Colourful dougong suporting a structure at the Sagami temple complex

Dougong (simplified Chinese: 斗拱; traditional Chinese: 斗拱; pinyin: dǒugǒng) is a unique structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, one of the most important elements in traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean architecture. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use A bracket is an architectural member made of wood stone or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight Chinese architecture refers to a style of Architecture that has taken shape in Asia over the centuries has as long a history as any other aspect of Japanese culture. Korean architecture refers to the Built environment of Korea from c

The use of dougong first appeared in buildings of the late centuries BC and evolved into a structural network that joined pillars and columns to the frame of the roof. Dougong was widely used in the Ancient Chinese during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC) and developed into a complex set of interlocking parts by its peak in the Tang and Song periods. The Spring and Autumn Period ( was a period in Chinese history which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The pieces are fit together by joinery alone without glue or fasteners, due to the precision and quality of the carpentry. Joinery is that part of Woodworking that involves joining together pieces of wood to create furniture structures toys and other items Glue or adhesive is a compound that adheres or bonds two items together A fastener is a Hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together

After the Song Dynasty, brackets and bracket sets became more ornamental than structural when used in palatial structures and important religious buildings, no longer the traditional dougong.

Function

Diagram of bracket and cantilever arms from the building manual Yingzao Fashi

Dougong is part of the network of wooden supports essential to the timber frame structure of traditional Chinese building because the walls in these structures are not load-bearing (curtain walls), sometimes made of latticework, mud or other delicate material. The Yingzao Fashi (營造法式 'Treatise on Architectural Methods' or 'State Building Standards' is a technical treatise on architecture and craftsmanship written by the Curtain wall is a term used to describe a building Façade which does not carry any dead load from the building other than its own dead load Latticework is an ornamental, lattice Framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of Building material, usually Wood or In computer gaming, a MUD ( Multi-User Dungeon, Domain or Dimension) is a multi-player computer game that combines elements of Walls functioned to delineate spaces in the structure rather than to support weight.

Chinese system of wood brackets (Dougong) topping a column supporting a beam

Multiple interlocking bracket sets are formed by placing a large wooden block (dou) on a column to provide a solid base for the bow-shaped brackets (gong) that support the beam or another gong above it. The function of dougong is to provide increased support for the weight of the horizontal beams that span the vertical columns or pillars by transferring the weight on horizontal beams over a larger area to the vertical columns ^[1]. This process can be repeated many times, and rise many stories. Adding multiple sets of interlocking brackets or dougong reduces the amount of strain on the horizontal beams when transferring their weight to a column. Multiple dougong also allows structures to be elastic and to withstand damage from earthquakes.

During the Ming Dynasty an innovation occurred through the invention of new wooden components that aided dougong in supporting the roof. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led This allowed dougong to add a decorative element to buildings in the traditional Chinese integration of artistry and function, and bracket sets became smaller and more numerous. Brackets could be hung under eaves, giving the appearance of graceful baskets of flowers while also supporting the roof. ^[2]

The Bao'en Temple in Sichuan is a good example of the Ming style. Bao'en Temple (also known as Bao'en Monastery is a well-preserved fifteenth century Buddhist Monastery complex located in northwestern Sichuan province ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. It has forty-eight types and 2,200 sets of dougong to support and ornament it. It is a well-preserved fifteenth century monastery complex located in northwestern Sichuan province, China. ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National It was built by Wang Xi, a local chieftain, between 1440 and 1446 during Emperor Yingzong's reign (1427-64) in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). First Reign Zhu Qizhen was the son of the Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji and his Empress Sun The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led ^[3]

Footnotes

References

• Liang Ssu Ch'eng Chinese Architecture, A Pictorial History ISBN 0-486-43999-2

External links

• Dougong Brackets (斗拱 Dougong)
• 略析中国古建筑的斗拱 Dougong of ancient architecture in China (Chinese)
• Arts of China to A.D. 900 (excerpt about dougong)
• Chinese architecture