The origin of the courtyard house

Siheyuan is an independent courtyard composed of the main house (usually the north house), the east and west wing rooms, and the south house. Shelter from wind and rain.

The former residence of Li Lianying, the great eunuch of the Qing Dynasty, located in No. 24 Caihefang, Haidian Town, is a quadrangle with three courtyards. It is now the office of Haidian District Health Bureau.

A courtyard located in Minxiang, Xijiao, is said to be the residence of a beer merchant in the Qing Dynasty. It is one of the best-preserved courtyards in Beijing. The other gate of the courtyard is located on North Xinhua Street. Among the courtyards in Beijing, it is The larger one has many rockeries in the courtyard.

Hutongs in Beijing generally run east-west and are mainly used for pedestrians. The courtyard door in the north of the alley usually opens in the southeast corner of the courtyard, and the courtyard door in the south usually opens in the west corner of the courtyard. Siheyuan is a typical residential form in Beijing.

Generally, quadrangle courtyards have two courtyards, and large ones have three or four courtyards and flower courtyards. The two-entry courtyard usually has a partition wall built between the east and west wings, and the outer house is usually where the staff live. , a luxurious hanging flower door is usually built between the inner and outer houses. There is a screen wall inside the hanging flower door, which is only opened when there are major events. In the old days, it was said that the young lady of a wealthy family could not go out through the front door, and the second door was not open. This refers to this door, and the male servants at home. Generally, you are not allowed to enter this door. The street gate is relatively simple and is usually built on the left side of the yard. The last row of main rooms in a large courtyard house is the back room.

Old Beijingers are very particular. For example, they cannot plant locust trees in front of their courtyards, because in the past, a kind of insect would fall from the locust trees, which is also known as the hanged ghost. They were worried that passers-by would say, "Why are there so many hanged ghosts here?" Ah." Because mulberry trees have the same pronunciation as "mourning", there are no mulberry trees planted near the courtyard. Most Beijing people love to plant oleanda in the yard

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The courtyard house in Shanxi

The courtyard house. It is a combined architectural form in civilian houses in North China. , is a square or rectangular courtyard. This type of courtyard generally adopts a closed combination form and has become a representative courtyard in northern rural areas of my country.

Siheyuan is very common in Shanxi, especially in urban and rural areas in central Shanxi and Taiyuan. This is of course the result of the courtyard economy and the product of the small farmer economy suitable for Shanxi conditions.

One family lives in a closed courtyard, leading a comfortable, leisurely and quiet life, enjoying family joy and family fun, which naturally creates a leisurely and contented atmosphere.

This kind of courtyard house was left over from the old society before the founding of New China and is still in use today. This kind of courtyard generally uses one entrance and exit gate. Normally, once the courtyard door is closed, it is in a completely closed state. Most of the courtyard gates of courtyard houses are wooden gates. One end of the door made of thick wooden boards is placed on the axis, and it can be opened and closed by rotating left and right, which is safe and reliable. In the courtyard, there is the main room, which is the north room. This is the main room in the courtyard, and generally the direction of a courtyard is from north to south. On the east and west sides are the east and west wing rooms. The east and west wing rooms are generally relatively symmetrical, and the architectural formats are generally the same or similar. There is a south room built on the south side, corresponding to the north room. The entire courtyard is mostly built in symmetry according to traditional Chinese customs. Of course, there are also ear rooms in the corners formed by the north, south, and east and west rooms. Some of these ear rooms are used to store grain and become grain depots and other warehouses. , some are used as kitchens, and there is also a corner, usually the southwest corner is the toilet, and the southeast corner is mostly the gate of the courtyard. This four-in-one courtyard format is more common in Shanxi counties and nearby rural areas. There are also some courtyards where the main door opens in the south direction.

In order to decorate the courtyard, some families also build a screen wall directly opposite the entrance to the courtyard. A brick wall. On the side facing the door, there are usually flowers, pine and bamboo patterns or large calligraphy characters placed prominently on the front of the screen wall, with words such as "Fu", "Lu" and "Shou" symbolizing auspiciousness.

