In the 1930s, Zhu Qiqian and his colleagues from the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture (Zhongguo Yingzao Xueshe) rescued the Qingdynasty Yangshi Lei Archives and began to study them. Today, the research on the Yangshi Lei family and the architectural drawings they produced has already lasted 90 years. This article synthesizes all the information from relevant research and outlines the history of Yangshi Lei studies in China by reconstructing the conceptual framework the previous generations of scholars had used to explore traditional Chinese architectural design methods and concepts. It is hoped that this discussion will draw attention to the development of academic ideas and research practice in China and enhance memory for the Yangshi Lei Archives that became part of the collection of the National Library of China 90 years ago.