1. Side Chair

The side chair, or kaobeiyi, has a straight back with no armrests. The back consists of a crest rail joined to two vertical supports (stiles) and a central panel (splat). The crest rail may or may not extend beyond the stiles. In Beijing this form of chair is referred to as a, "lamp hanger’s chair," as the back and seat resemble the form of a traditional Suzhou oil lamp. The tall back of this chair was frequently used to hang silk embroidery and brocades for display purposes. The elegant simplicity of this design has made it very popular in the west.

2. Armchair

The armchair is a side chair with armrests. There are two basic types: the meiguiyi, or "rose chair," and the guanmaoyi . The rose chair had a low back and armrests which are at almost the same level. The size and low back of these chairs make them easy to arrange within a room. The official’s hat chair resembles an official’s hat, the putou, the front crown of this hat is lower than the rear one, with wide brims extending out to the sides. The seat and back of the official’s hat chair resemble the two crowns of this hat and the extended crest rails resembles the protruding brim.

3. Horseshoe-backed Armchair

The horseshoe-backed armchair, or quanyi , has a U-shaped crest rail, hence the name. The circular crest also serves as an armrest for the elbow and upper arm. The crest rail is made of several segments.

4. Folding Chair

The design for the folding chair originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1267 AD). The folding horseshoe-back chair was often placed in the middle of a public room and was reserved for the person of highest social rank. Even today the seating of individuals remains an important aspect of Chinese culture and the place of honor may be referred to as “the first folding chair”. Very few truly old folding chairs exist today.