The beauty of ancient Chinese architectural components: What do sparrows and corbels refer to respectively?

The architecture of ancient China has always been very exquisite, especially the details and accessories. Many people don't understand the difference between corbels and splints. Corbels are components under the eaves, and splints are components under the beams.

First of all, let’s talk about Queti. Quetai is a very common part in ancient architecture. Because its shape resembles that of a bird spreading its wings, it got its name. The use of sparrows is equivalent to today's reinforced concrete and the like, and of course it is also used for decoration. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the decorative meaning of Queti became more intense, and its mechanical function gradually lost attention.

There is another kind of sparrow that appears in the works of Mr. Liang Sicheng. That thing that is said to be a skylark but does not look like a skylark is called a "corbel". This kind of thing generally exists in the southern region of China.

Then let’s talk about what a corbel is. The corbel is also a decorative component. Its shape is usually larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. This is the name given to it by southerners. This is the "specious substitution" mentioned in Mr. Liang's book. This may be the "Skylark" in the south. Its carving industry is also very exquisite. It can really be said to be a kind of art, which makes people feel pleasing to the eye.

No matter what kind of ancient building it is, for China, it can embody a kind of classical beauty and a retro feeling of architecture. However, we cannot blindly believe that China's architecture is the only one. Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin put forward some shortcomings and shortcomings of Chinese architecture. For example, what we can see with the naked eye is that there is no innovation in Chinese architecture and it is rarely updated. Some things are only for their appearance, but their practicality is not that strong.