford). The
Story of the Stone, 5 vols. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, [1979]
— 1987.

Rationale of the Intangible

VII

Table of Contents

Prelude

Abstract
I
Preface and Acknowledgement
II
Notes on Transliteration
IV
Editorial Notes
V
List of Abbreviations
VI
Table of Contents
VII
List of Illustrations
IX
Summary
XI


Part I — Frames & Constraints in Reasoning & Framework of Research


1 Introduction
1.1 Chinese construction of Nature
1.2 Problematique — The notion and conception of space
1.3 A Philosophical overview of space in the Chinese context
1.4 Space in architectural history and social context
1.5 Key Questions and Method of Research
1.6 Synopsis of thesis

1


2 A Case: The Story of the Stone
2.1 The historiographic significance of the case
2.2 Consumption and commentaries of The Stone
2.3 Basic structure and style of The Stone
2.4 Domain specific objects examined from cognitive perspective
24


3 Socio-spatial relations as a problematique
3.1 Analysing the view of the world through socio-spatial discourse
3.2 A faculty of social cognition — a reading/perspective
3.3 Spatial analysis and narratology
3.4 Data and background sources of/related to The Stone for analysis
38


Part II — Socially-institutionalized Design Reasoning:
The case of The Story of the Stone


4 Mental Representation, Social and Spatial Cognition
4.1 Reading agents and objects in narrated space
4.2 Constructing social space — Socio-cognitive interpretation of relations
4.3 Beyond “cognitive status” — Narrative perspectives and social distance
differences between major & minor characters as representatives of social
institution & public
4.4 Physical and social space

4.5 The sphere of vision as spatial patterns in The Stone
4.6 Spatial representation in The Stone
4.7 Spatial representation in the garden — parts, whole and boundaries
59






Rationale of the Intangible

VIII

Part III — The Building of Connections

5 Socio-spatial Organisation
5.1 The building of connections in a ‘walled’ domain
5.2 The Fundamental Articulation of Space — Physical Constituents
5.3 Boundary as arbitrator of parts — nei•苔‚and wai•妹‚
5.4 Boundary as control — Door, Men•組‚and Window•桶‚
5.5 Interlocutors of boundary
5.6 Socio-psychological operations in single dwelling unit — house
5.7 Socio-psychological operations in clusters
96


6 Landscape and Narratives
6.1 The Garden in The Stone as a field of tectonics manipulation
6.2 The spatial composition as an aesthetic, experiential & existential problem,

in a ‘visual’ and phenomenological sense in nomenclature
6.3 Significance of the Garden in The Stone
6.4 Re-scripting of ideals of Arts and Architecture embodied in The Stone
141


7 The Understanding of Space Conception
7.1 Formal understanding of spatial conception through composition
7.2 Summary of spatial perception in The Stone
7.3 Harmonisation/Normalization of the conceptual dissonance
7.4 Active cogitating or post-rationalization of spatial dissonances
7.5 The harmonising dissonance code of recombination in The Stone
7.6 The understanding of space conception
7.7 The value and meaning of spatial conception
162





Selected Glossary
195
Bibliography
199
Appendix I:
Characters’ Genealogy in The Stone
233
Appendix II:
Subtitles & Tabulation of Spatial Narratives in The Stone
234

Appendix III:
Combinatorial Elements of Characters & Architecture
244
Appendix IV:
Space in the Western Context – An Overview
246
Appendix V:
Design Arguments — Conceptual systems as framework for
analysis
248
Appendix VI:
Universalism and radical relativism: A cognitive
interpretation
251
Appendix VII:
Editions of The Story of the Stone
253
Appendix VIII:
Reconstructions of the Architecture in The Stone
256
Appendix IX:
Chinese Dates and Dynasties
266

Rationale of the Intangible

IX

List of Illustrations

3 Socio-spatial relations as a problematique
Fig 3.1 Domain of investigation: Cognition and culture/ socio-spatial relationship –
vehicle of investigation: Narrative (discourse analysis)



