East Great Hall

Foguang Si

This is the underside of the deep overhanging eave on the East Great Hall (see previous pages). The original photo has been reversed and mirror-imaged to show its most significant features. The angled braces with pointed ends, sticking out from the tops of the dougong, are called ang; they are cantilever arms that support the purlins (long horizontal beams) of the eave. The purlins in turn support the rafters, which are the numerous, shorter, slanting beams that support the roof itself.