Chinese pagodas: The secret of their curved roof design

Curved roof corners are characteristic not only of Buddhism, but also of other religious and ritual buildings in China, such as the roofs of Taoist temples, imperial palaces, and even Muslim mosques. Moreover, this architectural element is found in gazebos, ritual halls, and residential buildings, both Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It is called “Fei yan” (飞檐), which literally means “flying edge” or “flying cornice”.

Why did they start to bend the roofs

There is a point of view that a curved roof drives away evil spirits. But this is rather a common belief. There is also no evidence that the architectural element is a special type of feng shui practice. However, it is known that some elements of the roof were actually intended to protect against evil spirits, such as bells that hung on curved corners, images of animals, including dragons and qilin (Chinese unicorns).

The type of “flying cornice” serves a fully functional purpose: its curved corners prevent rainwater from flowing down from all sides, thereby preventing the base of the structure from being washed away. Visit. A F R I N I K . For the full article. It is collected in special gutters, from where it carefully merges into drainage grooves.

Wide cornices on the roofs of Chinese houses appeared in ancient times. “Multi-stage” cornices were also in early pagodas, back in the 1st century. At that time, buildings were built of wood, and therefore, if the roof was not properly constructed, their foundations were quickly eroded. Moreover, rainwater flowed in through the windows and wooden walls, damaging the paint or even destroying the interior.

Therefore, the roofs overhung the building, protecting it from the rains like a wide-brimmed hat. But this design darkened the room even on a sunny day. And around the Han era (206 BC — 220 AD), an original solution was found: bend the corners up a little, as if lifting the “brim of the hat.” When, from about the sixth century, many Buddhist pagodas began to be wholly or partially built of stone, the tradition was preserved.

Are all roofs bent in the same way in China?

For some pagodas, where the lower floor is much broader than the upper one, it was useless to bend the corners of the roofs: the lower level would remain unprotected. Nevertheless, the architectural element was used: along the pediment of each level, there is a small, slightly curved upward “canopy”. For example, this is typical of the Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an City.

There are several types of bends in residential buildings. For example, in rainy areas south of the Yangtze River, a hinged gable roof is standard, which bends slightly upwards — wide cornices protect from heavy rains. But to the north, where there is less precipitation, such roofs are less common in residential buildings. But a ridge bent on both sides is used as a decorative element.

In the provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi, a single-pitched roof is standard, also slightly curved at the bottom. Snowy and windy winters occur in these areas, and houses have historically been pitched to windward to provide greater protection from bad weather.