4 Mental Representation, Spatial and Social Cognition
Fig 4.1 Zengping jiazhu quantu Honglou meng·啼鎮砦孃闘某醐凄叢 [Expanded and
annotated woodblock print to The Story of the Stone], Characters depicted in Space
of Da-guan Yuan in The Stone, Tongwen shuju cangban, 鋒滅緋邪異ヴ, 藻拳伐冢Д,
[藻拳], Chinese Nationalist Government period.
Fig 4.2 Han Xizai yeyan tu·軒柳哦伜亰某 [Night Entertainment of Han Xizai] by
Anonymous, copy after Gu Hongzhong•稽瘻奩‚ (circa A.D. 1100), handscroll
mounted in the hanging scroll format, ink and colour on silk. This is another
excellent example of a handscroll painting. This handscroll depicts a series of
banquet activity through the segmenting of time frame. Source: Wu Hung, The
double screen: medium and representation in Chinese painting, Chicago, IL:
University of Chicago Press, 1996, p 31. Collection of Palace Museum, Beijing, China.
Fig 4.3 Route taken by Lin Dai-yu’s initial entrance to the Jia Mansions in The Stone’s
chapter 3.
Fig 4.4 Daguan yuan zongtu·廻迎吁妛某 [Overall Painting of the Da-guan Yuan].
Painting of Da-guan Yuan showing the buildings as parts of the whole, forming the
whole. Source: “Zengping butu shitou ji”·啼鎮絢某伐忘妻域某, Shanghai Library
Collection, “Shanghai tushu guan cang” 拝研某緋劇異.



5 Socio-spatial Organisation
Fig 5.1 Layout of the Ancestral Hall, from A.D. 1602 edition of Zhu Xi’s Family

Instructions, jiali•砕浄‚7/78a. (Ebrey 1991b). Note the Chinese characters on the
screen at the back of the hall indicating the genealogical order in which the tablets
should be arranged.
Fig 5.2 Section of the painting, ‘Wedding of the Emperor Guangxu.’ Birth, Wedding and
Death are three life events of utmost importance to the Chinese. Hence, wedding
ceremonies were seeped in traditional rituals. This painting shows an Imperial
Wedding that included the protracted selection of the future bride and empress, the
sending of betrothal presents, the conferring of the title ‘empress’ on the bride, the
welcoming of the bride to the imperial palace, the drinking of the nuptial cup, the
receiving of congratulations from the officials and foreign emissaries, and the giving
of wedding feasts. Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing.
Fig 5.3 Bronze mountain-shaped ‘rank markers’ in the front of the Hall of Supreme
Harmony. The left-hand column gives official ranks in the Manchu script with their
Chinese equivalents on the right. This is one extreme example of denoting one’s
position in space. Source: Liu, Laurence G., Chinese architecture, London: Academy
Editions, 1989, p. 60.
Fig 5.4 Relative spatial position in the spatial concept of jian•榊‚.
Fig 5.5 The Inner (nei) and Outer (wai) Realm.
Fig 5.6 Two conceptual space diagram and their social functions. After Zhu Jianfei,
Chinese spatial strategies: imperial Beijing, 1420-1911, New York: Routledge, 2003.
Fig 5.7 Zhou jiufu tu•姙屡僑某‚ [Nine Realms of Zhou]. According to the diagram, the
degree of barbarism increases or the degree of culture deceases with the square of
the distance from the centre, this houses the royal capital of the Emperor. Source:
Hu Wei complied [Qing] 口命孰 [嶋], Yugong chuizhi tu·匳郡寇壻某, Taipei:
Taiwan Shangwu, 鮒π: 鮒毎馬薬, 1983.
Fig 5.8 An idealized diagram of a city in Kaogong ji·戎熊妻 [Record of Artificers]
Fig 5.9 Seating Layout in The Stone reflects the relative social status of the characters.
Source: Adapted from Guan Huashan 頚広農, Honglou Meng zhong de jianzhu yanjiu
·醐凄叢奩廓捌嬶腕実[Investigation into the Architecture of “Dream of the Red
Chamber”], Taipei: Jing yu xiang chuban she, 鮒π: 雫匯蘭甥ヵ矧, 1984.

Rationale of the Intangible

X

Fig 5.10 Order of the spatial concept of jian within physical space.
Fig 5.11 The order of Courtyard Spaces.
Fig 5.12 The Axis of Courtyards.
Fig 5.13 Typical residential cluster blocks, Ming and Qing Dynasties, consisted of basic
Courtyard typologies. Source: Liu, Laurence G., Chinese architecture, London:
Academy Editions, 1989, p. 174.
Fig 5.14 The hierarchy of Interior Space of Courtyards
Fig 5.15 The hierarchy of Courtyards.
Fig 5.16 Principles of Linear Relationship.
Fig 5.17 Position in Cosmos.
Fig 5.18 Houtian •倖倣‚ map of the cosmos showing the relative position
of family members and character properties associated with that
position.
Fig 5.19 Relative space of major buildings in Rong-guo Mansions formed
through the cognitive reading of space experienced by the reader of
The Stone.


