Part 5/9:
At the heart of the Forbidden City’s architectural resilience is a unique wooden framework made possible through the use of dougong, a bracket system that connects beams and columns in a flexible, interlocking network. American woodworker Richard Wiborg delves into the intricacies of traditional Chinese design, asserting that the dougongs play a crucial role, dissipating earthquake energy and ensuring structural integrity. These techniques allowed the architecture to adapt and flex under seismic stress, a design principle that remains underrated in modern construction paradigms.