There are also some screen walls painted with auspicious patterns, such as "pines and cranes prolong life," "magpies ascending plum blossoms," "unicorns delivering children," etc., creating a scholarly atmosphere in the courtyard. Some farmers also use the words or pictures of "good harvests," "good luck," and "blessings like the East China Sea." This kind of screen wall is located at the entrance inside the gate. Some are built separately, and some are set on the gable wall of the side room. Screen walls, also called screen walls, are square in shape, decorated with brick carvings on all sides, and the squares in the middle are filled with calligraphy or paintings. The screen wall is divided into two parts: the base and the wall. In addition to adding atmosphere to the courtyard and praying for good luck, the screen wall also plays an isolation role to make it difficult for outsiders to peek into the activities in the courtyard.

In the courtyard, the ground is paved with stone slabs, bricks, and cobblestones. Some have the entire courtyard paved, and some have paved the main passages. No matter how it is paved, there should always be a few areas left in the courtyard to plant trees and flowers as embellishments of the courtyard.

With the development of the times, there have been many changes in architecture. In rural areas, most of them have undergone great changes based on the original courtyard houses. This is to expand the number of rooms in the main house, because the main house - the north room has good lighting. Therefore, when building a house, make full use of the space and ground in the north as much as possible, which makes the courtyard irregular in shape, forming a square or rectangular courtyard in front of the main house, with the north house as the main house.

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Talking about Beijing is indispensable for the courtyard house. After asking me, I realized that courtyard houses have become a scene in Beijing.

This time, I’m going to pour some money into the community. Beijing buddies who don’t know much about it can take a look, so as not to be confused. It’s a bit awkward if you don’t know what’s going on at your doorstep...

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When friends from out of town come to Beijing to visit, they won’t feel wronged when visiting courtyard houses. They can talk about everything wherever they go. Isn’t it better than just walking around?

The courtyard house in Beijing began in the 12th century. It conforms to the requirements of the patriarchal system of feudal society and has been the traditional residential form in Beijing for hundreds of years.

Sihe means that there are houses in the southeast, northwest and northwest. The layout is strict and the courtyard is bright, giving people a sense of elegance, tranquility and comfort. The elders and the younger are orderly, each living in their own room, making it convenient to work and rest.

In the past, Beijingers paid a lot of attention to housing. As the saying goes: If you have money, you can’t live in a southeast house. It will not be warm in winter and cool in summer. They are all happy to live in a house on the north side of the road with a neat yard at the four corners. They don't like falling down the steps, saying that it is like jumping into a hole when entering (foolish...). Beijingers have four sayings: It is better to live in front of the temple than behind the temple; it is better to live on the left side of the temple than to live among the temple friends.

Conifers, cypresses and poplars cannot be planted in the yard, because they are trees planted in the shady house. It doesn’t matter now, you can plant them as you like, haha.

Beijing’s courtyard houses are divided into three sizes: large, medium and small.

Large Siheyuan: The main house has a front porch and a back building, with a covered room behind it. There is a hanging flower door in the middle of the flower wall on the south side of the east and west wings. Inside the door are four wooden screens. The east and west wing rooms have hand-painted corridors, which are connected to the hanging flower door. Some flower walls have two or three leaky windows on both sides of the hanging flower door.

Between the main room and the side room, there is a full moon door, which allows you to go from the corridor to the backyard. Some have halls that you can walk through.

In the outer courtyard, there is a flower wall on the east and west sides, a moon gate in the middle, four green-painted wooden screens, and red square characters. On the east side is "Dongbi Books" and on the west side is "Xiyuan Hanmo" . You can go to the cross courtyard from this gate.

The south room has a mountain verandah, which is a corridor connected by opening the door on the gable wall. This layout forms several courtyards connected to each other from east to west, north to south. The most typical courtyard houses in Beijing are Nawangfu (located in Jinyu Hutong) and Prince Gongfu (Shichahai West Street) during the Qing Dynasty. They are spectacular and have gardens.

Zhongsiheyuan generally has five or seven main rooms, with wooden partitions or floor-to-ceiling covers. Some main rooms and side rooms have corridors.

The five-room house has three main rooms and two side rooms. The side rooms have single doors, so-called "three main rooms and two ears".

With seven rooms, between the main room and the side room, there are two suites connected to the main room (opening on the gable). There are three east and west wing rooms respectively. There is an aisle between the wing rooms and the wing room, which can lead to the backyard.

