Gate Hall of Cao

Gate Hall of Cao

The Gate Hall of Cao is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Gate Hall of Cao was originally a branch ancestral hall of the Dunben Hall of the Wang family. The main hall has been destroyed, but five bays of the gate hall and surrounding corridors remain. The structure spans 19.75 meters in width and 12.5 meters in depth, with a concave floor plan and a central courtyard pond. Additional bracket sets (pujian) are used above the architraves, with dougong brackets featuring double angling and five ranks extending from the lu-dou (bracket base), with one jump also projecting a 45-degree diagonal bracket to support the eave trough, replacing the usual linggong bracket. The curved ends of the brackets are carved in strong, defined segments. This hall not only reflects mid-Ming architectural features in its inverted-bowl pedestals, spindle columns (with elliptical cross-sections), bracket sets, and corbels, but also retains ancient “Zen-style” construction methods dating back to the Song and Yuan dynasties in some components — such as carving the recessed corners of large dou (brackets) into concave crabapple-petal shapes, referred to in the Song as “misaligned-angle brackets,” or adding spacer boards beneath large dou, historically called “reflecting boards.” This hall embodies mid-Ming characteristics in its inverted-bowl pedestals, spindle columns, bracket sets, and corbels, while also preserving ancient “Zen-style” techniques from the Song and Yuan periods in certain elements.