Siheyuan
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A Siheyuan (Chinese: 四合院; pinyin: sìhéyuàn) is a type of residence commonly found throughout China, but most famously in Beijing. The name literally means a courtyard, a space enclosed by walls, a yard surrounded by buildings, an enclosed quadrangle area. In China a courtyard is called a siheyuan, meaning a yard surrounded by four buildings. Throughout Chinese history, the siheyuan composition was the basic pattern used for residences, palaces, temples, monasteries, family businesses and government offices. There were simple courtyards and there were courtyard villas.
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[edit] History
As early as the Western Zhou period (1122 BC to 256 BC), Siheyuan with a complete layout were already built, carrying the most outstanding and fundamental characteristics of Chinese architectures. They exists all across China and are the template for most Chinese architectural styles.
[edit] Why Siheyuan?
Such a residence offers space, comfort and quiet privacy. It is also good for security as well as protection against dust and storms. Grown with plants and flowers, the court is also a sort of garden.
In feudal times, the courtyard dwellings were built according to the traditional concepts of the five elements that were believed to compose the universe, and the eight diagrams of divination. The gate was made at the southeast corner which was the "wind" corner, and house was made to face the south with the main building on the north side which was believed to belong to "water"-- an element to prevent fire.
Siheyuan represent Beijing residents’ childhood happiness, an old image branded on their collective memory. From a foreign visitors’ point of view, the siheyuan scenario, with fruit sellers along the hutong, or narrow lanes, lined with small shops selling various daily life utensils, has a bewitching charm redolent of the rich flavor of Beijing life. Such areas offer the best chance to interact with the local people and observe their daily life. Siheyuan, in effect, shorten the distance between people.
Beijing's Siheyuan are cordial and quiet, with a strong flavor of life. The courtyard is square, vast and of a suitable size. It contains flowers and is set up with rocks, providing an ideal space for outdoor life. Such elements make the courtyard seem like an open-air, large living room, drawing heaven and earth closer to people's hearts; this is why the courtyard was most favored by them. The verandah divides the courtyard into several big and small spaces that are not very distant from each other. These spaces penetrate one another, setting off the void and the solids, and the contrast of shadows. The divisions also make the courtyard more suited to the standards of daily life. Family members exchanged their views here, which created a cordial temperament and an interesting atmosphere.
In fact, the centripetal and cohesive atmosphere of Beijing's Siheyuan, with its strict rules and forms, is a typical expression of the character of most Chinese residences. The courtyard's pattern of being closed to the outside and open to the inside can be regarded as a wise integration of two kinds of contradictory psychologies: On one hand the self-sufficient feudal families needed to maintain a certain separation from the outside world; on the other, the psychology, deeply rooted in the mode of agricultural production, makes the Chinese particularly keen on getting closer to nature. They often want to see the heaven, earth, flowers, grass and trees in their own homes.
[edit] Rich and Poor
All the quadrangles, from their size and style one could tell whether they belonged to private individuals or the powerful and rich. The simple house of an ordinary person has only one courtyard with the main building on the north facing, across the court, the southern building with rooms of northern exposure and flanked on the sides by the buildings of eastern and western chambers. The mansion of a titled or very rich family would have two or more courtyards, one behind another, with the main building separated from the view of the southern building by a wall with a fancy gate or by a guoting (walk-through pavilion). Behind the main building there would be a lesser house in the rear and, connected with the main quadrangle, small "corner courtyards".
The lord and lady of the house lived in the sunny main building and their children in the side chambers. The southern row on the opposite side, those nearest to the entrance gate, were generally used as the study, the reception room, the man servants' dwelling or for sundry purposes.
Not only residences but ancient palaces, government offices, temples and monasteries were built basically on the pattern of the siheyuan, a common feature of traditional Chinese architecture.
