DougongXindi ShuAward: Top 100
School: beijing 101 middle school Dougong, also known as mortise and tenon joints, is the most important and unique structure in ancient Chinese wooden architecture. In his work "General Treatise, " the renowned Chinese architect Liang Sicheng compared its function and status to the orders of Western Greek and Roman architecture. This image shows the Dougong of the Guanyin Pavilion at Dule Temple in Jixian, Hebei, one of the eight existing Liao dynasty wooden structures in China. The pavilion features twenty-four types of Dougong, each with its unique uses and variations. The structure is an organic and logical combination that reflects the idea of incorporating beauty into structural rationality. The projecting part is the mortise, while the concave part is the tenon, forming a complete mortise and tenon joint. Many such joints together create the Dougong. From a mechanical perspective, it forms a robust support network by transferring the arch's supporting force to the Dougong and then to the columns and beams. It effectively distributes the weight of the roof to the columns and walls, bearing significant vertical loads and transferring them to a wider area of the building, thus reducing the pressure on individual support points that sustain the wooden structures for thousands of years. From a thermal perspective, the gaps between the mortise and tenon joints help alleviate the effects of thermal expansion and contraction due to temperature changes, thus maintaining the stability of the structure. With architectural practicality and aesthetics, Dougong demonstrates the ancient wisdom of Chinese architects. 
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