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166
Chapter 166: Hezhu, Gumao, the wisdom of the ancients!
Although the main hall of Gexian Temple is not big, especially since the building is nearly 20 meters high, it is not easy to climb up the roof beams.
Just as they climbed onto the crossbar, before Lin Ran could put his hand on it, a burst of dust rose up, making Lin Ran choke and almost unable to open his eyes.
"Ahem." Bracing the dust, he finally climbed onto the beam carefully.
Makes a crunching sound.
The beams have never been cleaned, and when you sit on them, it feels like there is a centimeter of dust on them.
Lin Ran patted the dust on his butt and moved towards the edge.
Looking around, I couldn't help but frown, because there were spider webs everywhere, and strange reptiles could be seen running past from time to time.
Every time Lin Ran moved, he would feel the beam shaking.
After all, it is a movable buckle structure. The buckle is almost loose and the support is not as strong as before.
The wood used for the beams is strong and has survived the beatings of history and remains strong.
Lin Ran couldn't help but admire the wisdom of the ancients. At that time, there were no steel and concrete, and there was no frame-shear structure. To build such a tall temple, every step had to be planned carefully.
Just one mistake and the whole house will collapse!
The Egyptian pyramids are called miracles in the history of architecture. In fact, Chinese temples have similar features.
There were no cranes or tower cranes back then. If you wanted to build a tall building, you had to rely on scaffolding to build it layer by layer.
It is even more difficult to repair it!
Lin Ran's thoughts seemed to go back to the Tang Dynasty. When Gexian Temple was first built, a group of monks carried wood to the mountains and built Gexian Temple step by step.
Even though it is not difficult to design a wooden house, the weight of the beams under the feet is extraordinary and can support the weight of the individual, just because the mortise and tenon joints on both sides support each other.
Even if one side of the mortise and tenon joint breaks due to decay, there is still another side that can bear the load.
But after the earthquake, the mortise and tenon joints on both sides began to loosen, and repair work was indeed needed.
As luck would have it, we happened to be in the era of abolishing feudal superstitions, and no construction engineers were willing to take over the temple's maintenance work.
Unlike Lin Ran's time, the state realized that temples were also historical and cultural products. As long as the abbot applied, the relevant departments would approve the funds and arrange for professionals to repair them.
Today's Gexian Temple relies entirely on monks to raise funds themselves, while hiring private decoration teams for maintenance.
It’s quite commendable!
Lin Ran had just climbed halfway to the beam when he suddenly felt that the beam had sunk a little.
Lin Ran couldn't help but feel shocked. Fortunately, the beam only sank slightly and stopped falling.
But thinking about the scene just now, Lin Ran still felt a little chilled down his spine.
Is it really possible to complete the repair work yourself?
After taking a short rest, I looked at my feet. If I fell from here, I would definitely die or be disabled. Not to mention that if the beam broke, the whole house would collapse.
But it was only a brief hesitation.
Lin Ran took a deep breath and moved forward resolutely.
The cultural relics in the temple are important, but the main reason why Lin Ran is willing to take risks is because he hopes that this temple handed down from the Tang Dynasty can continue to flourish.
I remembered my mother's words of warning to me.
Doing good deeds without asking for reward!
Now that we have chosen a distant place, we only care about the journey through wind and rain!
Lin Ran cheered up and moved forward slowly.
The current mortise and tenon structure can no longer support large swings, so you must be more careful when moving.
Finally came to the mortise and tenon joint.
Looking at the decayed mortise and tenon joints, Lin Ran sighed.
Next comes the test of fate.
If you are unlucky, the moment it is untied, the beam will be unbalanced and tip to the side.
In the air, Lin Ran couldn't keep his body balanced.
Approaching the edge of the beam, Lin Ran could clearly see the mortise and tenon joints, which used a beam-lifting structure.
Between the roof trusses, horizontal beams are used to connect the column tops in series, and the beam heads and the melon column tops form transverse purlins.
This kind of structure consumes a lot of wood, but it can increase the indoor space.
After just a short observation, Lin Ran figured out the structure.
In fact, mortise and tenon joints were not only used in construction, but also in many wooden furniture in later generations.
The mortise and tenon joints in front of you are the joints of the combined columns, and the components have become loosely connected.
The wooden components are severely cracked and difficult to repair.
But now structural integrity must be maintained before components can be replaced.
Thinking of this, Lin Ran took out the prepared tools.
First use a ruler to measure, and write down the values of the mortise and tenon joints with a pen, accurate to millimeters.
Lin Ran carefully observed the position of the jointed tenon. It had deformed due to long-term oppression. The repair method was to remove the tenon first, but there was no place for support. What should be done?
While he was distressed, Lin Ran noticed that there was a platform next to the tenon and tenon joints, which was just big enough for people to squat.
He suddenly realized that the ancients had already considered the repair work and deliberately left a high platform.
Because the temple is not a tile-roofed house, repairs cannot be started from the roof and can only be repaired from indoors.
"It's amazing!" Lin Ran admired from the bottom of his heart. Although he had seen such techniques in books before, but now that he saw it with his own eyes, the shock he felt was completely different.
Lin Ran stretched out his feet, not sure whether the platform was still solid after nearly a thousand years.
Stepping on it with one foot, the beam swayed slightly again.
Moreover, the dust on the platform was so thick that Lin Ran felt his feet slipping.
He could barely maintain his balance by holding on to the crossbar.
A broken piece of tile fell from the platform.
It shattered with a crashing sound.
Lin Ran's heart tightened when he saw it.
But he had no choice. He ignored the dirt and kicked the dust together with his calves, then hooked off the platform.
After moving down a few feet, the platform was finally cleared into a place where he could stand.
Stepping up with one foot, it felt like stepping on a stone pillar, and I finally felt relieved.
"Fight!"
Lin Ran gritted his teeth and stepped forward directly.
After he left the beam, it floated up some distance.
Although he was standing on the platform, Lin Ran did not dare to delay and started to unbutton.
Unlike the mortise and tenon joints of wooden furniture, unlocking requires not only an understanding of the structure, but also a certain amount of strength.
At first, Lin Ran's hands were all red and he couldn't open them.
However, his body shook and he almost fell.
Lin Ran was sweating profusely and sat down after taking a few breaths.
The buckle position has been slightly deformed, and it will definitely be impossible to remove it without increasing strength.
But, if you try harder...
Lin Ran couldn't help but think of the tiles that fell just now, and the scene of them shattering in an instant was vivid in his mind.
If he increases his strength, he may not be able to control his balance.
"Donor Lin, please take care of yourself!"
Everyone at the door was frightened when they heard the sound of tiles falling to the ground, but no one dared to enter the house that could collapse at any time. They could only pray silently for Lin Ran outside.
The monks began to chant sutras.
Although he couldn't understand it, the sound of the scriptures still reached Lin Ran's ears.
The originally anxious heart also calmed down.
The abbot's trust and expectation, his family looking forward to his return, and...
People have been tirelessly exploring the thousands of years of Chinese history.
This temple, which was left over from the Tang Dynasty, must not be allowed to collapse!
Suddenly, feeling the heavy responsibility and enthusiasm on his shoulders, Lin Ran felt that all his strength was emerging again.
Fight!