Characteristics of the Roof of Ancient Buildings in China

There are six kinds of roofs commonly used in wooden structures in China: hard roof, palace roof, suspended roof, rest roof, rolled roof and pyramid roof. ?

1, hard peak: the roof is divided into front and rear slopes with the middle transverse ridge as the boundary, and the left and right gables are either flush with or higher than the roof. The high gable is called the wind volcano wall, and its main function is to prevent the fire from spreading along the house when it happens. However, from the appearance, it is also quite stylish. The roof has a double slope, and the gables on both sides are flush with or slightly higher than the roof. )?

2. Roof: The roof has four slopes and five ridges. The front and rear slopes intersect to form a transverse positive ridge, and the left and right slopes intersect with the front and rear slopes to form four vertical ridges extending obliquely from both ends of the positive ridge to the four corners of the house. The eaves are slightly upturned and the slopes are slightly concave on all sides. Also known as four tops. Before the Tang Dynasty, the main ridge was short and deep on all sides, and lengthened after the Ming Dynasty. ?

3. Hanging peak: the roof has two slopes and five ridges, one positive ridge and four vertical ridges. The two ends of the main ridge extend out of the gables, and the outer edge is built along the vertical ridge flush with the ridge head to protect the sandalwood head from wind and rain. The roof has double slopes, with both sides protruding beyond the gables. The roof has one straight ridge and four vertical ridges, which is also called picking the top of the mountain. )?

4. Inclined peak: the roof is a combination of suspended roof and castellated roof, with the upper two-thirds suspended and the lower one-third castellated, thus forming the shape of four slopes and nine ridges. The nine ridges are regular ridges with four vertical ridges on the upper part, and there are four Qiang ridges between the four corners and the vertical ridges. (that is, the upper part of the four-slope roof becomes a vertical triangular wall. There is a positive ridge, four vertical ridges and four ridges, so it is also called the top of nine ridges. )?

5. shake the roof? The overall appearance is the same as that of hard mountain and hanging mountain. The only difference is that there is no obvious positive ridge, and the front slope of the house is curved back at the ridge. If the above four kinds of roofs are angular and show a kind of masculinity, then the roof of the shed has a unique curved female beauty. ?

6. Pyramid roof: It is the roof shape of circular and regular polygon buildings. Except for the circular pyramid roof with no ridge, the ridge converges from the roof and the central roof at each corner, and the slope between the ridges is slightly curved. The cornices of various roofs in the south of the Yangtze River are higher than those in the north, but the pyramid-shaped roofs are the most different, so they are called cornices. This shape is not only convenient for rain to drain, but also has a light and beautiful feeling. ?

Auspicious beast in the corner of the roof:

Kiss: Also known as Qiwei and Chyi Chin (Pinyin, Ch and W ě n, Ch and W ě i, Ch and W ě n), one of the nine sons of Longsheng, has a rough mouth and is easy to swallow. Therefore, it has become a thorn-swallowing beast at both ends of Miaoling, taking it to put out the fire and eliminate the disaster. ?

Whether the owl's tail is a bird or a legendary sea whale is still unclear. ?

It is also a beautiful hope. This dragon is shaped like a four-legged snake with its tail cut off. It looks around in dangerous places and likes to swallow fire. According to legend, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty built the Bailiang Hall, it was said that there was a kind of fish in the sea, whose tail was like an ostrich, that is, an eagle, which could splash waves and rain and avoid fire, so it was molded in the corner, roof and roof of the hall.

Laughing wind: Longsheng is the third of the nine sons. This is a close call in my life, but now the beast in the corner of the temple is its image. Mocking the wind not only symbolizes auspiciousness, beauty and majesty, but also means to deter demons and eliminate disasters. Its shape is often used as a decoration in the corner of a temple. The placement of Mockingwind makes the shape of the whole palace rigorous and changeable, achieving the harmony of solemnity and vividness, and the unity of grandeur and exquisiteness, adding a mysterious atmosphere to the towering palace. Four sentences quoted from Long (and Qian Shu): "Long gave birth to nine children, ... it was a close call to ridicule, right on the corner of the temple."