16. Ornate Roof Lines

Although roofs may seem insignificant, they are a very important part of Chinese architecture. Roofs not only protected residences from the elements but also had deeper meanings. For example, the Buddhist curved their temple roofs because they believed that the shape helped ward off evil spirits. The roof of the temple is made of glazed ceramic tiles and has an overhanging eave, distinguished by a graceful upward slope. The roof ridges end in a figure, which may be interpreted variously as either a dragon or a phoenix. A phoenix is a good omen because of its symbolic value -- the creature is believed to be able to spit water onto the roof if there is a fire.