Shinto: The First Gate Before the Mausoleum

A gigantic stone archway (paifang) standing at the beginning of a tomb's spirit path. It is a five-bay, six-pillar, eleven-roof structure, entirely carved from white Han white jade, on a very large scale. Its position defines the starting point of the entire axis: after passing through it, there is a straight and long stone slab spirit path, with stone beasts and stone figures symmetrically arranged on both sides, progressing in sequence, with the tomb complex at the farthest end. Because the line of sight is framed by the archway's bays, the depth of the entire axis is enhanced. The archway itself has no doors, serving only as a boundary to be crossed, marking the transition from the secular into the realm of sacrifice. The surroundings are open grassland and rows of pines and cypresses. There is a light mist in the early morning. Avoid: adding doors and walls to make it a solid gate, disrupting the straightness and symmetry of the axis behind it, placing the archway outside the axis, using colorful glazed tiles and painted decorations.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一座立在陵墓神道起點的巨型石牌坊。形制是五間六柱十一樓,全部以白色的漢白玉雕成,尺度極大。它的位置決定了整條軸線的起點:穿過它之後是一條筆直而漫長的石板神道,兩側對稱地排列著石獸與石人,依序遞進,最遠處是陵墓的建築群。因為視線被牌坊的開間框住,整條軸線的縱深被強化。牌坊本身沒有門扇,只是一道穿越的界線,標示從世俗進入祭祀的領域。周邊是開闊的草地與成排的松柏。清晨有薄霧。避免:加入門扇與圍牆讓它變成實體的門、破壞後方軸線的筆直與對稱、把牌坊放在軸線之外、使用彩色的琉璃與彩畫。