Corners of the Chinese temples

Image courtesy of thaths

Peter asked me the following question:

"Why do the corners of Chinese temples turn upwards?"

Peter, I've searched a lot for this question and was a real challenge for me.

I came up with these. Even though it may not seem like roofs are important part of Chinese architecture, they are very important. Roofs did not only protect residences from the elements, they also had a deeper meaning. For example, temple roofs were curved because the Buddhist believed that it helped ward off evil spirits which were believed to be straight lines. From http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/china1.htm

And on the National Education Association’s web site you will find excerpts from another book, Feng Shui for the Classroom: 101 Easy-to-Use Ideas, by Renée Heiss:
“Did you ever notice that the corners of Chinese pagodas are always turned upwards? That is because in feng shui, pointed objects are as detrimental to health and wellness as actual weapons. The Chinese turn the corners of the pagodas upward so as to deflect the poison arrows from people who pass by. From http://biophile.co.za/children/feng-shui-in-the-classroom

I hope I've answered your question.

If you have questions too, I would be happy to answer them :)