A Brief Study on the Application of Corinthian Columns in Jianghanguan (Hankou Customs)

Abstract

The Building of Hankou Customs, a building built in the 1920s on the riverside in Hankou in Wuhan and one once regarded as a landmark of Wuhan, has stood upright on the bank of the Yangtze River in Hankou for almost a century. She was a witness of the opening of the commercial port of Hankou, and a monument of the vicissitudes of Wuhan as well. Today’s Jianhanguan, almost submerged by the towering high-rises around, has lost its significance as a symbol of Hankou and a focus of the cultural vision. In this paper, through analysis of the artistic characteristics of architecture with Jianghanguan as a typical example, the author discussed the historical origin, popularization and application of Corinthian columns while referred to some foreign materials as well as local conditions in Wuhan. In the meantime, the author further proposed the idea that “architecture shall draw on others’ successful experience and embrace things of diverse nature”.