Quarky Explores Beijing
How can wooden palaces bend but not break?
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Quarky is writing this for you...
The story
In the Forbidden City Quarky finds no nails holding the great roofs up. Interlocking wooden brackets called dougong slot together and can shift a little, so when the earth shakes the whole building flexes and settles back instead of snapping.
What you'll learn
- Dougong are interlocking wooden brackets that hold up heavy roofs.
- Joints that can move slightly absorb shaking instead of cracking.
- Some of these buildings have survived centuries of earthquakes.
- Quarky takeaway: a little flexibility is a kind of strength.
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