Why is China's traditional step also called?

There are many kinds and names of steps in ancient houses in China. Stepped steps are called "treading" or "treading", and ramps are called "inclined steps". The steps in ancient Han buildings are generally made of bricks or stone strips, which are placed between the abutment and the outdoor ground. It was called "stepping on the road" in the Song Dynasty and "stomping" in the Qing Dynasty.

Sometimes for the convenience of getting up and down, the ramp deliberately slows down and uses a zigzag ramp instead of stamping, which is called "chin". Cars and horses are convenient to pass, and the ramp is gentle and comfortable.

Steps play a very important role in ancient architecture. China's culture is profound, and China has been a country of etiquette since ancient times, and everything has to pay attention to etiquette, so the steps of ancient buildings have also been given many regulations. In the Book of Changes, the number of steps is specified as odd number is positive and even number is negative, that is to say, odd number is positive and even number is negative, while the houses we usually live in are generally positive, and the number of steps in ancient times is odd number, including 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The higher the number, the higher the level.

In feudal society, the number of steps is also a symbol of power status. Take the Forbidden City as an example. It sets different odd steps according to the state. The higher the status, the more steps you can have. The standard steps of the three halls of the Forbidden City, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Zhonghe and the Hall of Baohe are the highest, and the steps above are all 9 steps. This figure symbolizes the supremacy of the Ninth Five-Year Plan and has supreme power.

In addition to quantity, the material of the steps is also very particular. Ordinary people's steps are made of the simplest wood and mud, and slightly higher ones are made of masonry. The most advanced material is white marble, and the name alone can trace back to the preciousness of this material. Hard and easy to carve, it looks flawless as jade, and it is generally beautiful. Therefore, white marble has been a symbol of dignity since the Han Dynasty, and the steps of the Forbidden City are basically made of white marble.

According to the rank, the number of vertical treads/steps also depends on the rank of the house owner.