Mujing 木經

Mujing 木經 is a brief text on wooden architecture written during the Song period 宋 (960-1279) by Li Jie 李誡 (1035-1110), courtesy name Mingzong 明仲, from Guancheng 管城 (Xinzheng 新鄭, Henan). He was the author of the famous construction book Yingzao fashi 營造法式 and also wrote the collections Xu shanhai jing 續山海經 and a book called Majing 馬經.

In some cases, the Mujing is erroneously referred to as Yingzao fashi. The authorship of the Mujing is alternatively attributed to Yu Hao 喻皓 (d. 989).

The transmitted version, representing only a fragment of the original 3 juan, includes an afterword written by Shen Kuo (1031-1094), the author of the famous Mengxi bitan 夢溪筆談. It is found in the series Shuofu 說郛 (Wanwei Shantang 宛委山堂 edition), which contains fragments quoted in the Mengxi bitan. The book specifies detailed dimensions of beams for building construction and explains modes of steepness concerning roofs, for instance, that of the wooden pagoda of Kaibao Monastery 開寶寺 in Kaifeng 開封 which Yu Hao constructed. The wording of the chapter is identical to the respective part in the Yingzao fashi, indicating that the latter copied from the Mujing.