Chinese residential architecture - Building homes in human world - Walking through China

Author: Wang Qijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The Elegant Spaces "Grown" from Greening in Beijing Siheyuan
The Beijing Siheyuan and the houses within it are highly distinctive, with a sense of order and restraint, steady yet grand. The people living in the Siheyuan not only pay attention to the architectural form and decoration of the houses themselves but also place great importance on the treatment of the courtyard space. In traditional Chinese residences, a courtyard refers to the outdoor space enclosed by the houses. Larger courtyards are beneficial for lighting and ventilation, and they also allow for the planting of flowers and grass to beautify and green the environment. The courtyard is the most frequently used space in the Siheyuan, and people who love life naturally want to make their living environment more beautiful. "Greening," in this context, is the best way to improve the environment, and it holds even greater significance for the arid northern regions of China. Planting flowers and trees in the courtyard can first make people's living space fresher and more elegant, allowing them to breathe fresh air every day, while also satisfying their visual and aesthetic needs, providing rich spiritual enjoyment. Therefore, implementing extensive greening in the courtyard of a residence can be said to be a wonderful idea, both suitable for living and temperament.
A Gate Framed by Verdant Bamboo and Green Trees
Most Siheyuan gates are located in the southeastern corner to prevent outsiders from overlooking the interior and to maintain the privacy of the residence. Inside the gate, there are usually two courtyards: an outer courtyard and an inner courtyard. The outer courtyard is long horizontally but short in depth, while the inner courtyard is the main courtyard, with greater depth. Entering the outer courtyard from the gate and walking westward reveals guest rooms, male servant quarters, kitchens, and toilets. This is a gate surrounded by lush bamboo and green trees, creating a beautiful environment.
A Courtyard Gate with a Corbel Roof
This is a bird's-eye view of the front part of the No. 7 Siheyuan in Beijing's former Drum Tower Garden. Trees and flowers are planted in front of and within the courtyard, with a flat and spacious ground and a spacious, quiet, and airy space. The front courtyard wall protrudes with a gatehouse featuring a curved eave and a hard roof. The roof lines are graceful, and the overall design is simple yet grand. Only the fascia boards under the eaves are vividly red, and the delicate painted decorations on the fascia boards are also in light tones. To achieve a harmonious and unified architectural landscape, the brick walls on both sides of the gate are also topped with curved eaves, appearing very natural.
A Courtyard with a Unique Charm
Passing through the central gate, one enters the inner courtyard, which is the main courtyard. The main courtyard is nearly square and much wider than the outer courtyard. The north side is occupied by the main house, the largest room in the Siheyuan, where family rituals are held and guests are entertained. On either side of the main house are wing rooms for the elders of the family, with small, quaint corner courtyards in front of them. The corner courtyards are not paved with bricks or stones and are often used for planting flowers and trees, creating a very quiet and secluded space. The sides of the main courtyard are flanked by wing rooms, which are the homes of the sons.
A Secluded Back Courtyard Where the Younger Sister Lives Alone
In a more typical and complete Siheyuan, there is a narrower courtyard behind the main house. The northern part of this courtyard is the back wing room, the most private part of the Siheyuan. The central area is occupied by the rooms of the homeowner's daughter. Three or four branches extend horizontally from the eaves, making the small courtyard even more secluded.
A Serene Courtyard Scene
The spacious, open-air courtyard allows people to observe the sun, moon, and stars from home and admire the flowers and trees on the ground, reflecting the Chinese people's boundless love for the land and nature. Tall, upright trees, charmingly standing small trees, and green grass grow in the courtyard in a disordered yet harmonious manner, almost completely obscuring the buildings. For a moment, it seems as if one has stepped into a serene mountain forest.
A Corridor That Connects Hearts and Minds
Each room in the inner courtyard has a front veranda, and the connecting galleries (known as "chao you xuan") link to the hanging flower gate, allowing all the corridors to be interconnected. This creates a special space between the rooms and the courtyard, neither as enclosed as the rooms nor as open as the courtyard. On rainy days, it also prevents people from getting wet when moving to other rooms. Symbolically, it also implies that family members should often gather and chat, reminding them to help, love, and support one another.
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