Why Are Roof Corners On Chinese Buildings Curved Upward

This is a traditional chinese architectural style.

Why are roof corners on chinese buildings curved upward.

A curved roof with overhanging eaves which a wooden skeleton supports. Subject to building materials ancient chinese architecture is dominated by wood. It s called flying eaves 飞檐 a very light and wonderful name. At the corners of the roof dougong would be visible and on some important buildings they were painted.

The upturned eaves on roof corners are the most identifiable mark of chinese roof architecture. The roof is one of chinese architecture s greatest glories. This kind of architecture is very scientific and practical in some part of china there is a heavy rainfall throught the year the curved roofs make the rain fall down on the ground easily and keep. The development of curve the ancient chinese would also begin to curve the relatively straight profile of their temple roofs until the 6 th century a d when they developed the upward point of the roof s outer corners.

Zhuozheng garden in suzhou the upturned roof edge in china had the practical effect of admitting the maximum amount of slanting winter sunlight and the minimum amount of downpouring summer light www pasadena edu. Ancient chinese temple roofs. The upturned roof design appeared during the han dynasty 206 bc 220 ad and were the standard type used until the song dynasty 960 1279. Terimukuri curves first appeared in japanese architecture at the end of the ninth century as kara hafu chinese style gables.

The harmonious blending of these two types of curves is the terimukuri style of roof seen on many japanese shrines and temples as well as on mikoshi portable shrines and hearses. In order to prevent rainwater from eroding buildi. The roofs in both of the above photos show what liang ssu ch eng in chinese architecture called the immediately outstanding feature of chinese architecture.