Research on the Characteristics of Timber Frames of Tingtang in Residences of Ming and Qing Dynasties in Shanghai

ABSTRACT

The majority of research on residential architecture of Shanghai has focused on modern Shikumen. While in Shanghai, there are more than seventy representative residential buildings of Ming and Qing Dynasties, which demonstrate great achievements in technology and art; few efforts have been made on them. Via literature research and on-site investigation, this article contributes to the investigation of timber frames of tingtang of Ming and Qing residences in Shanghai. It studies the characteristics and influential mechanism from three aspects. First, it reviews the history of residences development in Shanghai. Second, it interprets the establishment of the timber frame style. Through-jointed frame in ancient Wu Area was influenced by the space need and the Central Plains’ raised-beam frame. It finally evolved into “zhengtie raised-beam frame + biantie through-jointed frame” style by Xiangshan Bang carpenters. Third, the article discusses the regional characteristics of being material economic and flexible collocation, which reflects the local customs. The study clarifies the importance of social background influence on timber frames of tingtang of Ming and Qing residences in Shanghai. It is one of the series of architectural studies in Jiangnan region, and appeals for more attention to the protection and maintenance of traditional architectures in Shanghai.

KEYWORDS:

• timber frame
• tingtang
• Ming and Qing dynasties
• Shanghai
• traditional Chinese architecture

Notes

¹ This article uses some Chinese pinyin instead of English phrases in order to follow the original meaning of the words. A pinyin-English glossary is provided here for reference.

Table

² Related works include four types: ①comprehensive description and preliminary research of Shanghai residences, such as: Shanghai Urban Construction Archives (2005) Shanghai traditional residences. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Fine Arts Publishing House; ②description of residences’ examples, such as Lou and Xue (2008); ③research on the folk customs in residences, such as: Hou (2000); and ④Ming-Qing residences mentioned in the research of Shanghai residences, such as: Wu, Wang, and Yan (2016).

³ The description of the importance of timber frame; see Liang (2006, 09) Building standards of Qing Dynasty. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, April first edition: “In terms of skill, through the most arduous efforts, the most complex evolution, the most successful part of science and aesthetics is column-beam system supporting the roof, which is all wooden skeleton, which is the key to the study of Chinese architecture.”

⁴ <Yingzao fashi> and <Gong Cheng Zuo Fa Ze Li> were, respectively, written in the Song Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. Both of them are Chinese official architectural codes that had an important impact on the Chinese traditional architectures. They were called as the “two Grammar textbooks of Chinese architecture” by Sicheng Liang.

⁵ Jiangnan region covered different geographical range in different dynasties. In this paper, Jiangnan region mainly referred to eight prefectures and one county in Taihu Basin in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, namely Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Yingtian, Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Huzhou and Taicang; see Li (2003, 461–462).

⁶ The population here and below, see: Committee of Shanghai General History (2005) Shanghai general history (Book One). Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House: 662 .

⁷ In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Jiangnan region was the economical and cultural center of the whole country, and Suzhou was the most developed city in Jiangnan region. Suzhou’s economic and cultural level ranked the forefront of the country. From this title, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were still some gaps between Shanghai and Suzhou.

⁸ Zhu (2015).

⁹ Wu area was the territory of State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period from 770 B.C. to 476 B.C. In this paper, it generally refers to Jiangnan water town of lower Yangtze River and Taihu waterfront, including Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Ningbo, Zhengjiang, Hangzhou, Jiaxing, Huzhou, and Shanghai, the name called today; see Wang (2008).

¹⁰ Relevant regulations included in <Da mingling>, <Ming. Yu fuzhi>; see Fu (2012).

¹¹ Wentian Zhang, in the late Qing Dynasty, the plan of tingtang in his residence has seven bays (including side rooms). But the appearance is still three-bay tingtang.

¹² “Tie” is equivalent to the timber frame saw from cross-section, “zhengtie” is in the center of the building, and “biantie” is at the side of the gable; see Cai (2016).

¹³ In addition, <Yingzao fashi> promulgated in the Northern Song Dynasty as a nationwide building standard system, influenced Jiangnan residences and Shanghai residences to a certain extent; see Zhang (2015).

¹⁴ The relation between Xiangshan Bang and traditional architectures in Shanghai can refer to Jiang and Cai (2015).

¹⁵ <Yingzao fayuan> is not only a monograph describing the traditional architecture in Jiangnan region, but also a summary on construction techniques of Xiangshan Bang.

¹⁶ Some building elements of zhengtie include “sanbu,” which is deeper than “shuangbu,” such as Chang Yuan’s Tingtang.

Additional information

Funding

This article is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China: Research on the Origin and the Mechanism of Evolution in the Jiangnan Region of Xiangshan Gang Wood Construction Technology (Project NO. 51578331).