There are rows and rows of nails on the door, what to say

Door nails in ancient times, also known as "compost nails", "compost" is the meaning of bubbles on the water surface. Like water bubbles like door nails is a traditional Chinese architecture on the door of a unique decoration, usually in the palace door, government door and temple door. Majestic flat solid board door on a row of large golden nails, making the confinement of the door not only looks solid, majestic, but also presents a brilliant atmosphere, doubling the magnificent beauty of the building.

In the door on the door nails, this from the construction needs. First of all, in this board and wear belt parts nailed to the iron nail is to prevent the door plate loose. Secondly, the ancient city gate door fire prevention, in order to fix the soil used to smear the door. But the nail cap exposed, hindering the beauty, the ancients will nail cap into bubble head shape, so that the door nail both decorative features. Door nail longitudinal and horizontal are into chip, round volume of the bulge and heavy door is commensurate, enough to spectacular look.

From the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), on the door of the application of door nails. On the use of the number of door nails, before the Ming Dynasty, there is no explicit provisions, to the Qing Dynasty, the number of door nails and the hierarchy is linked. The Qing dynasty canon: "Palace door hips are Chongji, covered with yellow sulfur glass, the door set gold nails." "altar temple round mound outside the inner wall door four, all Zhu casement gold nails, vertical and horizontal each nine." Prince, county king, dukes and marquises, etc. Mansions use the number of door nails are clearly stipulated: "Prince House system, the main door of five, the door nails vertical nine horizontal seven"; "Shizi House system, the main door of five, the door nails minus Prince seven of two (minus two-sevenths)." "County King, Beilei, Beizi, Zhenguo Gong, auxiliary princes and the Shizi House with"; "public door nails vertical and horizontal are seven, below the marquis to the male decreasing to five five, all with iron." Civilian people's homes can not use door nails at all.

Additionally, the "Qing Code" for the door of the lacquer color also made provisions: the Palace and the government red lacquer door; rich family black lacquer door; civilians for the door of the color.

Gate of Hu Xueyan's former residence

From the building's gate color and door nail decorations reflect the hierarchy, so that today's people marvel at the strict hierarchy of the Qing Dynasty. However, the architectural hierarchy is not original to the Qing Dynasty, but only the inheritance and development of the feudal hierarchy.

The Tang Dynasty's hierarchy of buildings was already extremely detailed, with clear and detailed regulations on roof frames, algal wells, arches, doors and decorations. For example, "Tang six canon" stipulates, "Wang Gong below the house shall not be heavy arch algal wells, more than three items of the hall shall not be more than five nine frames, halls and mansions on both sides, the door house shall not be more than five five frames; more than five items of the hall shall not be more than three five frames, halls and mansions on both sides, the door house shall not be more than three five frames, is still through the gate for the crow's nest ------."