Danbi, literally meaning “cinnabar steps” or “cinnabar platform” (Kroll 2015, 74-75; 20), generally refers to the steps of palace buildings, and in some contexts, to the open platform in front of a main palace hall.The term danbi originated from the practice of painting the steps of palace buildings with cinnabar. The earliest evidence of the use of danbi comes from the Lingqijing, which is traditionally dated to the Western Han. During the Ming and Qing dynasty dynasties, danbi became part of mainstream architectural nomenclature and was used in conjunction with danchi 丹墀, where danbi referred to the platform (yuetai 月台) outside the hall, and danchi referred to the ground in front of the danbi. However, danbi is also commonly translated as "steps." In literature before the Ming and Qing dynasties, danbi was not used for buildings other than palace buildings, while in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the scope of reference broadened to include Confucian temples, government offices, and other types of buildings.
