Chinese JoineryChinese Joinery
中文
Doors and lattice
寻杖栏杆
xúnzhàng lángān

Xunzhang Langan (寻杖栏杆): How a Chinese Veranda Railing Is Joined

Veranda railing · 寻杖栏杆

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Verandas of Chinese halls are fenced with a low railing between the columns.

It is made as one piece and then dropped into place.

Chinese
寻杖栏杆 · xúnzhàng lángān
Joins
Handrail and rails to posts; posts to columns
Found in
Verandas and galleries
Signature parts
Rail tenons · sliding key
Compare
Back-drawn sill tenons
Drag to rotate. Slide to take the joint apart, or press Assemble to watch it go together.

How it works

The parts

A handrail railing has posts (望柱), a round handrail at the top, a middle rail and a bottom rail, small panels between them divided by short posts, a vase-shaped baluster under the handrail, and a sill on the floor. The handrail is round and tenons into the posts at both ends; the middle and bottom rails are square and also tenon into the posts. All the horizontal members sit on the inside of the posts.

Fitting between columns

The railing is usually made complete and fitted as a whole. The post’s face against the column is shaped to its curve; then sliding keys (溜销) are fixed to the column and the railing is dropped in from above.

The baluster, short posts, panels and sill are not modelled, as their joints are not described.

Proportions in the model are illustrative.

How it's made

  1. Railing
    Step 1

    Railing

    A railing between columns.

  2. Tenons
    Step 2

    Tenons

    Every rail ends in a tenon.

  3. Into the post
    Step 3

    Into the post

    Rails go into the post.

  4. Key
    Step 4

    Key

    A sliding key on the column.

  5. Drop in
    Step 5

    Drop in

    Dropped in from above.

  6. Inside
    Step 6

    Inside

    Rails sit inside the posts.

Variations

Plain railing (花栏杆)

Posts, rails and a lattice of bars, used in houses and gardens.

Bench railing (坐凳楣子)

A low frame with a seat board on top, for sitting.

Can you CNC this?

Possible, with design or setup changes

Square rails and their tenons are simple; the round handrail's tenon and the post face shaped to the column curve need turning or a profile cut.

Free STL downloads (one file per part)

Before cutting or printing, read the CNC and 3D-printing notes on tool radius, scaling the STL files and their licence.

Questions

Why a sliding key?

So the finished railing can be dropped in between columns that already stand.

Where do the rails go?

Into the inside faces of the posts.

Is the handrail round?

Yes; the lower rails are square.

Further reading
  1. 马炳坚《中国古建筑木作营造技术》第二版（Ma Bingjian, Timber Construction Techniques of Traditional Chinese Buildings, 2nd ed.），第 285–286 页，图 7-23
  2. 马炳坚《中国古建筑木作营造技术》第二版（Ma Bingjian, Timber Construction Techniques of Traditional Chinese Buildings, 2nd ed.），第 287 页