Newsletter No. 26

CUHK Newsletter No.26 January 1992 Let's Go Visit Our Campus Landmarks What are the landmarks of the University? Have you ever visited the constructions representative of the campus and the four colleges? What do they symbolize? Do you know the stories behind them? The Entrance Pylon The University entrance is more commonly known as ‘The Four Columns'. Those obsessed with Feng Shui have said that they look like four incense sticks, while to those obsessed with Freudian theories, the columns may be telling phallic symbols. What actually do they represent? The design of the entrance is said to have been derived from ancient wood posts set up at branched paths as road signs. Though it is difficult to date exactly their origin, such posts were used as early as the Six Dynasties (AD 222-589). They became warped and were restored as dynasties rose and fell and later were modified into different types of memorial archways. In designing the University entrance, architects took into consideration the fact that the main entrance to an institution of higher learning should be dignified and free from ostentation. At the same time, it should be made of material that is resistant to weathering and easy to maintain. Granite thus became the choice. Located in a Chinese community, the entrance to The Chinese University should also bear some traces of Chinese architectural tradition. However, a total adoption of an ancient archway would seem out of place. In fact, a granite gateway modelled after a wooden archway would be structurally odd and expensive to build. In the final design, therefore, the usual cross beam and elaborate decorations found on traditional archways were omitted, but the contour of the road-sign wood posts was retained. The four resultant granite posts serve to indicate the location of the University, and the absence of iron railings between the columns highlights the University's open-door spirit and its readiness to integrate into society. 6