On the south side of the east and west wings, there is a courtyard wall that separates the courtyard into an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard. They are all brick floors. There is no water in the courtyard after rain and clear weather. There is a moon gate in the middle of the courtyard wall. In order to prevent people from the outer courtyard from seeing the inner courtyard at a glance, a brick or wooden screen wall is erected behind the moon gate. Some put a few pots of flowers and a large fish tank in the yard, and set up a canopy in the summer to enjoy the shade in the yard.

Old Beijingers say: ceiling, fish tank, pomegranate tree. This is the scene in the courtyard in summer.

In the outer courtyard, there are one or two deer-top rooms in the east and west. The Luding house is slightly smaller than the wing house and is used as a kitchen or as a living quarters for servants.

There are seven rooms in the south room. The one at the east end is the main entrance, and the one to the west of the main entrance is the concierge. The door opens on the west gable of the main entrance.

The one at the west end can be used as a garage or as a side door.

The entire house features polished bricks with joints, yellow pine wood frames, double eaves for wind and fire, square tile floors inside, and bright and clean windows. Except for the deer roof, ear room and carriage house, all windows have upper branches and lower windows. The so-called "upper support, lower pick" means that the upper ones are two windows covered with Korean paper, and the outer one can be propped up with two thin iron rods. In summer, the window inside is replaced with a cold cloth for ventilation. In winter, the outside fan is no longer supported to keep out the wind and cold. The lower window is full of large glass. There is another window guard outside. You hang it up at night and take it down in the morning.

After liberation, this kind of courtyard house was divided into several families. When it was first liberated, most residents in Beijing lived in this kind of house. Now that Beijing’s population is increasing year by year, everyone is happily living in buildings. This kind of house is becoming less and less...

Small courtyard, this kind of courtyard has a simple layout, usually three rooms in the north room (also called the main room), and there are partitions in the room, divided into one light and two dark Or two darkness and one light. There are two rooms in the east and west wing, and three rooms in the south room (also called an inverted seat). They are all tile-roofed houses with bricks lying on the top and raised ridges. There are also small courtyards with a chessboard center, or with tiles and gray stems.

It is very suitable for a family of two or three generations to live in a small quadrangle with a separate courtyard. The parents live in the main room (upper room, upper room), the juniors live in the wing room, and the south room is used as the living room and study room. There is a brick-paved crossroad in the yard, which leads to the east, west, south, and north houses, and there are steps in front of the house doors.

The street gates are all in the southeast, and rarely open in the south, because the temple gates are all standing in the middle of the south, and they are all gate towers of Qingshui Ridge. There are two street gates facing each other, each of which is closed. There is a small iron ring for knocking on the door.

Such major buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties are becoming increasingly rare among today’s high-rise buildings. However, a number of them have been listed as cultural relics protection units. If you are interested, you can take a look.

They are: No. 87, Xijiaomin Lane, Xicheng District, No. 112, North Xinhua Street, Xicheng District, No. 23, Sixth Street, Xisi North Street, Xicheng District, No. 11, No. 11 Xisi North Third Street, Xicheng District, No. 19, No. 19 Xisi North Third Street, Xicheng District, No. 15, the public alley in front of Xicheng District No. 63-65, Dongsi Liutiao, Dongcheng District No. 129, Lishi Hutong, Dongcheng District No. 11, Ministry of Internal Affairs Street, Dongcheng District No. 7, Yuanensi Back Street, Dongcheng District No. 36 Fuxue Hutong, Cheng District (including No. 136 Jiaodaokou South Street) No. 20 Xinkai Road, Chongwen District.

Beijing has been heavily demolished recently. If you have a camera, go and keep those precious shots that will never be seen again, otherwise you will only be able to relive them in your memories in the future.

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The hanging flower door is a very particular door in the courtyard. ) the dividing line and the only channel .

The front courtyard and the inner courtyard are separated by hanging flower doors and courtyard walls. In the front yard, outsiders can be led to the south room and the reception room, while the inner yard is where the family lives and lives. Outsiders are generally not allowed to come in and out at will. Even the male servants of the family must comply with this rule.

In the old days, people often said, "If you can't go out through the main door, you can't step forward through the second door." The "two doors" refer to this hanging flower door.

