What was the memorial archway used for in ancient times?

In the residential areas of primitive society, in order to guard against attacks by wild animals or outsiders, ancestors built trenches around their houses to enhance their defense capabilities. Simple protective facilities such as defensive walls can be seen in Banpo site unearthed in Xi 'an. Then there is always a gap in people's access, and this gap has gradually become the door to access. If it's a door, there must be a sign. Therefore, from primitive society to slavery era, two pillars were erected at the gate, and if there were pillars, beams would be made, thus gradually forming the ancient Hengmen, which is the simplest gate in China.

Take out the horizontal gate to make a door, or three doors, and it will become a memorial archway. Then it is made of masonry materials, which becomes a kind of archway, which is more complicated. Memorial archway is a symbol that sets off architecture, scenery and ceremonies, and is used on the front of public places. Its uses are as follows: first, it is used to decorate and beautify the environment; Secondly, in order to increase the architectural atmosphere, as an important building in front of the sketch building, it is a foil to the formal hall; Third, as a sign, on the road, turn and end, and build archways in important street locations; Fourth, it can also be used to set a good example for the promotion, harmony and observance of feudal society, and to set an example of a big archway among the masses.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the archway gradually developed. The archway was built with a wall and a doorway for painting was left on the roof, which was mainly a way to imitate the wooden structure. Some of them are made of stone, some of them are made of wood, and the archway in front of the royal temple is made of glass, which is particularly brilliant. It turns out that China has archways in Quanzhou and Yandang Mountain, and these two towns have archways street, and yi county has archways street. Each street has more than 20 archways, which are built in rows. There are archways in general towns, such as Dongsi in Beijing, that is, there are four archways at Lidong intersection, called Dongsi archway; Dongdan and Xidan are also crossroads, and archways are built in the north-south direction, which are called Dongdan archway and Xidan archway; The archway outside Qianmen Street and so on.

In the Central Cross Street in Daren County, Shanxi Province, there is an archway, and there are four archways on each street corner. No matter which direction you come from, east, west, north and south, you won't know that you have come to the street until you see the archway on the corner.

In public buildings, archways, monasteries and temples are also built in front of or in the gate, which is the same as cemetery buildings. Generally speaking, the gate should be built in front of the Confucius Temple. In fact, this gate is also a kind of archway. The archway, also called the arch, is one of a group of large buildings. It is built outside the mountain gate, facing the mountain gate, so it has symbolic significance. The archway marks the existence of large buildings and shows its majesty.