Ningbo’s Spiral Coffered Ceiling Craft Debuts in Bulgaria

A unique traditional architectural treasure of Ningbo — the ancient opera stage spiral coffered ceiling — has made its overseas debut in Eastern Europe. The special exhibition Boundless Construction: A Dialogue Between Chinese Architectural Wisdom and the World recently opened at the China Cultural Center in Sofia, Bulgaria. Co-hosted by the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo Academy of Culture and Tourism, and the China Cultural Center in Sofia, the event showcases the thousand-year-old wooden craftsmanship of Ningbo’s spiral coffered ceilings, facilitating cross-continental architectural cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe.

Curated by Professor Xie Jing’s team from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, the exhibition centers on Ningbo’s iconic spiral coffered ceilings and adopts cutting-edge digital technologies including high-precision 3D modeling and VR virtual reality for immersive display.

High-precision 3D-printed ceiling components, developed from the team’s digital inheritance project of spiral coffered ceilings, are on full display, intuitively presenting the exquisite tenon-and-mortise structure of traditional Chinese wooden architecture. Through immersive digital experiences, local audiences can closely appreciate the layered, intricately patterned ceilings and feel the perfect integration of ancient craftsmanship and modern technology without traveling to southern China.

Updated from its domestic premiere, the overseas exhibition adds digital models and interactive scenarios of four major cultural heritage buildings, fully demonstrating the integration of Chinese and foreign architectural civilizations from diverse perspectives.

Ningbo preserves over 300 ancient opera stages. Famous for its complex rotating bracket structure, the spiral coffered ceiling is a distinctive local architectural treasure. It embodies the ancient Chinese philosophy of harmony between humanity and nature, while boasting practical functions such as acoustic optimization, fire prevention and cultural blessing rituals, serving as the core intangible cultural heritage of Zhejiang’s ancient opera stage craftsmanship. For years, Professor Xie’s team has conducted field research on historic sites including Qing’an Guild Hall, Qin Clan Branch Ancestral Hall and Shuangzhi Temple in Qingtan Village. Working with heritage inheritor Wang Shichun, the team has systematically sorted out traditional construction procedures and built a comprehensive research database for coffered ceilings.

The Boundless Construction exhibition is free to local residents, scholars and tourists at home and abroad, and will run until August 31.