The hanging flower door means that the eaves pillars on the door do not fall to the ground, but are hung on the central pillars. The pillars are engraved with gorgeous wood carvings such as petals, couplets (lotus) and leaves, with lotus flowers and flower cluster heads facing up. many. Because the hanging flower door is located on the central axis of the entire house, dividing the inside and outside, and the architecture is gorgeous, the hanging flower door is the most eye-catching place in the whole house.

The entire building of the Hanging Flower Gate takes up no floor space. This is one of the characteristics of the Hanging Flower Gate. Therefore, there is a large space inside the Hanging Flower Gate, which also provides great convenience for housewives and their female relatives and friends. .

The hanging flower gate is an important building in the courtyard. With its dignified and gorgeous image, it has become the dividing line between the outer courtyard and the inner house of the courtyard. The hanging flower door is usually located in the middle of the north side of the outer courtyard, opposite to the one in the middle of the inverted south room facing the street. Generally, the hanging flower door is built on the bluestone steps of the third or fifth floors. The two sides of the hanging flower door are brick walls with polished bricks and exquisite joints. The hanging flower gate is built on the main axis of the courtyard. Like the crossroads and the main house in the courtyard, it is on the same north-south main axis and is the first to be displayed in front of the guests. After entering the inner house, the pavilion and crossroads are separated to the left and right with the hanging flower gate as the central axis.

The hanging flower door is a highly decorative building, and almost every prominent part of it is decorated with exquisite decoration. The beam head on the outward side of the hanging flower door is often carved into the shape of a cloud head, which is called "hemp leaf beam head". This kind of carved beam head is rare in ordinary buildings. Under the hemp leaf beam head, there is a pair of short columns hanging upside down, with the stigma facing downwards. The heads are carved with shapes such as lotus petals, beads, calyx clouds or pomegranate heads, which resemble a pair of buds waiting to bloom. This pair of short columns is called "Weeping lotus pillars", the origin of the name of the Weeping Flower Gate is probably related to this pair of special vertical pillars. There are also beautiful carvings on the parts connecting the two vertical pillars, with themes such as "Eternal Generations of Descendants", "Three Friends of Winter", "Yu Tang Wealth and Honor", "Fu Lu, Longevity and Joy", etc. These carvings express the owner's longing for a better life, and also decorate the facade of this prestigious inner house with extra splendor and luxury.

Looking from the outside, the hanging flower gate looks like an extremely gorgeous gatehouse with a brick and wood structure. When viewed from inside the courtyard, the Hanging Flower Gate looks like a square hut with pavilions and pavilions. Because the four green wooden screen doors are often closed, they resemble a wall, adding to the three-dimensional effect of the hanging flower door. The top of the hanging flower door is mostly a rolling shed type. The top of the outer part of the door is a clear water ridge, while the inner part of the door is a rolling shed roof. The intersection of the two roofs hooks together forms a gutter. Half of the rainwater received by the hanging flower door The water flows out from both sides of the gutter, which greatly reduces the dripping water in front of the eaves and reduces the erosion of rainwater on the hanging flower door step stones.

In addition to its decorative features, the hanging flower door also plays a role in showing the owner’s financial resources, family history, cultural literacy, and even the owner’s hobbies and personality.

Every hanging flower door has two functions. The first is to have a certain defensive function. For this reason, the first door is installed between the two pillars on the outward side. This door is relatively thick. Similar to a street gate, it is called "Chessboard Gate" or "Zanbian Gate". It is open during the day for people to pass through, and closed at night for security purposes.

The second is to act as a barrier, which is the main function of the hanging flower door. In order to ensure the concealment of the inner house, another door is installed between the two pillars on one side of the hanging flower door. This door is called a "screen door". Except when there are important ceremonies in the family, such as weddings, funerals, marriages, and marriages, when the screen door needs to be opened, the screen door is closed at other times. When people enter and exit the second door, they do not pass through the screen door, but walk through the screen door. The inner courtyard and various rooms can be reached through the side doors on both sides of the door or through the hand-chaoist verandahs on both sides of the hanging flower door. This function of the hanging flower door fully plays a special role in communicating the inside and outside of the house and strictly dividing the space.

Through a small hanging flower gate, what we see is the diligence, intelligence and wisdom of the ancient Chinese working people, and they are pictures of folk customs with strong characteristics.

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The inner house of the Beijing Siheyuan

After entering the hanging flower gate, it is the inner house of the quadrangle. The inner house is a courtyard surrounded by buildings on four sides: the north room, the east and west wing rooms and the hanging flower gate.