[edit] General Layout
Stepping over the high wooden base of the front gate of a large compound, you will find a brick privacy wall located a few feet inside. In front of the privacy wall is the outer courtyard, which is flanked by structures to the east and west. In former days, these were the kitchen and servants' living quarters. A red-painted gate leads through the north wall of the outer court into the inner courtyard. The main building faces south to get the maximum possible sunshine in winter, and the eaves provide a pleasant shade in summer when the sun is high. The building is divided into three or five rooms: living or community rooms in the centre with smaller bedroom or studies at each end. The buildings facing east and west on each side of the court were constructed to accommodate married children and their families. Some dwelling compounds consist of several courtyards. With no steel or concrete, the entire dwelling was generally wood-framed with brick infill. The compounds are quiet, beautiful and compact.
It is normal for the four buildings of the quadrangle to be positioned along the north-south, east-west axes. The building positioned to the north and facing the south is considered the main house and would traditionally have accommodated the head of the family. The buildings adjoining the main house are called "side houses" and were the quarters of the younger or less important members of the family. The building that faces north is known as the "opposite house" and would generally be where the servants lived or where the family would gather to relax, eat or study. The entrance gate to the courtyard is usually at the southeastern corner. Normally, there is a screen-wall, called a yingbi (Chinese: 影壁; pinyin: yǐng bì), inside the gate so that outsiders cannot see directly into the courtyard, and believed to protect the house from evil spirits. Outside the gate of some large siheyuan, it is common to find a pair of stone lions. The gates are usually painted vermilion and have large copper door rings. All the rooms around the courtyard have large windows facing onto the yard and small windows high up on the back wall facing out onto the street. Some do not even have back windows. Some large compounds have two or more courtyards to house the extended families that were a mark of prosperity in ancient times.
[edit] Why this layout?
The layout of a simple courtyard becomes a vivid representation of traditional Chinese morality. Due to Beijing's geographical location, four buildings in a single courtyard receive different amount of sunlight. The northern one receives the most, thus serving as the living room and bedroom of the Siheyuan owner. The eastern and western buildings receive less, and serve as guestrooms. The southern one, opposite the owner's house, receives the least sunlight, and usually functions as the quarters for service staff. The northern, eastern and western buildings are connected by beautiful decorated passages. These passages serve as shelters from the sunshine during the day, and provide a cool place to appreciate the view of the courtyard at night. Behind the northern building, there would often be a separate building for unmarried daughters. In ancient China, unmarried girls weren't allowed direct exposure to the public, thus, they would occupy the most secret building in the Siheyuan.
Though built a long time ago, a Siheyuan is a scientific, human-oriented architecture. Northwestern walls are usually higher than the other walls, to protect the inside buildings from the harsh winds, blowing across northern China in the winter. The leaves curve downward, so when it rains the accumulated rainwater will flow along the curve rather than dropping straight down. The rooftop has ridge design, so when sunshine falls down on the roof, shade is provided. This helps the room to escape direct exposure to sunshine in the summer while retaining warmth in the winter.
[edit] Siheyuan Outside of Beijing
In Gansu, Qinghai and other northwest regions, where a sand-laden wind is very strong, the height of courtyard walls is increased. The northeast region is extensive, but the weather is cold, so that, in order to take in as much sunshine as possible, the courtyard is broad and large, and there are many open areas inside the courtyard walls.
[edit] Disappearing Siheyuan in Beijing
Nowadays, these peaceful quadrangles are hard to find in Beijing.
The reasons are as follows:
1. Recent, massive population growth in the city has created a significant housing shortage. Since 1949, large-scale construction programs carried out in the city involve the demolition of many siheyuan compounds.
2. During the initial post-liberation period, government offices occupied some quadrangles. Later they were demolished to build office buildings.
3. During the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976), air-raid shelters were dug everywhere in Beijing, resulting in the destruction of some dwelling compounds.
Systematic demolition of old urban buildings took place during China’s rapid economic development of the 1990s. Large-scale demolition of siheyuan began when the municipal government implemented a housing renovation policy that allowed developers to replace old and derelict dwellings with high-rise buildings.
