Lei Fada

CHINA, Jiangxi, Jiujiang; Ming to Qing dynasty

Lei Fada, also known as Mingsuo, was an architect and craftsmen from Jianchang (present day Yongxiu county in Jiujiang). He was a descendant of Lei Qilong and a member of the Lei family of historical architects.
Lei began his career as a carpenter with extraordinary skills. He was later invited to Beijing to participate in the palace construction, a project after which he was appointed the head of the Qing Model Building Design Committee. Lei subsequently rebuilt Taihe Hall in accordance with its original design and achieved illustrious results.
Thereafter, Lei’s trade was carried out by his descendants for seven generations over a span of two centuries. Their style of construction was unique in that prior to building, grass paper was heated to compress into molds. These molds form what are now commonly known as the Lei models. The Lei family model style of construction is still greatly respected today.