Why Are Chinese Houses Curved Roofs

Many flat roofs experience leaking problems because of poor drainage so ongoing maintenance is important.

Why are chinese houses curved roofs.

If evil spirits were to descend from the sky for instance they would hit the roofs and be sent shooting back up and away however gods were also inspired to descend onto earth by the color black. The upturned eaves on roof corners are the most identifiable mark of chinese roof architecture. The multiple roofs have the edges. Asian roofs are gently curved out at the corners in order to allow more light to enter the windows in winter and provide extra shade in the summer.

To see a picture of a chinese house go on google images and search chinese houses or traditional chinese houses. The roofs in both of the above photos show what liang ssu ch eng in chinese architecture called the immediately outstanding feature of chinese architecture. Create a clean and professional home studio setup. And that s why chinese roofs are curved supposedly.

Some say the curved upturned roof in chinese architecture originated out of buddhism and its ancient principles of warding off evil with curves. I m not sure what happens when the straight line spirits hit the curvy roof but i like to think they slide along the curve and fly right off the end and also that they go wheeeeeeeeeee while doing it. Chinese architecture demonstrates an architectural style that developed over millennia in china before spreading out to influence architecture throughout east asia since the solidification of the style in the early imperial period the structural principles of chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged the main changes being only the decorative details. A curved roof with overhanging eaves which a wooden skeleton supports.

Why do some chinese houses have curved roofs. This is strikingly different from most western roofing systems they put a lot of stress on the outer walls. It s easier to put a sloped roof on a. The upturned roof design appeared during the han dynasty 206 bc 220 ad and were the standard type used until the song dynasty 960 1279.

Flat roofs require more maintenance to make sure seals remain watertight.