Tuesday, June 12, 2018

FEIYUN LOU: THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ANCIENT SKY BUILDING


The Ancient Building of Feiyun Lou (Author, 2018)

13/6/18. Between the blue sky, a complex of three story of ancient timber structure there relies. With a height of 23.19 meters, it consist of five layers above with a 3 main floor. Feiyun Building is located in Wanrong County of the Shanxi province and is known as one of the first ancient timber building.  Using a train to Yuncheng Station, this city of Shanxi can be accessed. Heading to the Wanrong County, we can enter a peaceful region with the  Dongyue Complex on it. A taxi from Yuncheng to Feiyun Road will last then one hours. There, travelers can stay in some hostels or hotels which is not far from the location.

The main area consist of other relic and building which represents the ancient Chinese timber structure. In which here it has about 129 columns, with a 204 beams, and a special number of 345 brackets or Dougongs among it. The entire structure has completely seem to be flexible enough. The covered area of 204 m2 has urge people to come and see. At the first time maybe they charged you for entrance, meanwhile nowadays due to some protection lines, they don’t charge anymore.

As explained by the experts, the building has its four main features which are first, it is a pure timber structure, which the tenon rivets are used for all sizes of joints without a nail. Second,  the base floor consist of five wide sizes, as the the main four pillar stands and surrounded by the other 32 columns around linked into a check board shape supporting the building together and at the bottom of the building people can clearly see the Tong Tian Zhu which has a single height of 15.49 m.

Then, it has five layers which consist of three floor, both have railing and has two pillars which is divided into three and above will be pointed as the roof that has a flower shaped. After that, there are a total of 345 dougoungs or bucket arches which overcomes the building with  extremely rich counter lines and the surroundings with the canopies around the corner that represent the impression of flying in the sky as the the Feiyun Building means so as the cloud.  Besides, the four  Yongding Columns also support the structure ahead to be more rigid.

This building has been a project sample to the test conducted mainly to earthquake, wind, strain test, temperature, and deformation modelling. The complexity of structures which brings dougongs as one of their uniqueness has encounter the point that Feiyun Building can stand to the disaster and some of particular destruction. The Dougoung or the brackets are the answer to it as it is the main thing as a solution for the particular shakes and counters to the load around.

The Interior of Feiyun Lou

It is accessible and interesting that the visitors are allowed to see the upper structure of the three floor. That to experience the inner part of the structure which is still original, but has some reinforcement to help on its preservation. Behind this Building are also the other interesting ancient structure which in the last section behind, the visitors may encounter an interesting basement with diorama and statues of the deaths and spirits.

Travelers and ancient hunters are urged and welcome to visit this unique anctient timber structure. This structure will open your horizon in the representation to the historical timber structure. A unique place to discover within the shape and the environment. As it could be one of the heart for human to realize that to preserve culture and ancient building will be a mast for the others.

Annisa Dewanti Putri
Master Student of Beijing Jiaotong University,
Wanrong County, Shanxi, China

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