6 Landscape and Narratives
Fig 6.1 Plan of the Garden of the Unsuccessful Politician, Zhuozheng Yuan•寥堽吁‚,
Suzhou. Source: Liu, Laurence G., Chinese architecture, London: Academy Editions,
1989, p. 197.
Fig 6.2 Routes in/around the Da-guan Yuan and their relationships formed through the
cognitive reading of space experienced by the reader of The Stone.
Fig 6.3 Detail of the handscroll painting by Wang Hui (circa A.D. 1632 – 1717) et al. ‘The

Emperor Kangxi’s tour of the South. Example of a handscroll painting that is viewed
by segments. Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing.
Fig 6.4 An aerial photograph of the Forbidden City, Beijing. A strong, insistent axis cuts
through the Beijing. Source: Hou Renzhi 鯉突壗, Beijing lishi ditu ji (erji)·π蒔埴蛤
額某魂(毅魂)[Collection of Beijing Historic Maps], Beijing: Beijing chubanshe, π蒔:
π蒔甥ヵ矧, 1997.
Fig 6.5 Ritual Vessels, ding•刊‚and gui•鯢‚of varying sizes in proportion found from
the tomb of Marquis Yi. It is also a ‘grammar’ signifier at a higher level, alluding to
Wang Sunman’s迄葡箭 speech “Wending qingzhong”·麺刊塘姆[Response to the
Weight of Tripods], signifying the importance of virtues of rulers, and hence the
status of the owners. Source: Ledderose, Lothar, Ten thousand things: module and
mass production in Chinese art, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000, p
47. And, Rawson, Jessica (Ed.), The British Museum book of Chinese art, London:
Published for the Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Press, 1992, p
351 – 352.
Fig 6.6 Liuli wa gejian fentu·嵩蝕魔串撮休某 [Glazed roof tile components —
grammar]. Illustration extracted from Qingshi yingzao zeli tuban – ershi·嶋叛冽喙啾
植某ヵ – 毅髪. Roof tile components as part of the whole. Source: Liang Sicheng,
Liang Sicheng quanji·申豹洩闘魂[Complete works of Liang Sicheng], Beijing:
Zhongguo jianzhu gongye chubanshe, π蒔: 奩拳捌嬶熊倔甥ヵ矧, 2001, vol. 6, p 112.



7 The Understanding of Space Conception
Fig 7.1 Perceptual Field showing the inter-networking relationships between Progression,
Order, Form and Variation.
Fig 7.2 Progression between objects – navigation through space – informal versus formal
Fig 7.3 The psychological harmonization/normalization conceptual process between an
individual and his/her environment.
Fig 7.4 Cognitive System incorporating the Harmonization/Normalization process of the

Perceptual Field relationships.
Fig 7.5 Active cogitating paradigm of harmonization/normalization conception, which has
accretive discursive responses or feedback, cumulating a harmonised picture of the
whole
Fig 7.6 Suggested Plan of Naiad’s House – Residence of Lin Dai-yu in Da-guan Yuan
showing its simple but elegant organisation of space.


Rationale of the Intangible

XI

Summary

This research attempts to study the concepts of physical space, and investigates
the conception of space as understood in Chinese society. Furthermore, it attempts
to discover the underlying mechanism of reasoning, of how spaces are put together
as a formal structure, producing pieces of architecture with critical, cultural and
philosophical meanings. The way that space is treated, or rather the problems of
the concepts of space involve a number of problematic features that is still in need
of clarification, exacerbated by cultural differences.

This research subscribes to the theory that different conception of space arises,
due to spatial status differences, conceptual relations differences, viewpoint
differences, as well as differences in modes of thought, have different significance
in terms of relationship to the perceivable space. As such, spatial imagery from the
imagining of textual analysis becomes a dominant yet flexible tool. Just as spatial
conceptions are expressed through physical manifestation as architecture, it is
useful to understand the conceptual framework of how design objects are
produced. This work begins with textual analysis of a classic epic, The Story of the

Stone; (Honglou Meng · 醐 凄 叢  , HLM, henceforth The Stone), where the
intermingling of theoretical principles concerning decorum, mimesis and invention
traditionally shared by all arts will shed light on how a culture conceives space.

In The Stone, dissonances of cognitive elements are used to depict space, through
the change of actions or feelings that elements represent — behavioural cognitive
element and/or changed by changing the situation the element represents —
environmental cognitive element. If the elements are impossible to remove or
change, the magnitude can/will need to be changed by adding new cognitive
elements. This work is particularly interested in this logic of reasoning in the
construction of space, which is still in line both metaphorically and physically the
relationship to the two components of space: architectural space and
social/cultural space. Attempting further than the simple knowledge base of
precedents of classical Chinese, The Stone proffers a system of rules for designing
with precedents.
1






Part I — Frames & Constraints in Reasoning &
Framework of Research


1 Introduction


The introductory chapter defines and describes the background, the problematical

issues and the specific questions with which these issues have been addressed in
the present research. The criteria of relevance are clarified: why is this interesting
to study? The work encompasses a comprehensive coverage of areas with an
analytical focus upon space and spatial arrangement. The work concerns The Story
of the Stone, (Dream of the Red Chamber; Honglou Meng, HLM · 醐 凄 叢 
thereafter The Stone) by Cao Xueqin•胃婁党‚in many important areas (social,
tradition, and existential), wherein for each instance, questions of spatial
conception — design, arrangement and usage — are raised and explored. More
specifically, the search for spatial patterns and arrangements in The Stone is
conducted through the exploration of the relationships or aspects of cognitive
elements (dissonances) responsible for spatial conception in The Stone.


