Villas. In Tang times (618-907) country villas contained multiple courtyards surrounded by lavishly furnished buildings that held splendid ornaments. They sometimes had gardens that contained mock mountains and pools. Those buildings, using modular systems of construction, indicated that wood-frame construction had completely developed by the tenth century.

The Great House. Two-story buildings became popular in Tang times. Both the main central structure and side wings had second stories. Inside the house there were delightful murals, modern-looking chairs and tables, large free-standing screens with landscapes painted on them, and a big wood-framed and paneled settee or bed on which several people could sit or lie down simultaneously.

Song Hotels. There were various kinds of houses in the cities of the Song dynasty (960-1279), many of which were moderately simple structures containing small suburban restaurants or wineshops. Most hotels had two stories, and the...