| Factor | Building function | Architectural form | ||||||||
| Features | primitive belief | cultural symbol | get together | War warning | Zhaizhuang | nest | gate house | dry lantern | Early Drum Tower | dense eaves pavilion drum tower |
| Paleolithic | √ |
|
|
| √ | √ |
|
|
|
|
| Neolithic | √ |
| √ |
|
|
| √ |
|
|
|
| Shang Zhou to Warring States Period | √ |
| √ |
|
|
| √ | √ |
|
|
| Qin Han |
|
|
|
|
|
| √ | √ |
|
|
| Sui Tang |
|
| √ |
|
|
|
| √ |
|
|
| Song Yuan |
|
| √ | √ |
|
|
| √ | √ |
|
| Ming |
| √ | √ | √ |
|
|
|
| √ |
|
| Qing |
| √ | √ | √ |
|
|
|
|
| √ |
| Republic of China |
| √ | √ | √ |
|
|
|
|
| √ |
| People’s Republic of China |
| √ | √ |
|
|
|
|
|
| √ |