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Gongshu Hall, a forgotten architectural masterpiece

source:DISCOVER SHAANXI           editor:Wenny

Gongshu Hall, formerly known as Yuanyuan Hall, also known as Wanfo Hall, was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Though a seemingly ordinary rural temple, it is actually the pinnacle of the joinery work upon ancient Chinese architecture. There was this book Yingzao Fashi (Treatise on Architectural Methods or State Building Standards) in the Song Dynasty, it recorded the various categories of joinery work. Gongshu Hall definitely delivered the highest and most intact enablement of the design mentioned in this book.

According to different woodworking techniques of ancient Chinese architecture, the construction of wooden frames for houses was called the "rough wooden work"; while the decoration and wooden furniture manufacturing were called the "joinery work". The type of workers is thus divided accordingly.

Wooden work can be taken as decoration on a certain level, divided into outer-eave decoration and inner-eave decoration. The former mainly involves the outdoor work, such as the railings in the corridors, the hanging under the eaves and external doors and windows. The latter is all about indoor work, such as various partitions, covers, ceilings, and caissons.

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Techniques

The inner space of Gongshu Hall is actually very limited, so the entire woodwork is like building the Colosseum of Rome in a spiral shell.

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The design of small wooden components is in small scale, so the fineness and decorativeness must be carefully considered, hence higher craftsmanship is required. There are various pavilions in Gongshu Hall, with wonderful and non-repetitive bucket arch styles, also with multiple caissons. The wooden structure in the hall is covered with colorful paintings, and gilded with bituminous powder, with the theme colors as gold, red, yellow, and black. The entire scene with Welkin pavilions and caissons is just breathtaking.

Architectural features

Gongshu Hall sits north and faces south. It was originally a complex of various buildings, but there are only the main hall with the small courtyard left nowadays. The entire site covers an area of 1,248 square meters and a building area of 106 square meters.

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The main hall is divided into three rooms, with the roof made of gray terracotta. The outer face of each room is covered with six wooden shutters. Welkin pavilions and caissons are all in shrunk size, one-thirtieth of the normal ones. There are a total of 137 pavilions and more than 20 types of bucket arches.

Gongshu Hall fully reflect the state building standards of joinery welkin pavilions in the Song Dynasty. It is a piece of joinery mainly of frame structure, interlaced with box structure. Finely carved wooden elements were joined into a welkin pavilion.

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Woods used is more complicated including pine, fir, elm, etc., which implies that the building is not of much high level as it is far from the capital back then. However, it is because of its location, craftsmen could play their talent into full without being boxed in by all rules.

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Through the lacquer work and painting, immortal grasses and flowers, landscape figures and dragon and phoenix as well as utensil are perfectly integrated, reflecting the mix of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

A Buddhist Temple

The Gongshu Hall is actually a Buddhist Temple, as evidenced by numerical relationships behind the woodwork. The four seasons of flowers, five-color lotus, the number of window panes, floors of the pavilions, including the opening direction of doors etc., are all related to the profound philosophy of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

The Taoist painting of a taoist holding a sceptre, and the Buddhist painting of an arhat subduing the dragon can also be found on this building. It's fair to say that Gongshu Hall is a buddhist classic without words, which is quite valuable for related researches.  

The building was inspired by an ancient folk religious concept "Wusheng Laomu, or Eternal Ancient Mother helping her followers go back to the heaven". And the heaven here refers to the very welkin pavilion. According to this doctrine, the craftsmen in Huxian County during the Ming Dynasty expressed the illusory concept of vacuum in the form of real buildings.

If you want to have a better understanding of ancient Chinese architecture, Shaanxi has many places for you to offer, of course including today's recommendation Gongshu Hall. Don't miss the opportunity to explore!

Recommended visiting time: 1-3 hours

Transportation: Take bus No. 911, 720 or 930 in Xi'an to Dawang Station, then take a bus to Weifeng Town and take a taxi to Gongshu Hall; or take a taxi directly from Dawang Town.

No specific opening time.

The key to the Gongshu Hall is kept by the local villagers, you can ask the villagers nearby for it and tickting price.

Address: Qi'nan Village, Weifeng Town, Huxian County(Today's Huyi District), Xi'an

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