YIN AND YANG TILES
Tiles are the elements used to roof a construction, which are traditionally made of fired clay and may be glazed or unglazed. Later there are alternative materials apart from clay. From their shapes, tiles are usually grouped into yin and yang, fish scale, flat tiles, S-shape and rectangular tiles which were introduced to Vietnam by the French.
Yin and yang tiles are similar to Mission tiles in Europe. The upper lines are called yang, and the lower lines are yin, together they form drains through which rain water runs. The final tile of each row blocks the whole row into the wooden frame behind. At the end of the yang row there is a circle tile which is called câu đầu. It is usually adorned with floral patterns or stylized "longevity" character 壽 or the swatika (used in Buddhist context, not to be confused with Nazi context). The yan row ends with a triangular tile whose function is to shape the drain of rain water. The common decoration in those tiles are floral patterns, tiger and dragon. Plaster is sometimes used to enhence the stability of the roof. The roofs extend for a distance from the walls so that rain water will not soak and deteriorate the walls.
In Central Vietnam, tiles are customarily thick and tall. They are sometimes shaped into U convex to ensure the roof will not be blown away by strong wind. In South Vietnam, however, they are normally larger to allow better drainage due to the heavy and quick rains in the region. With the exception of temples and pagodas, tiles are mostly unglazed and the original color of terracotta is used in the color scheme, with few or no decorative tiles. Gutters are placed at the end of the roof to direct water to a particular point and also to gather water for further usage.
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