The Chinese attitudes toward architecture can be observed through their
perception of architecture in building texts. In Ruitenbeek’s Carpentry and
building in late imperial China: a study of the fifteenth century carpenter's
manual Lu Ban jing, he considered the Chinese attitude towards architecture as
having “technical and non-technical” aspects (Ruitenbeek 1993: 4 – 5). The
‘technical’ constituent, emphasising the material aspects of architecture that
concentrate on the issues of visual style, construction, and ornamentation, is
widely studied by architectural historians. On the other hand, the ‘non-technical’
constituent is generally neglected. It is not an exaggeration to say that the very
idea of architecture is built upon the idea of the conception of space. Perception
and thus conception varies from culture to culture. Conception is convoluted.
1 Introduction/Research Background

2

Therefore, what does the Chinese conception of space mean? Is the conception of
space universal or diverse? Are there differences in the conceptual system or

cognition? Can a specific culture, such as the Chinese, develop a unique conception
of space that manifests itself in their design objects? This research addresses this
question of space in the social context of design. More specifically, it examines the
relationships that socially framed and imposed deixis may perform in constraining
reasoning in the domains of architecture.


1.1 Chinese construction of Nature
This work begins by asking ourselves our assumptions about the Chinese. The first
step is to ask, “Who are the Chinese?” Linguistically speaking, the Chinese share a
language — Mandarin — and a written script. More importantly, they share the
same geographical landscape. The Chinese live in a continental country known as
China today. To the ancient Chinese, China stood at the centre of the world, with
fascinating terrain and a multitude of sites speaking of a rich and complicated
civilization.
1
China’s conception of its position has engendered phrases such as
tianxia•倣妖‚, ‘land under the sky’ and sihai zhi nei •蒜研壗苔‚, ‘within the
four seas’ as the physical embodiment of the world (Fung Yu-lan 1976; cf. Idem
1952). Furthermore, the landscape or even the world is known as shanshui•農姫‚
or literally ‘mountains and waters’ as mountains, hills and highlands cover about
sixty-six percent of the nation’s territory. Mountains were perceived as living
entities; they were the embodiment of the natural order, having the largest bodies,
and popular as a locale for the manifestation of paranormal forces. At the same
time, when perceived in isolation, mountains were dynamic.
2
Nature, however

1
China has a vast territory, a population of almost 1.2 billion and 9.6 million square kilometres of land. The varied

geomorphologic characteristics of the land have created a wide diversity of qualities in the Chinese landscape.
This research however, strives to unravel the inner logic of Chinese perception by an a-historical investigation on
Chinese Culture, specifically the Han Culture.

2
“The frontiers of sea and land are always changing and moving, mountains suddenly arise and rivers are sunk and
drown.” Zhu Xi (cf. J. Needham 1954: 598 vol. 3)
•桧明錐桂戻僥名咼‚[Who says hills and valleys do not change position?]
Part I – Frames & Constraints in Reasoning & Framework of Research

3

when viewed holistically, is epitomized by the mountains’ material permanence
which provided a stark contrast against the transience of mankind. Consequently,
mountains also offered respite in times of difficulty as the spiritual symbol of
stability. The geographical formation of China was typically continental with a
large land mass. Hence, agriculture formed the main economic activity of the
Chinese.
3
Land, the measure of affluence in an agrarian country, was greatly
treasured. The Chinese emulated the way of sowing and reaping of their ancestors
by following their elemental agricultural experiences. The relationship with Nature
occupies a prominent position in Man’s activities since he relies on Nature for the
fulfilment of his essential needs. Hitherto, fewer cultures have been closer to
Nature than that of the Chinese.
4
Nature was much closer to man in ancient China
than it is at present (Holzman 1996: 26). So, it is not surprising to find this close
affinity to the land expressed in an ancient folksong celebrating agriculture,
Xianqin shige·曜奴溌矩— Jirang ge·撈特矩 [Ground-Thumping Song]:

•敦甥既崘, 敦南既優;
撈識既冕, 屈呆既閥;
笠食袿盲狐辨咼.‚
[When the sun comes up we work,
when the sun goes down we rest.
We dig a well to drink,
plow the fields to eat –
the Emperor and his might – what are they to us!]
Anonymous, trans. Burton Watson
(Mair 2000: 242)



•夬歌金泊僥名‚[on reaching this spot, heights and depths changed position.]
(Ward, Julian 2001: 157 – 158; Xu 麗護峩 1993: 859, 294)

3
This idea has been systematically outlined the connection of man and nature and agriculture (Fung Yu-lan 1976;
cf. Li, Dun Jen 1978; Graham 1989).

