Xiangshan Gang Traditional Architecture Craftsmanship

The Xiangshan Gang building craft arose in the Xiangshan area of old Wu county in Suzhou, where generations of skilled artisans gave the school its name; the Ming master Kuai Xiang and the late-Qing master Yao Chengzu are both said to have come from it.

The school unites carpentry, masonry, brick, wood and stone carving, building with harmonious tones, tight structure and adaptable layout; many of the halls and pavilions of Suzhou's gardens are its work.

In 2006 the craft entered the first national list of intangible cultural heritage, and in 2009 it was inscribed, as part of Chinese traditional timber-frame architecture, on UNESCO's representative list of humanity's intangible heritage.

The Xukou area of Wuzhong in Suzhou is the home of the school, whose handiwork is visible throughout the city's gardens and historic buildings.