Yingzao Fashi

The Yingzao Fashi was a technical building manual compiled by Li Jie, an official of the Northern Song Directorate of Buildings, and presented to Emperor Zhezong by 1100 and published in 1103. It specifies measurements and procedures for timber construction, structural components, labor and material estimates, masonry, roofing, plastering, carving, and decorative painting. Its modular “cai” system linked component dimensions to building scale and status, allowing designs to be adjusted while maintaining a shared technical vocabulary. The book reflects the state’s interest in standardizing public works, estimating costs, and organizing specialist labor. Its illustrations and detailed terminology make it a key source for studying Song architecture and construction practice. It was an official standard, however, not proof that every building or workshop across China followed identical rules. Local materials, regional craft traditions, and actual project conditions produced variation. Scholars compare the text with excavated buildings, surviving timber structures, architectural components, and contemporary images to assess how prescriptions were applied. The Yingzao Fashi is most useful when read as both a technical document and an instrument of government administration.