4
The Chinese started to move away from the mysticism of pagan religion during the Zhou Dynasty•姙渦‚ (circa
1066 – 256 B.C.), slowly understanding the workings of Nature, embracing Nature, evident in the Book of Odes,
Shijing·溌式, or Lisao·嬢祢 (Xu 麗況迎 1998: 225 – 226).

1 Introduction/Research Background

4

Agriculture leads to the evolution of cultivation practices and the classification of
Nature in the categorization of seeds, plants, land — landforms, fertility, et cetera
— and seasonal planting. These important elements of the food supply system
further develop the systems of trading, cities and more. In the process of
classification and categorization, the Chinese progressively developed and
manipulated their conception of the world through perception.


1.2 Problematique — The notion and conception of space
Why should the concept of space hold the crucial key to the development of
architecture in the twentieth and twenty-first century and possibly the future? It is
the capacity of space to be categorized as both abstract (intangible) mathematical
and physical concrete (tangible), or philosophical and phenomenological, both of
which constitutes a construction in the mind (intangible), a construction in the
physical world (tangible), as well as a construction of the way we think and
conceive the world (rationale of the intangible) (cf. Ruitenbeek 1993; Idema 1995;
Shonfield 2000). However, this “capacity” complicates matters. Is space the
struggle to see or locate objects, in the process, objects defining their boundaries
(the “what”) or it is a space that contains everything — coordinates — (the
“where”) as well as the space between the “what”? The “where” specifies the
relationships of continuity of objects, while the “what” defines objects. Let us first
give an example to illustrate this complication in The Stone.

•勁林仁Δ敦 勁万鑓林, 鮎眼吮 岶仁倡這壗額, 皿孩
枚抜, з劉妖卜甥逃仁.‚
[After being carried for what seemed a very great length
of time … on the north front of the east-west street …
the chair proceeded some distance more down the
street … after traversing the distance of a bow-shot
inside, half turned a corner and set the chair down.]

(HLM I.3.37; SS I.3.87–88)


Part I – Frames & Constraints in Reasoning & Framework of Research

5

Here, the account attempted to show what it ‘meant’ or ‘felt like’ to be carried
over “a very great length of time” and “some distance more” is complicated by
Cao Xueqin’s further description of distance as being that of “a bow-shot”. This is
further exacerbated with cartographic directional markers such as ‘front’, ‘back’,
‘left’, ‘right’ as well as cardinal points, ‘North’, ‘South’, ‘East’ and ‘West.’ The
reader must be careful to differentiate how far one ‘feels’ he/she have travelled
(space as a psychological construct) from the actual distance covered, in this
example, by the carrier (space as an entity). How can one overcome such
complications and, possibly, confusion?

The research should therefore begin by clarifying the term spatial representation.
By this the research intends a format or level of mental representation that encode
the properties of objects in the world and the relationships amongst them in space.
For the reason that spatial information can be derived from vision, auditory
localization, and haptic (touch) faculty, it demands a format that is not modality-
specific. Therefore, that is, this representation is neither visual nor haptic nor
aural, but spatial (cf. Jackendoff & Landau 1992 & 1993). With its “capacity” in
mind, space is about the process from abstraction by means of representation to
the construction of objects. Space is hence defined in this research as “a mental
organiser of process” which distinguishes architectural space from distances
between objects; one is the way space is arrived at or designed and the other is in
the properties of the object. The conception of space is the understanding of the
mental organization of objects and forms, thereby understanding the mental

organization of architecture which is to say that this work is concerned about the
“what” and the “where”.

