One distinctive feature of Chinese architecture is the upturned eaves, also known as "swallowtail" or "flying eaves." The ends of the roof eaves are gracefully curved upward, resembling the wings of a flying bird.

The uplifted corners are called flying eaves, and they give an air of lightness and flexibility, as if the whole structure were being lifted up by the corners. The eaves can also drain water and deflect lightning strikes.

The quintessentially Chinese gable-and-hip roof with pronounced dragon-spine ridges and upturned flying eaves first appeared during the Han (BCE 206 – CE 220) Dynasty.

Feb 5, 2021 · These roofs may have the eaves so curved that the outer corners point upwards (flying eaves) and reach the same height as the top of the roof. It is likely that roofs in Burma and Thailand influenced this style.

Sep 14, 2022 · Since traditional Asian architecture used mainly wood structures, deep eaves provided the structure with protection from the elements. But having a straight down eave would prevent sunlight from coming in, so lifting up the edges would expose more …

The beautiful roof with flying eaves provides people with a delightful artistic enjoyment. But its biggest function is actually waterproofing. In ancient architecture, wood was commonly used, and one drawback of wood is that it is prone to decay.

Feb 5, 2021 · These are flying eaves (飞檐 in Chinese; 추녀, chunyeo in Korean). They are not only supremely beautiful, they also serve a key functional purpose: when the eaves are upturned, they can welcome in more sunlight while still shielding from overhead rain.

7. Eaves. In buildings with eaves, the part of the eaves that protrudes beyond the truss is called "eaves." 8. Ridge Beast. At the lower end of the building eaves, a protruding beast head is fixed on the corner beam casing tenon to protect the beam head from being eroded by rain. This beast head is called "ridge beast."

Most monumental buildings in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) employed a big number of large dougong to support projecting and flying eaves. Apart from its practical function, dougong had also been used in ancient Chinese architecture for its ornamental appeal.

Oct 24, 2014 · Flying eaves were often used on the roofs of ancient Chinese architecture. The cocking up eave looks like a bird unfolding its wings. The eaves are often sculpted with auspicious animals including a dragon, crane or fish. Traditional Chinese architecture has a long history and glorious achievements.