Yingzao Fashi assembly · 营造法式

南禅寺大殿 Main Hall of Nanchan Temple

Wutai County, Shanxi · Tang dynasty, rebuilt 782 CE · the oldest standing timber building in China

Why this hall: it is small and fully surveyed. Three bays by three, twelve perimeter columns, no interior columns, five-tier bracket sets on the column heads only, and a low hip-and-gable roof held by paired struts instead of a king post. Every part shown here has a documented counterpart.

Inspect

Age erosion 0 · newly built

0 · new (782 CE)100 · ancient

How to use

Play builds the hall in the traditional order; Reverse takes it apart again. Step jumps one stage at a time, and the progress bar scrubs freely.
Drag the model to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom. Arrow keys rotate when the canvas is focused.
Hover or tap any part to read its Chinese name, pinyin and job.
The Age erosion slider weathers the timber in real time: paint fades and peels, wood darkens and roughens, and the frame settles.
X-ray fades the tiles, boards and walls and marks every mortise-and-tenon joint.
Shortcuts: Space play or pause, X X-ray, L labels.

Components

Assembly progress