Why did ancient Chinese buildings use wood?

There are many reasons:

1. Before the Shang and Zhou dynasties: productivity was low and it was difficult for tools to mine materials other than wood. In addition, China was extremely rich in water resources at this time and wood was easy to transport, so it was It is widely used in various populated areas.

2. Zhou Dynasty ~ Sui Dynasty: wars were frequent, farmers had less fixed farmland, and most of them were refugees. The wood was widely distributed, easy to build, and had good earthquake resistance. In addition, refugees needed to cut down trees. Forests were used to create fields, and wood became the main body of buildings.

3. After the Sui Dynasty, society became relatively stable, but the gap between rich and poor classes increased. The cost of wood, bricks and mud was relatively low. In addition, the woodworking technology was relatively mature, and wood catered to market needs.

4. The widespread use of wood has suppressed the use and exploration of other materials. The use of stone has been relatively common during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. However, due to frequent wars, national allocation of quarries, and transportation costs, stone The use of stone has become an intuitive manifestation of the distinction between rich and poor, forcing the masses to give up using stone as building materials. Stone in China is actually very widely used, but it lost the market and eventually became a sculpture material and a symbol of power and wealth.

5. Wooden structure technology is advanced. Mortise and tenon structure appeared very early in China, so it is natural to use mature wooden structure. However, China’s stone structure technology has been successfully used in the construction of cemeteries. play.

6. Adapt measures to local conditions. China has been rich in products since ancient times, with large wood output and easy processing. Wood was naturally chosen. This statement is particularly valuable when compared with Roman architecture. Roman soil is easy to process. Primitive cement, so Roman stone structures had good adhesives (China used things like rice paste... paste).

7. According to cultural theory, among the five elements, wood is the most valuable, so complex mortise and tenon joints are preferred to iron nails in wooden structures (gold overcomes wood).

8. Low wood collection, transportation and construction costs. Mining a large stone from the mountain is very troublesome, including transportation, cutting, etc. Not everyone can afford it. Wood is relatively easy. Bring an ax and lead the ox. You can pull it back by going to the woods. And it’s much easier to process.

In addition, ancient China mastered the technology of firing bricks very early, burning soft soil into hard bricks. It also makes the cost-effectiveness of using block stones in general construction very low.

Extended information:

1. Compared with the masonry structure system of Western ancient buildings, Chinese ancient buildings are independent institutional systems, and their greatest characteristics are:

Mainly based on wooden structure system. The wooden structure system has many advantages: such as the separation of the maintenance structure and the supporting structure, high seismic resistance, easy access to materials, fast construction, etc. At the same time, wooden structures also have many disadvantages: they are susceptible to fire, termite erosion, rain corrosion, and do not last as long as masonry buildings.

Finished wood is in short supply due to the increase in construction volume; it is difficult for the beam frame system to realize complex building spaces. However, there are also a small number of masonry and metal buildings in ancient Chinese architecture.

For example, "Historical Records Suoyin" states: "The stone chambers and golden cabinets are all the national book collection places."; For example, there are many records in "Shui Jing Zhu", "Weishui Chapter": "_Xi There is a stone room next to it, which was built as the residence of the Grand Duke." Masonry structures are mostly used in tower buildings. Metal buildings are mainly made of copper. Famous examples of copper buildings include Baoyun Pavilion in the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Golden Palace of Wudang Mountain in Hubei, and the Golden Palace of Taihe Palace in Kunming.

2. The Chinese wooden structure system has always adopted the structural principle of the frame system: four columns, plus cross beams and vertical beams to form a "room". Generally, buildings are composed of an odd number of rooms, such as three, five, and Seven or nine rooms. The more bays there are, the higher the level. The Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City has eleven bays and is the highest-level ancient wooden building in existence.

The facade is divided into three parts: platform, body and roof. Among them, the large roofs of official-style buildings with far-reaching overhangs are the most important part of the architectural shape. According to the grade, the roof forms are divided into: single slope, flat roof, hard hill, hanging hill, verandah, resting hill, rolled shed, piled peak, double eaves, helmet top and other styles, with double eaves verandah being the highest. grade.

3. The bucket is a key component in the Chinese wooden structure. Its function is to extend the cantilever beam on the column to support the weight of the eaves.

4. Unique exterior outline: multi-layer platform, brightly colored curved sloped roof, courtyard-style building complex, showing a vast sky. Brick paintings of Han tombs more than 2,000 years ago already showed courtyard buildings, and the Forbidden City, the largest architectural complex in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, also adopted complex enclosure forms.

5. In terms of architectural ideas, ancient Chinese architecture embodies clear etiquette ideas and pays attention to hierarchy: shape, color, scale, structure, components, etc. are all strictly regulated, which has been improved to a certain extent. Architectural form, but it also limits the development of architecture.

At the same time, the idea of ​​unity of nature and man is also reflected in the development process of ancient Chinese architecture, promoting the mutual coordination and integration of architecture and nature. Pay attention to architecture and city site selection; adapt to local conditions when building, and take advantage of the mountains and terrain, especially in gardens, with an emphasis on Feng Shui.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia--Ancient Chinese Architecture