The main room - the north room of the inner house is the main room, facing south. It is the most important room in the house. The base and the size of the house are relatively tall, usually three rooms, and large residences are Five rooms.

There are one or two rooms on both sides of the main room that are small in depth and height. They look like two ears hanging on both sides of the main room, so they are called side rooms. If there is one ear room on each side and two rooms on both sides, it is called "three positives and two ears". If there are two rooms on each side and four rooms on both sides, it is called "three positive and four ears". Most small-sized courtyard houses are "three squares and two ears", while medium-sized courtyards are mostly "three squares and four ears".

Wang rooms - There are three rooms on the east and west sides of the inner house, each with doors opening towards the courtyard, called wing rooms. If the courtyard is large in scale, a wing room can be added on the south side of the wing room.

Veranda - There are usually verandas connecting the main room, side rooms and the hanging flower door. All houses connected by verandas have verandas on the front eaves, and holes are left in the gables at both ends of the verandas, leading to the verandas, called verandas. The hand-painted corridors are all in the shape of a curved ruler, connecting the north room, the east and west wing rooms and the hanging flower doors, connecting the inner house into a whole. The verandah not only has the function of passage, but also enriches the layers and space of the inner house.

Main House---In a feudal society where elders and younger ones were organized and distinguished by superiority and inferiority, the allocation of residence in the inner house was very strict. The main house with a superior position in the inner house was given to the older generation of masters. , wife lives. Only the middle one of the three rooms in the north opens to the outside and is called the main room. The two rooms on both sides only open to the main room, forming suites, forming a pattern of one light and two dark.

The main room is a place where family members live, entertain relatives, or worship ancestors during festivals. There are multiple bedrooms on both sides. The bedrooms on the east and west sides are also distinguished by superiority and inferiority. Under the polygamy system, the east side is the superior one and is occupied by the main room, while the west side is the inferior one and is occupied by the side room.

The east and west wing rooms can have single doors or can be connected to the main room. They are generally used as bedrooms or studies. The east and west wing rooms are occupied by younger generations. The wing rooms are also light and dark. The middle room is a living room and the two sides are bedrooms. You can also divide the room on the south side and use it as a kitchen or dining room.

Back military rooms or back buildings are often built in courtyards of medium or larger size, mainly for the residence of women or maids who have not left the pavilion.

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Brick types in Beijing residential buildings

Bricks used in Beijing civilian housing are generally whole bricks with broken brick tips. What is a whole brick? This kind of brick is nine inches long, four and a half inches wide, and two inches thick. There is a deep groove in the middle of the front of the brick that runs through the entire length. Why is this deep groove set up? Experts say: to catch mud. The bricks are dark gray, larger and wider than today's machine-made red bricks, but slightly thinner. In addition to strip bricks, broken bricks or half bricks are mostly used in non-critical parts of housing construction in Beijing.

These weight-head tiles of different sizes and shapes, with missing faces and corners, suddenly shine after passing through the hands of Beijing masons. No matter how small the bricks and tiles are, they will be useful in the hands of Beijing masons. The gables and courtyard walls of our common Beijing residential courtyards are mostly made of strips of bricks and broken bricks. To build this kind of wall, first use strips of bricks to build the four corners, and fill the middle with broken bricks and mud, slightly shrinking inward. The purpose is to cover the broken bricks and mud with a layer of white plaster that is resistant to wind, rain, and snow. Extending the service life of the house, secondly, it is beautiful and generous, and thirdly, it saves labor and materials. Once this kind of wall is completed, the wall in front of you will have neat green bricks at the four corners and a snow-white wall in the middle, which makes people look very decent. There is one thing, you have to remember, don’t poke it open. Once it was taken apart, it was all broken bricks and loess, and there were still some rustlers inside the brick walls that were more than two years old! When this little insect moves, thin loess flows down intermittently like a cave stream. The building with the best performance of using broken bricks to build walls is the screen wall as soon as you enter the door. Paint a picture on the screen wall and write the word "peace" or "blessing". In front of the screen wall, put a few pots of flowers and trees, a fish tank, and an oleander, which is Sun. The monkey's sharp eyes can't see the "stuffing" in this embroidered pillow!

