Zhejiang residential buildings

Author: Li Yuxiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-10-01
Features: "Old Houses" – This is how the common people refer to the ancient residential buildings where they have lived for generations. They are truly old, increasingly distant from modernity, and even their descendants no longer desire them. They are either demolished or sold. With economic development, old houses are becoming rarer, like endangered species of rare animals (a few famous historical sites are fortunate to be spared). What follows is the loss of precious cultural heritage, architectural art, and valuable tourism resources. By the time we realize, it may be too late. The unique atmosphere and cultural ambiance of old houses will be gone forever, and even if many new antiques are built, it will be in vain. A cluster of ancient villages with hundreds of households, each connected to the next, can be utterly captivating and make one forget to return! Old houses may be old, but they are also full of life. Represented by Huizhou-style residences, the residential buildings in southern Anhui embody a highly distinctive cultural phenomenon – they embody the social, economic, and cultural ideologies of the Ming and Qing dynasties in this region. Reading about "Old Houses" and stepping into the misty courtyards of Jiangnan may give you a dreamlike experience!