Architectural polychrome painting developed in China as 彩画 (cǎihuà), a system of decorative color applied to beams, brackets, and ceilings. Flourishing from the Tang dynasty onward, it combined symbolic palettes, geometric grids, floral medallions, and mythological motifs. Built around the Five Colors (五色) system, derived from Five Elements (五行) cosmology, with the five core colors being: blue/green, red, yellow, white, and black.
This visual system spread to other regions in the Sinosphere. In Korea, it is known as 단청 (Dancheong), a highly systematized temple painting tradition that preserved many foundational decorative principles.
An older post about Caihua: https://www.tumblr.com/sinoheritage/783227682248884224/caihua-%E5%BD%A9%E7%94%BB-colour-painting-is-the-traditional
