The Model and Strategic Design of Taoist Chinese Temples Built in the 19th Century in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Abstract

Abstract Chinese Taoist temples feature distinctive architecture styles which signify Chinese descendants. Majority of these authentic designs are inherited and imitated from ancient China c. 1600–221 BC ( the Shang dynasty (商朝) c.1600-1046 BCE and Zhou dynasty (周朝) 1046-256 BC), particularly with regard to Geomancy or feng shui (风水). This paper aimed to investigate the design typology, model, and strategic design of Chinese Taoist temples constructed in the 19th century in Malaysia. Ten temples were selected for analysis, and these samples were assessed qualitatively under consolidation of building model for analyzation. Results revealed that none of the buildings formed a quadrangle; instead, these building models were merely strategized in either a rectangular or a square shape. This could be due to the topological features and scales of the buildings. The results also showed that all the sample buildings attempted to compromise the theory of quadrangle, which is a good mechanism for air ventilation. Only half of the sample buildings achieved the scientific theory of ‘efficient pollutant clearance’ for maintaining air quality within the interior of the buildings as the remaining 50% of the building samples did not have a water outlet built within the parameter of their courtyards. The findings suggest that the owners of these buildings may not have an in-depth understanding of the principle of ‘quadrangle’. Therefore, the author suggests that a model of design typology must be clearly formulated in order to conceptualize a better interior environment for Chinese Taoist temples.