Beijingers’ housing taboos

If it is said that “if you have money, you won’t live in a southeast house, and it won’t be warm in winter and cool in summer” are the conditions for old Beijingers to choose housing, then what else? There is something even more unacceptable to old Beijingers when it comes to housing, and that is the role that numbers, location, and certain special objects play in living in Beijing.

Beijing people call the courtyard where living people live called Yangzhai, which means it represents vitality and vitality. The place where deceased people are stored - the cemetery, is called the ghost house. There are usually pine and cypress trees planted in the underworld, symbolizing the eternal thoughts of the dead. In addition, planting pine and cypress trees also plays a role in soil and water conservation and protecting tombs. Of course, in order to make it easier for people to find the graves of their relatives, they plant trees next to them. Once they grow up, they can see the place they want to visit miles away.

Contrary to graveyards, old Beijingers never plant pine and cypress trees in courtyards. Similarly, even if they bear the most delicious mulberries, their trees will not be favored by their owners. As for pears, which are refreshing and refreshing , the tree will also be rejected from the front yard and backyard. Why? It's probably because "mulberry" and "mourning", "pear" and "li" are homophonic. There is a saying in Beijing: "Sang pines, cypresses, pears, and locust trees cannot enter the prince's house." This is the truth.

Therefore, there are many kinds of Xifu crabapples, Lintong pomegranates, spring peach and jujube trees in Beijing’s residences. It can be said that: you can enjoy flowers in spring, enjoy the cool weather in summer, and taste fresh fruits in autumn. “Spring flowers and autumn fruits” can be used to summarize Beijing’s residential houses. The trees in it are most appropriate.

Beijing people also taboo that the ground in the courtyard is lower than the ground in alleys and streets. The reason is that as soon as you enter the door, you have to jump into a toad pit, and going from low to high when going out is like climbing a mountain, which is obviously unlucky. In addition, in numbers, odd numbers are unlucky and are not acceptable to most people. If you want to buy a box, you need to buy a pair, if you want to buy a chair, you need to buy two pairs, if you want to buy a hat tube, you need to buy a pair, etc. But there are also some that require an odd number, that is, the north room must have an odd number, either three or five. If there are four rooms, three large rooms must be built, and half a room on each side. It is known as: "Four Breaks Five" ". As for the east and west wing rooms, there are usually three rooms. The purpose is to create a central axis in the building combination in the courtyard. This line is like the backbone of the human body and is the most important source of Feng Shui in the courtyard. Because of this, even numbers are not popular in residential construction in Beijing. Therefore, there is a saying in Beijing, "Four or six does not make a difference."

Mendun in old Beijing

"Young boy, sitting on the gate, crying for a wife..."

Mendun, also known as door base, door platform , placed at the bottom of the door shaft, its function is to support the bottom of the door shaft - the lower door frame. In ancient times, most of the weapons commonly used on the battlefield had knives on the bottom, such as knives, spears, spears, spears, hammers, etc. Because the lower door cover carries the weight of a door, users require that the objects in contact with the door cover must have a certain hardness. Ordinary people mostly use wood. For long-term use and flexible rotation, people often add some oil to the rotating parts of the door to make it flexible. On the one hand, it is easy and silent, and on the other hand, the door axis is not easy to corrode.

For a slightly more elegant door, the stone under the door is extended outward and backward. Judging from the shape, some are rectangular like the pillows people use to sleep. People call this kind of door pillars also called door pillows. If the outside is made into a drum shape, people call it a door drum. Generally speaking, Beijingers still call them Mendun. Every summer, it is hot outside, but very cool inside the doorway. The breeze makes people like to chat beside the stone drum. Children are afraid of the heat, so women hold their children to cool down by the door pillar or wait for their family members to come back. I had nothing to do, so I came up with the children's song at the beginning of this article.

Because door drums and door pillows have several larger surfaces, people carved various patterns on them in order to beautify and appreciate them. Common ones include swastika patterns, and some are carved with auspicious patterns. For example, two lions playing in the water. Leopard's feet pattern, prosperity and wealth, wishful thinking head, double happiness with bamboo and plum, bamboo for peace, cloud head, Hui pattern, Bagua diagram and Tai Chi diagram, etc.

