Civil Residences in Deep Alleys
2 min readChina is a country of vast territory with many distinctive local customs, leading to the emergence of a rich range of folk architectural styles. Here we will discuss four architectural styles: the siheyuan, or courtyard in Beijing, the ancient town of Lijiang in Yunnan, the folk residences in the mountains of Anhui Province, and the ancient town of Xitang south of the lower Yangtze River. Each has its own unique characteristics, while at the same time well reflecting the Chinese style of civil residences.
siheyuan in Beijing
The courtyard architectural style exists in both southern and northern China. The courtyards of Yunnan in southern China are famous for the elegance of their white walls, black tiles, colorful paintings, and stone and brick carvings, in addition to lush green foliage. Courtyards in the north are represented by the siheyuan in Beijing,a symbol of the city.
The outstanding feature of a Beijing siheyuan is the “yard,”a closed space formed by four rows of houses on its four sides, with only one gate leading to the outside world. If there are windows facing outside, they exist only on the southern wall of the southern house and high above the ground. It makes for a completely secluded world, once the gate is closed.
As the main style of civil residence in Beijing, the siheyuan first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty(1206-1368), when Beijing became the capital city. In the urban design of the time, civil residences were required to be built in a courtyard style, in which connected courtyards formed the alleys and blocks. Though each unit was independent, these courtyards formed an organic part of the city landscape.
The closed courtyard style was inherited by later generations because it well suited the geographic characteristics of the area. Beijing, as a large city and a transport hub, had a large population of migrant people. Safety was an important factor that had to be taken into consideration. And the courtyard, with its high strong walls, locked gates and high windows well served this purpose.
overhead.laoyoutofasiheyuanin Beijing
Beijing is a city that frequently endured sandstorms in the spring and icy cold winds in the winter.The limited number of windows of a courtyard prevented the sand from invading，while keeping the bone-biting cold air and wind outside.Today，many siheyuans have been torn down，and their residents have moved into high-rises.However，at night when cold winds roar，people often miss the peace of the courtyard，which once served as a haven for their ancestors.
