Is There a Mongolian Buddhist Architecture?
The Authors of Inner Mongolian Monasteries Isabelle Charleux, CNRS This paper addresses the issues of the ethnicity and ethnic style of carpenters and architects in traditional Inner Mongol society (16th–20th century) through an examination of the respective role of Mongol monks and foreign carpenters in the building monasteries, and the formation of an original Mongol style, and therefore raises the question of the very existence of a purely Mongol Buddhist architecture. The 16th century Buddhist revival and the subsequent rapid growth of the Mongol religious institution created a new demand for sedentary architecture. The Chinese carpenters already living within the Mongol princely courts built temples under the direction of Mongol or Tibetan lamas, or of lay patrons. During the Qing dynasty, Chinese carpenters and geomancers moved from Northern China to Inner Mongolia attracted by the growing demand for building specialists. Mongol carpenters, by contrast, were few, and during the M