Most of the stone animals carved on door pillows in Beijing’s residential houses are stone lions, which can be found in front of almost every small and medium-sized courtyard house. Although many were smashed during the "Cultural Revolution", there are too many door pillars in Beijing, so now you can see intact door pillows and extremely finely carved stone lions in alleys in urban Beijing. Why should we carve stone lions in front of our door? The lion is the king of beasts, so carving a stone lion on the door pillow also shows the status of the owner of the house. The carving craftsmanship of the stone lions is extremely high. The male lions and the female lions have their own characteristics. Some are hydrangeas, some are caressing lion cubs, some are squatting, some are sitting, some are supine, or some are lying down. They have different postures, each with its own merits and lovable features.

The patterns on the door pillows and door drums depend on the design of the entire house. Because the door pillows and door drums are indispensable components of the door series of Beijing residential houses, the patterns on the door pillows should be carved. When designing, we must consider the width and narrowness of the work and the door, as well as the overall combination of the screen wall, door opening, hanging flower door, moon door, and door hairpin. Only by organically combining them can the integration of the architecture and the status of the owner be shown, and even the owner The characteristics and preferences are vividly expressed. As the saying goes, "The door is like its people", that's probably what it means!

The door gods of old Beijing

There are door gods in many houses across the country, especially in Beijing, which is the most culturally intensive area. The door god is one of the most believed gods in our country and in the folk customs of Beijing. Its long history, wide spread and variety are the most prominent among the folk gods. Only the door gods that stood proudly on the doors of thousands of households in Beijing in the old days are recorded below.

1. Ghost-catching door gods. The door gods are mostly Shen Tu and Yu Lei, golden roosters and tigers. It is said that there is a huge peach tree in Taoyudu Mountain, which stretches for 3,000 miles. There is a golden rooster on the top, and two gods below, one is Yu and the other is Liao, holding reed ropes to wait for ominous ghosts and strange birds. It was the first day of the lunar month, the sun was shining on the golden rooster, and the rooster crowed loudly. Then all the chickens in the world crow, and the golden rooster flies down and eats all the evil ghosts. The ghosts are afraid of the golden rooster and all run away, and the world is at peace. It is also said that after the two gods Yulei caught the ghost, they tied it with a reed rope and held it with a tiger. In the old days, after the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, Beijingers would stick door gods, decorate peach figures, hang reeds and draw tigers on their doors. Two lights on the left and right sides of the door symbolized tiger eyes to dispel bad luck, suppress evil and exorcise ghosts.

2. Pray for the door god. This kind of door god is not the protector of the door, but is used exclusively for praying. The central figure is the heavenly official who blesses the door. There are also bangs playing with the golden toad, a boy who attracts wealth and a little god of wealth. Most of the families of those who worship and post this are business figures, hoping to get fame, fortune, honor, deer, bats, horses, bottles and saddles from the door gods to welcome good fortune.

3. Taoist Gate Gods Most Beijing houses do not post them, but they are found in Taoist temples in Beijing. The two gods of the mountain gate are the Green Dragon Mengzhang on the left and the White Tiger Supervisor God on the right.

4. Military Door Gods Military door gods are usually posted on the gates facing the street. In order to prevent evil spirits or disaster stars from entering from outside the gates, the door gods provided often hold weapons. Such as: swords, guns, swords and halberds, axes and axes, hooks and forks, whips, maces, hammer claws, clang sticks, abductors, shooting stars, etc. The military door gods at the entrance of the Beijing Residential Courtyard are mostly Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong, the famous generals of the Tang Dynasty. Qin Qiong, also known as Qin Shubao, was a native of Licheng, Shandong. He was highly skilled in martial arts. He was known as Sai Zhuanzhu, who looked like Meng Chang. He was a Taibao with magic fists and a general with two maces. He defeated six prefectures in Shandong with his maces and rode his horses on both sides of the Yellow River. Yu Chigong, a general in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, was highly skilled in martial arts. He captured three cities by day and eight villages by night. He was named Duke of E for his achievements. After the two generals Qin and Yuchi helped Li Shimin conquer the world and establish the Tang Dynasty, why did they become the founding fathers and serve as folk door gods? "The Origin of the Three Religions Searching for Gods" records: Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, surrendered to Wagang, swept away Dou Jiande, and suppressed Du in his early years. Fuwei and other rebels killed countless people. After he ascended the throne, his health was extremely poor. He had restless dreams at night and had many nightmares. It was common for demons to throw bricks and tiles inside and outside the palace, and ghosts called out, causing the front and rear palaces, 36 palaces, and 72 courtyards to have no peace at night. Li Shimin was afraid of it. He told the officials that no one inside or outside the palace knew anything about it. Only Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, felt it and was afraid day and night. More than a month later, Taizong finally couldn't bear the torture of the evil spirits and summoned all the generals and ministers for discussion. The generals proposed that Marshal Qin Qiong and General Wei Chigong should guard the palace gates every night wearing armor and weapons. It was night, and as expected, nothing happened. Taizong and the military officials in the court cheered in unison. However, over time, Taizong missed Qin Qiong, and the two generals Yuchi Gong worked hard day and night, so he asked the palace painter to draw portraits of the two generals in military uniforms, with angry eyes and whips and maces in hand, and hung them on both sides of the palace gate. After that, all evil worship disappeared. Later generations followed this method and made the two generals the door gods forever, making them the door gods with the widest spread, the greatest influence, the highest prestige, the strongest popularity, and the love of both rich and poor among the people. They have been prosperous to this day.