In this research, I have drawn upon such cognitive based understanding of spatial
system. This will give us a much better understanding on the complexities of
human diversity in spatial conceptions and the investigation specific to the Chinese
context in the conceptual systems of narrative representation to reveal the
1 Introduction/Research Background

6

underlying patterns of spatial reasoning in late imperial China.
5
The research
begins with the goal of using evidence from a classic text (language) to provide
insight into the nature of spatial cognition, in particular to help understand how
one represents objects and places in space. How does one talk or write about what
one sees? How does one’s mind encode spatial and linguistic information? In
addition, what are their corresponding relationships? What is the relationship
between the “what” and the “where”? A number of theoretical themes and bases
emerge from the discipline of cognitive science. Spatial cognition is most likely the
earliest domain of systematic cross-modal cognition. Like Jackendoff, there is a
reassertion of the value in researching into the mind. Namely, in terms of “formal
symbolic descriptions of information structures” whose importance is in its
expressive power of formalism (Jackendoff 1992: vii). Formal descriptions allow
one to see if what one claims for a mental capacity can be truly accomplished.
Moreover, if the resources of a mental capacity can be suitably limited, the
intention to adopt such a system hinges on its pragmatic usefulness in explaining
the nature of spatial conception as design knowledge, in a cultural context.

Hence, it is pertinent to keep the following questions in mind: Do Chinese
comprehend space uniquely because of a difference in conceptual system (rule
system: Institution, convention, habit) or is there a fundamental cognitive (innate)
difference in its conception? What are the conventions used in representation
(narrative) pertaining to the domains investigated? How do such conventions relate
to the human spatial cognitive ability? In what ways is this pragmatic useful in the
socio-economical context?



5
Most of the literature on spatial conception is predominantly based on cognitive science, psychology and
neurophysiology of Western subjects. Theories that have come from this narrow base often deviate from the
picture presented here even though this research relies on the framework of Cognitive Scientist/Linguist,
Jackendoff and Landau.
(cf. Jackendoff 1997, 1996, 1992; Landau 1994a; Jackendoff & Landau 1991, 1993).

Part I – Frames & Constraints in Reasoning & Framework of Research

7

1.3 A Philosophical overview of space in the Chinese context
How do the Chinese view/experience space? Foremost, space is ‘empty.’ Space is
rendered as an ontological necessity in the Chinese context represented by the
character xu • 隷 ‚. It has its pictographic origin in the drawing of the gap
between two mountains.
6
The Wei Dynasty (circa A.D. 220 – 265) glossary the
Guang Ya·傑枠
7

, stated: “‘xu’ means ‘empty’” (Zhang 囀俾 et al 1984: 釆慱尿).

•夭隷混, 匪宍髀‚
[The (state of) vacancy should be brought to the utmost
degree, and that of stillness guarded with unwearying
vigour.]
(Laozi 紹孱 1990: Laozi 16; Legge 1927: Laozi 16)

•湊鈎魂隷J隷坏稜噎俥‚
[Where the (proper) course is, there is freedom [Space]
from all pre-occupation; — such freedom [Space] is the
fasting of the mind.']
(Chen 嬰掲冱 1983: 117; Legge 1927: Book IV: Part I,
Section IV)


The fasting of the mind is a state that is free from the mundane worldly affairs,
away from the sensual attractions of the world. Subsequently, in the late Warring
States and early Han period, space came to be understood as a cosmological
principle with writings referring xu to heaven.

•倣咏隷J額咏宍J体鮎F季G [毆]… 隷坏抹役壗反俥.‚
[Heaven is called ‘space’; earth is called ‘tranquil’; and
neither varies …
Space is the beginning of the myriad things.]
(Guan 鯨姨 1927; Rickett 1985: Guanzi 36, Techniques of
the Heart A, I: 4, 9)


6

More often than not, it is translated as “the void”, but the term “space” retains the original sense of “gap” as
well as the philosophical meaning of the void (Zhang 囀烙瀧 1989).

7
It is an important and influential compendium of ancient texts.

1 Introduction/Research Background

8


The earth is the repository of all things, whereas heaven is empty. Therefore,
heaven is described as ‘space’:
8


•匂畔坏, 妹鮎迎公匸婉, 苔鮎墮公廻汚. 畔僂鮎権公嘗拙, 鮎
劈公噴隷.‚
[When people without such internal knowledge wait to be
questioned by others in dire extremity, they show that
externally they see nothing of space and time, and
internally know nothing of the Grand Commencement.
Therefore they cannot cross over the Khwan-lun [Mount
Kunlun], nor roam in the Grand Void.'[Ultimate space]]
(Chen 嬰掲冱 1983: 妹牒2 墮π劈掛毅髪毅, 581; Legge 1927:
Book XXII: Part II, Section XV)


Huainanzi also assimilates ‘space’ as one of the processes in a cosmogony:

•鈎反勣隷┰, 隷┰駁匸婉. 匸婉駁訂, 訂辨現攵. 嶋伉坏, Ω
奏既稔倣; 姆尓坏, 但奠既稔額.‚
[The Way begins in empty space; space gives rise to space-
time; space-time gives rise to qi. Qi has limits: what is
light and yang is rarefied and becomes heaven; what is
heavy and muddy congeals and becomes earth.]
(Liu 据チ 1935; Major 1993: 18 – 19)