Between 1990 and 1998, a total 4.2 million square meters of old housing was demolished, most of it siheyuan. Today, the area occupied by siheyuan has shrunk from the 17 million square meters of the early 1950s to just three million square meters. According to Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage statistics, of the 3,000 courtyards remaining in Beijing, only 539 are in Cultural and Historical Conservation Areas. The remaining siheyuan exist within a damaged ecological environment, and as they have not been refurbished for many years, their historical and aesthetic value is greatly reduced.
[edit] Siheyuan Today - Beijing
Today, Beijing still has about 400,000 residential quadrangles, mainly distributed over the East, West, Xuanwu and Chongwen districts of the city. Those in the East and West districts are in the best shape. The departments concerned with the preservation of cultural relics in Beijing have identified a number of good-quality dwelling compounds for protection. In addition, the urban construction departments have worked out a plan to limit high buildings in the city proper to protect the dwelling compounds.
Since housing is now one of the most difficult problems facing Beijing, a city that is growing both spatially and in terms of population at a fast rate. The siheyuan, designed as single, extended family residences, today most often house multiple families, with courtyards being infilled to provide extra living space. The hutong laneways are similarly built into, creating cramped and poor quality physical environment. The living conditions in many siheyuans are now considered squalid, with very few having private toilets. Siheyuan are being torn down to address problems of overcrowding, replaced by modern apartment blocks. There are, however, still some grand siheyuan in Beijing that have been preserved in all their former glory. Mainly built for nobles and high officials before the turn of the century, many have been turned into museums, and others are being lived in by governmental officials or used as government offices.
[edit] Best-preserved Siheyuan in Beijing
Nanchangjie and Beichangjie (southern long street and northern long street) Nanchangjie and Beichangjie both start from Xihuamen Dajie with Nanchangjie running south to Changan jie and Beichangjie running north to Jingshan Qianjie. In the Qing dynasty, the various departments of the domestic affairs ministry were established here. At present various temples, including the Fuyou Temple, Wanshou Xinglong Temple, Zhaoxian Temple and Jingmo Temple line this street.
Location: east to Beihai Park, Dongcheng
- Wusi Dajie
Named after the famous "May 4 Movement", Wusi Dajie was built after the liberation of the country, connecting already existing mansions, temples and Hutongs. Famous scenic spots include Beida Honglou (Peking University red building), the birthplace of the "May 4 Movement", the Longfu Temple, hosting the largest book fair, and National Art Museum of China.
Location: northeast of the Forbidden City
- Nanchizi and Beichizi (southern pond and northern pond)
Divided by Donghuamen Dajie, Nanchizi runs south to Changan jie and Beichangjie runs north to Jingshan Qianjie. Nanchizi and Beichizi are separated from Nanchangjie and Beichangjie by the Forbidden City in the north and Tiananmen Square in the south.
Location: east of Tiananmen Square, east of the Forbidden City, Dongcheng
- Wenjin Jie
Crowned by expatriates as the most beautiful street in Beijing, Wenjin Jie boasts old houses, beautiful scenery and profound cultural relics. The Jinao Yudong Bridge divides Zhonghai and Beihai. Location: the street south of Beihai Park, dividing Beihai Park and Zhonghai
- Zhishanmen Jie
Named after the east gate of Beihai Park, and literally meaning the gate to climb a mountain, Zhishanmen Jie is the home of the famous Hutong, Xuechi Hutong. This particular Hutong was once used as the storehouse of ice blocks by royal families.
Location: between Jingshan Xijie and Beihai Park
- Jingshan Dong, Xi, Hou and Qian Jie (Jingshan east, west, back and front street)
These four streets circle Jingshan Park forming a square.
Location: at the northern gate of the Forbidden City, Xicheng
- Dianmen Neidajie
Starting from Jingshan Houjie, running along Beihai, Qianhai, and Houhai until Zhonggulou (drum and bell tower), Dianmen Neidajie connects several quite reminiscent lanes.
Location: starts from Jingshan Houjie and runs north to Dianmen
