Sunday, September 7, 2008

Moon gate

A moon gate is a circular opening in a garden wall that acts as a pedestrian passageway, and a traditional architectural element in Chinese gardens. Moon Gates have many different spiritual meanings for every piece of tile on the gate and on the shape of it. The sloping roofs of the gate represent the half moon of the Chinese Summers and the tips of the tiles of the roof have talisman on the ends of them. Chinese Gardens are often used as a display of class and beauty in many different Western Cultures. Often, the Moon Gate is mistakenly thought to be a Japanese architectural structure, even though the Japanese discovered Moon Gates when they went into China. The purpose of these gates is to serve as a very inviting entrance into gardens of the rich upper class in China. The gates were originally only found in the gardens of wealthy Chinese nobles.

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