The traditional villages are familiar primarily as a popular motif in Chinese literature. Now they are to be shown in their full astonishing variety for the first time. The range of colours and forms of vernacular dwellings in China can be traced back over hundreds of years, the astonishing variety bearing clear topological characteristics and having been determined by a broad spectrum of historical conditions. Styles and geometric shapes ranging from the most elementary and primitive to the most lucious and colourful as well as the architectural details are all clearly illustrated. The decorative motifs employed are as varied and as fantastic as the landscape of China itself.