A curtain frame (lian jia) is a wooden framework built outside the two central partition doors of the main hall of a traditional-style building. One of its functions is to support door curtains that provide insulation against coldness in winter and offer shade to block heat and sunlight in summer.
A latticed door, installed within the curtain frame, is known as a wind door (feng men). This type of door opens outward to avoid collision with the room’s partition doors. During the summer, the wind door can be detached and replaced with a bamboo shade to enhance ventilation. In winter, a cotton-padded curtain is hung inside the wind door, providing thermal protection and warmth for the room.
The picture depicts the curtain frame and the wind door of the east side room in the courtyard of the Baoguang Chamber.