In Huainanzi, priority is given to xu rather than qi: the term ‘empty space,’ is the
ultimate beginning; from ‘empty space’ come the dimensions of space-time; from
space-time come qi that is thus, not the origin itself. Qi separates and produces
heaven and earth. Conversely Zhang Zai 囀哦, in the Song Dynasty, equates xu and
qi, giving each equal position in the hierarchy:



8
An indicator of the superlative ‘ultimate’ frequently prefixes the term ‘space.’

Part I – Frames & Constraints in Reasoning & Framework of Research

9


•訂壗灼妊勣噴隷, 劒э但釆勣姫. 墮噴隷嵯訂, 啾戻戻.‚
[The condensation and dispersal of qi in ultimate space is
like the freezing and melting of ice in water. When one
knows that ultimate space is qi then there is no
beinglessness.]

•墮隷舜嵯訂, 啾辨戻冦要, 粕慌臨臓褒倡戻毅.‚
[When one realizes that space and emptiness are qi, then
‘being’ and ‘beingless’, the hidden and manifest, the
wondrous and transformation, human nature and destiny
are seen as one and not as separate things.]

•匂明隷貸駁訂, 啾隷戻淘, 訂辨浴, 墓剔斐需, 南紹頒辨駁戻
屬鴇壗折…‚
[If one says that space can generate qi, then space would
be limitless, qi limited; space would be substance; qi its
function; each radically different from the other. This
would be to fall into Laozi’s theory of natural spontaneity
by which being is generated from beingless ]
(Zhang 囀哦 1983: Siku quanshu 697,·塒遡-噴湖; Kasoff
1984)


Zhang Zai was critical of Laozi and Huainanzi’s idea that space produces qi. Zhang
Zai believed that space is not a pure vacuum; space is the state of qi when it is
diffuse and not yet congealed. This tradition/view is supported latter by Wang
Tingxiang 迄縫翼 and Wang Fuzhi 迄虚壗 (circa A.D. 1619—1692):

•倣額矛池, 曼訂刻鍵, 嶋隷戻榊, 喙慌壗曼狛俥. 辨隷嵯辨訂
; 隷鮎嬢訂, 訂鮎嬢隷, 戻復反戻復侫壗荘俥. 鮎縮墮貞復夬,
畦咏噴混; 鮎縮僂稔蘭, 畦咏噴隷, 喫咏囘伉壗妹辨混辨隷俥…
倣苔妹思訂, 額奩儖訂, 役隷噺思訂, 褒混拝妖喙慌壗噺墓俥.
畔畦隷庇公訂, 喫貸駁訂俥.‚
[Before heaven and earth were yet split apart, original qi
was all in a cosmic soup, clear, spacious, with no gaps. It

was the original impetus for making and transforming.
There was space and hence there was qi; space was not
independent of qi; qi was not independent of space. There
was the mystery of no beginning and no ending. It is not
possible to attain its limits, thus it is called ultimate space.
1 Introduction/Research Background

10

It is not that outside of yin and yang there is the pole or
space…
Within and without heaven all is qi; in the midst of earth is
also qi; things being abstract or concrete are all qi.
Penetrating to the peak of up and down is the reality of
making and transforming. Therefore space is dependent on
qi and cannot produce qi.]
(Wang 迄縫翼 1989: 751, 753)

•隷舜坏訂壗紳, 訂匝折戻惑既勇魅鮎倫, 啾椴刷舜隷既鮎刷
訂. 亀隷舜思訂俥. 灼啾要, 要啾椴明壗辨, 妊啾冦, 冦啾椴明
壗戻… 匂貞噺啾情唔訂奩, 訂戻喫情. 訂唔舜奩, 舜戻喫訂, 褒
倡既戻毅坏俥.‚
[Spacious emptiness is the container of qi. Qi is fine
without boundaries, minute and formless; thus people see
spacious emptiness but do not see qi. Whatever is spacious
emptiness is all qi. When gathered it is apparent; when it is
apparent then people say that it exists. When scattered
then it is hidden; when it is hidden then people say it does
not exist … As for its reality, then principle is within qi; qi
does not not have principle. Qi is within emptiness;

emptiness does not not have qi. Both are united such that
there are not two things.]
(Wang 迄虚壗 1995; Black 1989: 23)


Thus, Zhang Zai, Wang Tingxiang, and Wang Fuzhi affirmed that qi is without
beginning or end, without limit or boundary, and existing forever and proposed a
theoretical understanding of space through qi. Qi unites both space (intangible)
and physical objects (tangible).

