Regulated but not chromatically codified: a comparative study of cross-regional color grammar in Ming-Qing Paifang

Paifang in the Ming-Qing ritual architectural system were closely regulated in form and function, but not governed by a unified chromatic code. This paper examines how local color practices emerged within this regulatory gap. Drawing on representative cases from five sites, it combines field records, standardized image-based color sampling, CIELAB metrics, statistical tests, and comparative case analysis to assess three mechanisms: material properties, functional classification, and period-related material change. The results indicate that paifang palettes are largely material-driven: dominant hues are anchored in the inherent colors of stone, brick, wood, glazed components, and other materials, while also being mediated by local aesthetics and craft practices. Functional comparisons suggest a non-significant but coherent tendency: marker paifang are often brighter and more visually recognizable, whereas many commemorative types remain closer to their material true color. Selected late Qing and early Republic of China periods cases involving new materials or construction techniques tend to show higher lightness and greater color difference, but evidence for increased chroma or saturation remains limited. Overall, paifang color is best understood as a locally generated chromatic grammar operating within an overarching ritual-regulatory order.