dīngfú
- Scope note
- "丁" cross beams" or dīngfu run parallel to the roof ridge and form a "T" shape with cross beams perpendicular to the roof ridge. In traditional Chinese timber-frame architecture, the dingfu refers to cross beams used on the gable sides of a building with a hip and gable roof (jiuji 九脊 or xialiangtou 廈兩頭; later xieshan 歇山) or the "hip" side of a building with a hip roof (Song dynasty si'e 四阿 or Qing dynasty wudian 廡殿). In historical texts, we have only found this technical term used in the Yingzao fashi (e.g. Chapter 5, 7b). Modern architectural historians use this term to describe cross beams on the gable sides of buildings dating from the Tang to the early Ming dynasties.
- Date of creation: 18-Nov-2024
Accepted term: 18-Nov-2024