Best Chinese Clay Roof Tiles for Temples, Pavilions, Courtyards and Heritage Restoration Projects

Chinese clay roof tiles have been used for centuries in temples, pavilions, courtyards, and heritage structures across East Asia. Today, architects and restoration specialists continue to specify these materials for both preservation projects and new constructions that require authentic traditional aesthetics. This article examines the primary product categories, material specifications, and application parameters relevant to temple, pavilion, courtyard, and heritage restoration roofing projects.

Chinese clay roof tiles fall into two main categories based on surface treatment: glazed (Liuli wa, 琉璃瓦) and unglazed (Qing wa, 青瓦).

• Glazed tiles (Liuli wa) are ceramic products coated with a colored glaze layer and fired at high temperatures. The glaze composition typically includes mineral oxides—cobalt oxide produces blue, iron oxide yields red and yellow tones. Available colors include golden yellow, green, blue, grey, red, and black. Glazed tiles are manufactured through a multi-stage process: moulding, drying, sintering, glazing, a second sintering, and finishing. Yellow glazed tiles were historically reserved for imperial palaces and mausoleums.
• Unglazed tiles (Qing wa) are fired clay products without a glaze layer, exhibiting natural grey or blue-grey tones.. The unglazed surface offers a matte finish that integrates with traditional garden and courtyard aesthetics. Qing wa is also referred to as 阴阳瓦 (yin-yang tile) in northern China or 蝴蝶瓦 (butterfly tile) in the south.

Chinese clay roof tiles are manufactured from natural clay-based raw materials. For glazed tiles, the body formulation typically consists of kaolin, bauxite, porcelain clay. Unglazed tiles use clay, shale, or similar natural materials. The tiles are formed through extrusion or handmade, then dried and fired in kilns. The production process for glazed tiles involves two firings: the first for the clay body, the second to fuse the glaze layer.

• Flat tile: available in 180×180 mm, 200×200 mm
• Pan tile: available in 200×110 mm
• Eave tile and drip tile: complementary components completing the roof assembly

Unglazed tile (Qing wa) dimensions are similar with glazed tile

Government project specifications also reference glazed tile dimensions including 200×200 mm, 225×215 mm, and 300×400 mm for concrete slab installations. It can be customized according to project.

All Chinese clay roof tiles must comply with Chinese GB/T 21149-2019, the national standard for fired roofing tiles. This standard was issued on August 30, 2019, by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China, and came into effect on July 1, 2020. It supersedes the 2007 edition. The standard specifies classification, technical requirements, test methods, inspection rules, marking, packaging, transportation, and storage. Technical requirements cover appearance quality, dimensional deviations, water absorption, frost resistance, bending strength, and thermal shock resistance.

Chinese clay roof tiles are specified across four primary project types:

• Temples: Glazed tiles are widely used for Buddhist and Taoist temple roofs. Heritage temple roof restoration often requires matching original glaze color and tile profiles, particularly when manufacturing documentation has been lost. Glazed ceramic tiles are specifically designed for the sloping roofs of temples.
• Pavilions and garden structures: Chinese clay tiles are specified for garden pavilions (亭子), gazebos, pagodas, and gateway structures. The curved eave and overlapping tile design provides an ideal roofing solution for these structures while preserving cultural aesthetics. Application scope covers both freestanding pavilions (10–30 m² typical roof area) and larger garden structures.

• Courtyards (Siheyuan): Traditional courtyard houses and四合院 projects use both glazed and unglazed clay tiles. Grey clay tiles (Qing wa) are particularly common in courtyard roofing, maintaining visual harmony with the enclosing walls and garden elements.
• Heritage restoration: Heritage restoration projects require tiles that match original materials in color, profile, and dimensions. The Forbidden City (Palace Museum) in Beijing represents a prominent example, where original roof tiles are salvaged, repaired, and re-glazed during restoration work. Modern restoration combines traditional craftsmanship with scientific analysis—glazed tile fragments from the Forbidden City are analyzed using X-ray diffraction to inform accurate reproduction.

Chinese clay tiles are designed for sloped roof applications. Glazed tiles are suitable for roof slopes of 15–90 degrees. The overlapping joint system requires specific roof pitches to ensure gravity-driven water shedding. Traditional installation methods involve mortar bedding, though modern applications may incorporate vented metal batten systems with mechanical fasteners.

Tile components include flat tiles (the main roofing surface), pan tiles (curved interlocking elements), eave tiles (edge transitions), and drip tiles (water runoff control).

Chinese clay roof tiles—both glazed and unglazed—remain the material of choice for temple, pavilion, courtyard, and heritage restoration projects. Their dimensional specifications, material composition, and compliance with GB/T 21149-2019 provide the technical framework for specification in both preservation and new construction contexts.