Qingshi yingzao zeli 清式營造則例

Qingshi yingzao zeli 清式營造則例 is a book on building construction during the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) written in the Republican period by Liang Sicheng 梁思成 (1901-1972). He also wrote a commentary on the great Song-period 宋 (960-1279) construction book Yingzao fashi zhushi 營造法式注釋.

The Qingshi yingzao zeli was published in 1934 by the Zhongguo Yingzao Xueshe 中國營造學社 and reprinted in 1981 by the Zhongguo Jianzhu Gongye Chubanshe 中國建築工業出版社. It discusses the architectural regulations of the Qing dynasty. The author based the work on Lei Fada's 雷發達 (1618-1693) Gongcheng zuofa zeli 工程做法則例, collecting secret manuscripts from generations of craftsmen. Using the Forbidden City in Beijing as a primary reference, the author systematically examined Qing-era construction methods and regulations before compiling this comprehensive study.

The book provides a detailed explanation of official Qing-style architecture, covering aspects such as spatial layout, bracket sets (dougong 斗拱), timber frameworks, platform foundations, walls, roofs, decorative elements, and painted ornamentation. It also defines structural components, their proportions, and functions, illustrating them clearly with architectural projection drawings and photographs. Additionally, the book includes supplementary materials such as Qing-style construction terminology, dimensional proportions and scale charts, and illustrations of Qing construction standards, which complement the main text for better clarity. Additionally, the book includes summaries of Qing-style construction terminology (Qingshi yingzao cijie 清式營造辭解), dimensional proportions and scale charts (Ge jian quanheng chicun biao 各件權衡尺寸表), and illustrations of Qing construction standards (Qingshi yingzao zeli tuban 清式營造則例圖版) to complement the main text, allowing readers to cross-reference the information.

The appendix, Yingzao suanli 營造算例 "Construction calculation rules", a work compiled from secret manuscripts collected by the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture (Zhongguo Yingzao Xueshe 中國營造學社) in the 1930s, adds a scientific and theoretical foundation to the book.