What were the main parts of a traditional Chinese timber building?

The fundamental elements of a traditional Chinese timber building are highly standardized and modular, consisting of four primary components:1

• Platform: A base made of pounded earth, typically faced with stone or tile, upon which the structure stands.1
• Post-and-lintel frame: The structural skeleton, composed of vertical posts (columns) topped by horizontal tie beams.1
• Roof-supporting system: This includes the roof-supporting brackets and the truss. The truss is placed transverse to the front of the building and uses a series of elevated tie beams—often called tailiang—to define the roof's shape.1
• Tiled roof: The final covering, which is a dominant feature of the building's design.1

In this system, the walls between the posts are not load-bearing and may be filled with doors, brick, or plaster-faced bamboo wattle. The space between the columns, known as a bay, serves as a modular unit for the building's overall length. While the tailiang system is common, some regions utilize the chuandou system, which employs tall, thin columns along the gable end to support the roof.1