Chapter 22 Chapter VI Residential Architecture

Siheyuan is the most basic form of housing in the north, especially Beijing's Siheyuan is the most typical.Its basic form is composed of several single buildings, which are placed on the four sides of the southeast and northwest respectively. The buildings are connected by corridors to form a square courtyard, so it is called a courtyard.The main building of the courtyard is called the main building, which faces south; the houses facing east and west on both sides are called wing rooms; the south is a row of corridors, and a door in the middle is called the second gate; To the south of the courtyard is a row of houses called inverted seats, and the gate of the courtyard is set at the southeast corner; to the north of the main house is a row of rear houses.The purpose of these houses is: the main house is the master’s house of the family, the east and west wing rooms are used by the sons and daughters, the front yard is turned upside down as guest rooms and servants, the back room is used as warehouses, kitchens and servant rooms, sometimes in the main house. The huts called ear rooms on both sides are mostly used as kitchens and toilets.This is the standard form of Beijing Siheyuan.Some small courtyards have only one courtyard, and the main entrance leads directly to the inner courtyard without a front yard or a back room; some large courtyards have several courtyards overlapping front to back or side by side; some have gardens and other courtyards. Catering to the needs of wealthy multi-generational families.The doors and windows of the courtyard house are all opened on the side facing the courtyard, and except for the side facing the street that sometimes has small windows on the back, the rest do not open windows, forming an introverted residential space enclosed on all sides.This kind of arrangement, on the one hand, conforms to a set of feudal patriarchal concepts such as orderly seniority and distinction between inside and outside, and at the same time meets the needs of a family's life.Entering from the gate, there is a short wall called the shadow wall facing you, with decorative carvings on it, which can play a blocking role, preventing people from directly seeing the houses in the inner courtyard as soon as they enter the gate. landscape.There are many kinds of flowers and trees in the inner courtyard, and the species depend on the hobbies of the owner. Tree species such as crabapple, persimmon, Bauhinia, and crape myrtle, and flowers such as peony, rose, hosta, chrysanthemum, and lotus are often used.There is a cross-shaped road paved with bricks and stones in the center of the yard, and the surrounding houses are connected by corridors for walking in rainy and snowy days.The whole courtyard avoids the hustle and bustle of the city, creating a peaceful and intimate environment.

Although the siheyuan in Northeast China is also composed of four-sided houses, due to the large area and sparse population in this area, horse-drawn carriages are often used as transportation in the local area, and the climate is cold, so the siheyuan here occupies a relatively large area and the yard is spacious, which is convenient for vehicles and horses to maneuver around.In particular, the east-west direction of the yard is long so that the main house can receive more sunlight.The gate opens in the center of the south. The gate is wide and has no high steps, which is convenient for carriages and horses to enter and exit.The courtyard houses in some cities in Shanxi are different from those in the Northeast. Because the urban land is tight and each household faces the street, they can only occupy a small area facing the street. , so the formed courtyards are mostly in the shape of a long and narrow strip that is long from north to south and narrow from east to west.