Final answer:
The bracket set, also known as dougong, is the part of a Chinese building that transitions between the column and the roof, supporting the heavy roof and allowing for overhanging eaves.
Step-by-step explanation:
The detail of Chinese buildings that makes the transition between column and roof is the bracket set. In traditional Chinese architecture, bracket sets (also known as dougong) are a key feature used to spread the weight of the heavy roof and allow for overhanging eaves. These structures are composed of interlocking wooden brackets that are often highly decorative and serve both a functional and an aesthetic purpose. The bracket set enables larger space beneath the roof and contributes to the distinctive silhouette of Chinese buildings. Some structures might have more elaborate bracket sets to demonstrate importance, such as those with double-eave hipped roofs that signify imperial command, while others may have simpler configurations.
These bracket sets are not to be confused with alternatives such as cornices, flying eaves, or pinyin, which are different elements of architecture. Cornices are the horizontal decorative molding that crowns a building, flying eaves refer to the upward curving eaves seen in some Chinese structure roofs, and pinyin is the Romanization of Chinese characters based on their pronunciation, not a building feature.