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Appreciating the Details
A
moon-shaped door.
In ancient China, rich families and government officials liked to
build their doors with elaborate decorations, following the social ladder. Among
the six main gates of the manor, the gate to the West Zhonglai quadrangle is the
most luxuriant one. At 5 meters high, 3 meters wide, the black doors were
inscribed with a golden couplet featuring the family doctrine, "Carry on the
family enterprise by farming and cultural cultivation; manage the family with
diligence and thrift."
This is a drum-shaped door pier known as
"mendun'r" that secures wooden doorframes to the walls. The motifs in stone have
survived more than 80 years of erosion and still look vivid.
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