Sun Dazhang was born in Tianjin and graduated from the Department of Architecture of Tsinghua University in Beijing. He has worked for the China Research Institute of Building Science, the China Design and Research Institute of Building Standards, and the Design Institute of the Construction Commission of Henan Province. He has been engaged in research on ancient Chinese architecture for over 50 years, and has been in charge of the restoration of ancient buildings, such as the Jingbian Tower in the Shanhaiguan Fortress and the Great Wall at Laolongtou. His notable works include A Narrative History of Ancient Chinese Architecture and A Dictionary for the Understanding of Ancient Chinese Architecture. He is currently a professor and researcher at the Research Institute for Chinese Architectural History at the Chinese Society of Architects. He also wrote Ritual and Ceremonial Buildings, another volume of the Library of Ancient Chinese Architecture series.
