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In June 1937, Liang Sicheng and his wife, Lin Huiyin, together with Mo Zongjiang and Ji Yutang, traveled from Beiping to Taiyuan. When passing through Yuci, Lin happened to catch sight of this building from the car. Drawing on her profound knowledge of traditional Chinese architecture, she immediately recognized its exceptional historical and architectural value and concluded that it was not something they could afford to overlook. They subsequently made a special trip back to Yuci, taking advantage of the two days they had to wait in Taiyuan for their travel formalities to be completed. By then, only this Yuhua Palace remained of Yongshou Temple. Because of time constraints, they could carry out only the essential surveying, measurements, and photography. They had originally planned to conduct a more thorough and detailed survey on their return journey to Beiping. Unfortunately, the July 7 Incident broke out, forcing them to hurry back to Beiping. Today, the building has been demolished.
Ridge-end tile are relatively important components of a roof. They not only served structural functions such as waterproofing, but also played a role in decoration, beautification, and indicating the status of a building. Ridge-end tile are mostly found at high-status architectural remains such as palaces, government offices, and Buddhist temples dating from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Five Dynasties period. Generally made of pottery, they are fittings used to seal the ends of the ridge tiles on a roof. In form, they consist of a flat or slightly curved tile board on which high-relief motifs such as animal masks were molded or modeled by hand.
Eastern Wei, China
Tang Dynasty, China
Bohai Kingdom, Northeastern China, Northern Korean Peninsula, Southeastern Russia
Baekje, Korean Peninsula
Silla, Korean Peninsula
Goryeo, Korean Peninsula
Asuka Period, Japan
Nara Period, Japan