The statues of the two door gods Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong are found in the most popular styles among private houses in Beijing, including sitting, standing, robe-wearing, armor-piercing, foot-fighting, and horse-riding. Some are dancing with a single whip and double mace, and some are holding golden claws, but there is absolutely no sign of holding a bow and arrow. The only door gods holding bows and arrows are the two statues of Xie Yingdeng, the archer who was the founding father of the Tang Dynasty, and Wang Bodang, a descendant of Marquis Wen, a friend of Jinlan. At the end of the Zong Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Liang Shanbo's heroes Xiao Wenhou Lu Fang and Sai Rengui Guo Sheng appeared again.

Because the door couplets and door gods are posted on the left and right sides of the door, a couplet was added to the left and right sides of the two door gods Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong: "He was the founding general in the past, and now he is the god of the house." To praise the founding fathers of the Tang Dynasty and the door gods that people love to worship.

The door gods of military commanders from the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the Republic of China were different in different parts of the country, and they were different in character from the door gods in folk houses in Beijing. For example, the door gods worshiped by the people of Henan are Zhao Yun and Ma Chao of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. The door gods worshiped by people in Hebei are Ma Chao and Ma Dai, while those in northwest Hebei worship Xue Rengui and Gaisu. Shaanxi people worship Sun Bin and Pang Juan, Huang Santai and Yang Xiangwu. Most of the posters in the Hanzhong area are Meng Liang and Jiao Zan, two reckless men.

In addition to Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong, those enshrined in Beijing folk houses also include Jie Zhen, Jie Bao, Lu Fang and Guo Sheng from "Water Margin". Because the courtyards in Beijing are relatively large, the area often extends to the alleys at the back. Therefore, in residences in Beijing, there is also a kind of door god posted at the back door. However, there is only one doorkeeper on the back door of residential houses in Beijing. Why? Because the back door is usually a single door. Who should I post it to? Most of them are Zhong Kui, the ghost-hunting god, and Wei Zheng, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. Everyone knows that Zhong Kui is a ghost hunter, and the reason why Wei Zheng became the back door god is also recorded in writing. The novel "Journey to the West" says: After Tang Prime Minister Wei Zheng beheaded the old Dragon King of Jinghe River, the ghost of the old Dragon King felt wronged and entered the inner palace every night to seek for the life of Tang Taizong Li Shimin. But Qin Qiong and General Yuchi Gong were guarding the palace gate. The old Dragon King's innocent soul did not dare to walk under the two maces and whips, so he went to the rear gate of the palace and smashed bricks and tiles. Since Qin Qiong and Yu Chigong were already at the front door, Prime Minister Wei Zheng had to personally hold the Dragon-Slaying Sword to guard the back door at night. As time went by, the old Dragon King's resentful spirit gradually declined, and the Dragon-Slaying Sword in Wei Zheng's hand no longer held high. Standing on one side. Wei Zheng was originally a civil servant in the romances of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. He first served as a Taoist priest at the Sanqing Temple in Erxianzhuang, Lucheng County. He was later regarded as a door god by the people. His statue also wields a sword and glares, giving him a heroic look.

Because Beijing is an ancient city and Yuan Dynasty