Exhibition documents Chinese-German research on tangyang

A pioneering cross-cultural exhibition exploring the forgotten craft of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) tangyang (scaled paper architectural models) has opened its doors at Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing.

Titled Dialogue Reproducing Inheritance — A Documentary Exhibition on the Collaborative Research on Tangyang Model Undertaken by Students From China and Germany, the showcase runs until May 5.

Originating in the Qing Dynasty, tangyang refers to intricate architectural models crafted from lightweight materials such as cardboard, sorghum straw and wood.

The name is derived from the use of hot irons to "iron" and shape certain components. These models served as a vital communication tool between master builders, decision-makers, and construction teams. Today, surviving tangyang are not only artistic treasures but also irreplaceable physical archives for the protection, study, and restoration of ancient Chinese architecture.

The exhibition builds upon the museum's 2025 tangyang showcase but shifts the focus from historical appreciation to scientific reconstruction.

Since 2019, Tsinghua University's School of Architecture has been systematically documenting and analyzing a tangyang model of an underground palace from the Eastern Qing Tombs, a famous imperial burial site.

In 2021, Tsinghua partnered with the Technical University of Berlin's department of architecture and urban history to launch a joint research project on the material culture and heritage of tangyang.

The exhibition's centerpiece is a full replica of tangyang for a Qing Huiling mausoleum, the final resting place of Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty from the Eastern Qing Tombs, meticulously crafted by Berlin students. Complementing this are original research notes, hand-drawn illustrations and video interviews that document the entire collaborative process.

Notably, the exhibition is a product of Prince Kung's Palace Museum's "my space, your rules" initiative, which empowers young voices. The curatorial team, averaging under 30 years old, consists of students from both universities alongside the museum's junior staff. Visitors are transported into a lively classroom setting, complete with handwritten notes, interactive Q&A boards, and "exploded view" displays that separate the model's layers to reveal its internal structure.

By presenting a tangible dialogue between Chinese craftsmanship and German precision, the exhibition demonstrates how traditional Chinese construction techniques can inspire contemporary architectural education and cross-cultural understanding.