When space is coupled with time, the cosmological concept of the totality of
phenomena in time and space is expressed as a binary set (yuzhou•匸婉‚—
modern understanding as the ‘universe’), which composed of characters that when
read separately mean ‘extension’ (yu•匸‚) and ‘duration’ (zhou•婉‚). One
could also translate it as ‘space-time,’ but ‘space’ is used to mean ‘empty space’
when translating xu. ‘Space’ as in ‘space-time’ suggests what is measurable,
whereas the more Bergsonian ‘extension-duration’ is probably nearer to the
Part I – Frames & Constraints in Reasoning & Framework of Research

11

original meaning of the term yu-zhou. Zhuangzi and Shizi used yuzhou, the Mohist
logicias used jiuhe and the Guanzi used zhouhe. Of these three expressions only
the former lasted. The combinations with jiu and he failed because the words have
too many different meanings. In Han Dynasty and later works, the formulation yu-
zhou appears.

Contrasted with xu — space as ultimate beginning, yuzhou — “extension-duration”
refers to the exteriorised consciousness of the world. It is the tangible universe.
The earliest known use of yuzhou is in one of Zhuangzi. Although, Zhuangzi does

not give an explanation of the terms, the definition of the two concepts can be
inferred from other works, such as Shizi · 発 孱  , later works of Zhuangzi,
Huainanzi·昂岱孱as well as Zhang Heng’s Ling Xian·酔欲:

•致敦咒, 留匸婉.‚
[… stand by the side of the sun and moon, and hold under
his arm all space and all time?]
(Chen 嬰掲冱 1983: 85; Legge 1927: Book II: Part I, Section
II)

•倣額蒜祇咏匸, 万携招飼咏婉‚
[Heaven, Earth and the four-poles correspond to space,
time immemorial and beyond corresponds to eon]
(Shi 発忻 1877)

紹孱咏: •万携招飼明壗婉, 蒜祇拝妖明壗匸.‚·昂岱孱󰊥
廷冨聾鋒.·斈孱󰊥窟忍横牒釆滅冤·尿易儖咄: •蒜
祇拝妖稔匸, 万携招飼咏婉‚. 囀後咄: •匸壗с戻混J婉壗
肝戻淘‚
Laozi 紹孱 1990; Liu 据チ 1935; Zhang 囀後 1968)

•辨噺既戻公鴬坏, 匸俥; 辨宇既戻Д廰坏, 婉俥.‚
[… has a real existence, but it has nothing to do with
place, such is his relation to space; he has continuance,
but it has nothing to do with beginning or end, such is his
relation to time.]
(Chen 嬰掲冱 1983: 611 – 612; Legge 1927: Book XXIII: Part
III, Section I)

1 Introduction/Research Background

12

•万携招飼明壗婉, 蒜祇拝妖明壗匸.‚
[Going back to the past and coming to the present is called
“duration”; the four directions, above and below are called
“extension.”]
(Liu 据チ 1935: 廷冨聾; Zhang Dainian 2002: 148)

•匸壗с戻混, 婉壗肝戻淘.‚
[The measure of “extension” is without limit: the ends of
“duration” are infinite.]
(Ma 扇拳元 1995; Zhang Dainian 2002: 148)


Commenting on Zhuangzi, both Guo Xiang•懸蘭‚and Guo Qingfan•懸棟記‚
noted that although heaven and earth are limited, the concepts “extension-
duration” are without limit. A logical analysis of the terms is also elucidated in the
Mohist Canons. (The term used for duration in these canons is jiu•柴‚rather than
zhou•婉‚, their definitions are similar) and in the Guanzi there is a chapter
titled Zhou-he·婉糊, the All Embracing Unity. Zhou-he is what embraces heaven,
earth, and the myriad things in the world:

•匸婉辨蒜祇拝妖既蒜祇拝妖矛辨淘鴬. 匸婉辨携飼壗宇戻混
.‚
[“Extension” is the four directions, above and below, and
the four directions, above and below, are without limit.
“Duration” is what perdures from the past to the present
and neither in past nor in present does it have a limit.]

(Guo 懸蘭 1978: Vol 3 斈孱魂糸; Zhang Dainian 2002: 148)

•·尿易咄: 蒜祇拝妖稔匸, 匸芙辨噺既戻勧鴬縮当俥.·
尿易咄: 万携招飼咏婉. … 婉芙辨啼宇儖鮎墮貞反測復夬坏
俥.‚
[The Three Cang says, “The four directions, above and
below are “extension.” Although extension is real it does
not have a fixed place in which it can be found.” The Three
Cang says, “going back to the past and coming up to the
present is called “duration.” … Although duration increases
in time one cannot know its beginning nor yet its ending.”]
(Guo 懸棟記 1995; Zhang Dainian 2002: 148)