The regionality of vernacular residences on the TianJing scale in China’s traditional JiangNan region

Abstract

Based on historical documents and field investigations, this article analyzes the origin and development of the concept and form of the Chinese courtyard “TianJing” in vernacular residences to address common misunderstandings in previous studies. Focused on the scale standard in YingZaoFaYuan traditional building technology in the JiangNan region, TianJing is closely related to the main hall in dwellings reflecting the construction customs in different regions. Through the statistical analysis of the measured dimension data, this study shows the scale characteristics, demonstrating the cultural correlations of vernacular residences in different regions based on similarities. It explores the causes, rules and effects of and changes in traditional construction wisdom reflected by the historical geographic comparative background.