Why are there so many "courtyards" in Shanxi?

How much do you know about the century-old houses scattered in Shanxi? Due to the destruction of a series of wars in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, there are few existing Ming Dynasty houses in Shanxi, and most of the relatively intact ones are the mansions of Shanxi merchants in the Qing Dynasty, such as Qixian, Taigu and Pingyao counties, which were the financial centers of the Qing Dynasty. In addition to several clusters of houses open to the public in Yangquan, Jiexiu, Lingshi, Xiangfen and other places along the transportation lines, there are also many scattered old houses, some of which are even hidden in the mountains, waiting to be further understood and developed. .

The economic policies of the Ming Dynasty were most beneficial to the salt merchants of Hedong and the iron smelters of Zelu. The representatives of Shanxi merchants in the Ming Dynasty were undoubtedly the salt merchants of southern Shanxi and the iron merchants of Zelu. In the Qing Dynasty, merchants traveling to Mongolia and ticket merchants were the most popular. In the Qing Dynasty, Shanxi's wealthy merchants were mostly ticket merchants and trading merchants concentrated in central Shanxi. These big businessmen once built luxurious and magnificent houses. Unfortunately, their former mansion was destroyed by war and social unrest.

With the vigorous development of handicrafts and commerce in the Ming Dynasty, Pingyao City was full of workshops and merchants. The development of the commodity economy has promoted the development of the construction industry and the improvement of construction technology levels. After the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the banknote pawn industry in Pingyao City flourished rapidly, and people who made a fortune doing business carried out large-scale construction projects. The quality and grade of urban and rural residential buildings therefore reached a new level. Gorgeous, grand, and ingenious buildings were scattered throughout the city. In the bustling market, throughout the streets and alleys of Pingyao City, protected by the city walls of the Ming Dynasty, the houses of wealthy businessmen and merchants line the streets and alleys, becoming a precious cultural heritage dedicated to mankind by the ancient city of Pingyao.

There are more than 3,000 courtyard houses in Pingyao City, of which more than 400 are intact. There are more than a dozen large-scale ancient houses, including the house of Lei Lutai, the first general manager of Rishengchang Bank, who lived in the city during the Daoguang period on Ximen Academy Street. The Carp Jumping Dragon Gate courtyard has been continuously built and expanded over the past hundreds of years. There is the old courtyard of Hou Wangbin, the first general manager of Tianchengheng Bank, on Shaxiang Street. There is the "seven rooms and seven purlins" house of Hou Dianyuan, the son of Hou Wangbin. The former residences of Hui's Weisheng Changqiao account manager and Zun Lian include the courtyard of Zhao Dadi, the owner of the famous "Xinglongyi" Buzhuang and Qianzhuang in Pingyao City in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and the most famous scholar in Pingyao in the late Qing Dynasty, Wang Peilin. Houses... These ancient houses and old homes are the best footnotes to the many Shanxi houses in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The hierarchical system is the most prominent feature of China’s feudal political system, and the corresponding palaces, temples, and residential cultures also fully reflect this feature. The concept of hierarchy in Shanxi houses is vividly reflected. Most Shanxi houses have a symmetrical front-to-side structure. The main courtyard is high at the top and low at the bottom. The atrium is open, the hierarchy is orderly, and the hierarchy is clear. The main courtyard is spacious, the main house is tall, and the wing rooms are lower than the main house and smaller than the main house.

In the feudal era, the general concept of male superiority and female inferiority was followed, and the old concept of "only women and villains are difficult to raise" has left a deep imprint on the architecture of Shanxi houses. The lady's embroidery house is usually built low and narrow. Although it is exquisite and small, it also has traditional moral metaphors such as women were not allowed to stand out and women's personality was not allowed to show off. The three cardinal guides, five constants, three obedience and four virtues that restrain women are fully reflected in the house architecture. The Cao family house in Taigu retracted the embroidery building a few feet to limit the sight of the people in the boudoir, architecturally block their ability to look left and right, and imprison their thoughts. This was also the requirement for women in the feudal era, to comply with etiquette and submerge individuality. , endure and retreat, follow your father and your husband. The architectural culture that discriminates against women has not changed much even in the Republic of China.

In Shanxi house architecture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Feng Shui was also very particular. Before building a courtyard, first ask a Feng Shui master to select a site. When setting up foundations and raising beams, worship the heaven and earth, fire cannons to celebrate, engrave "Taishan Stone Gandang" on the wall legs, or set up a stone Gandang in front of the door and one behind the house. A thing to ward off evil spirits and suppress demons, in order to obtain psychological stability and comfort.

After the foundation site is determined, a Feng Shui master will be invited to designate the house. The Feng Shui master determines the angle of the central axis of the house based on the birth date of the house builder. He first uses a compass to determine the direction of true south and true north, and then adjusts it to a certain angle to the left or right, which is called grabbing the sun or grabbing a few points of the sun. This means that the master's life is not strong enough and he may not be able to afford it if he builds a house facing south. Only the imperial palace in the world can open its door facing south.

Once the location and size of the main courtyard and main room are determined, the remaining wing rooms, side rooms, and side courtyard rooms can be reduced one after another according to a certain procedure, and the layout of the entire hospital is basically determined. The sage’s teachings of “The benevolent enjoy the mountains, the wise enjoy the water” have penetrated into all aspects of Chinese culture for thousands of years. The primary criterion for choosing a homestead is that it has mountains behind it and faces water. The owner of the home must not only enjoy the nobility of the benevolent, but also the comfort of the wise. . This choice is due to both geographical reasons and convenience of life.