Editing Chinese architecture (section)

===Enclosure===
In much Chinese architecture, buildings or building complexes surround open spaces. These enclosed spaces come in two forms:<ref name="KnappEA"/>
* ''Courtyard (院)'': Open courtyards are a common feature in many projects. This is best exemplified in [[Siheyuan]]: It consisted of an empty space surrounded by buildings connected with one another either directly or through verandas.
* ''"Sky well" (天井)'': Although large open courtyards are less commonly found in southern Chinese architecture, the concept of an "open space" surrounded by buildings can be seen in the southern building structure known as the "sky well". This structure is essentially a relatively enclosed courtyard formed from the intersections of closely spaced buildings and offers a small opening to the sky through the roof space.

These enclosures aid in temperature regulation and in ventilation. Northern courtyards are typically open and face south to allow the maximum exposure of the building windows and walls to the sun while keeping out the cold north winds. Southern [[lightwell|sky wells]] are relatively small and collect rainwater from the roof tops. They perform the same duties as the [[Ancient Roman architecture|Roman]] [[impluvium]] while restricting the amount of sunlight that enters the building. Sky wells also vent hot air skyward, which draws cool air from the lower areas and the outside.

{{Gallery
|File:Zhangzhou_Tongyuan_Miao_20120225-4.jpg|A skywell in a Fujian temple with enclosing halls and bays on four sides.
|File:捷發乾記茶莊-天井.JPG|A mid-20th-century colonial style Taiwanese building containing a skywell.
|File:JiQingLouWide.jpg|A [[tulou]] outer building encloses a smaller circular building, which encloses an ancestral hall and courtyard in the center.
|File:Cave Dwelling - Courtyard.jpg|A dugout dwelling enclosing an underground courtyard.
|File:Chinese Courtyard in the Style of the Ming Dynasty, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, USA 2012 7.JPG|An enclosing courtyard on four sides from the [[Astor Court]] in the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], [[New York City]], USA.
}}