Kuai Xiang

Kuai Xiang (Chinese: 蒯祥; pinyin: Kuǎi Xiáng; 1377–1451) was a Chinese carpenter (in now Jiangsu province) widely known as an important carpenter who took part in building the Forbidden City and the originator of the Xiangshan Carpenters. He was born in Xukou (Xiangshan), Wu County, Suzhou during the Ming Dynasty. When the Yongle Emperor decided to transfer the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1407, Kuai Xiang was ordered to play part in constructing the Forbidden City for him. Kuai Xiang was in his early twenties when joining the engineering team to build the Forbidden City. The first palace and walls of the City were completed only after 13 years.[1]

References
  1. Shea, Marilyn. "Forbidden City - History". University of Maine at Farmington. Archived from the original on 2019-01-05. Retrieved 4 February 2014. Emperor Yongle chose a young architect to design and oversee the construction. Kuai Xiang 蒯祥 (Kuǎi Xiáng) was in his early thirties when he began the work. He used the Imperial Palace in Nanjing as the base model and incorporated historical references to palaces built during the Tang and Song Dynasties. He referenced Confucian, Daoist, and traditional astronomical belief systems to create an expression of Chinese philosophy and belief systems. It took 13 years to complete the initial palace and walls. Through the centuries additions have been made to the original design of the Forbidden City, but the heart of the palace is that of Yongle and Kuai Xiang.

Further reading
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