Compared with the courtyard houses in Beijing, the courtyards in Shanxi become more spacious in the north and south. Is it because the western sun is so severe in summer?

Shanxi Siheyuan Qiao Family Courtyard Although Shanxi residential Siheyuan and Beijing Siheyuan both belong to the northern Siheyuan type, they are quite different in terms of Siheyuan type, architectural form, decorative style, etc. With its distinctive personality, Shanxi courtyard houses have become a unique branch of the courtyard family. The Qiao Family Courtyard, Qu Family Courtyard, Cao Family Courtyard, Wang Family Courtyard and Chang Family Manor are the most representative.

First of all, pay attention to the defensive nature of the building. Shanxi is a "nine-border town" with frequent wars since ancient times. Big merchants pay special attention to the safety of their homes. Defensiveness is emphasized in Shanxi folk houses: the closed appearance of the courtyard shows vigilance against the outside world, all of which seem to give Shanxi folk houses an indifferent expression. Shanxi merchant houses have a rigorous structure, usually in a closed structure and separated by tall walls. The courtyards are connected to each other and spread out left and right along the central axis to form a huge building complex. Shanxi courtyard houses generally use 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. Shanxi courtyard houses generally have no windows on their external gables, and are tall and wall-mounted, with a closed appearance.

Secondly, it pays attention to the decorative nature of the building, which has the characteristics of being handsome on the outside and beautiful on the inside. The exterior walls of Shanxi residential courtyards are all made of gray exposed brick walls, with a simple and simple color, and a tall and closed appearance. However, due to the synergistic effect of the different shapes of house doors, ridge decorations, chimney caps, Feng Shui towers and Feng Shui screen walls, the outline of the building along the street is plump and stretched. Although the residences are ancient but not stale, they are unified but not monotonous, rich but not messy, and delicate but not trivial. As Mr. Liang Sicheng said, "excellent on the outside and beautiful on the inside" is the characteristic of Shanxi folk houses. The gorgeous house doors, scattered gables, and exquisite wood carvings all make people marvel at the wealth of Shanxi merchants.

In addition, pay attention to the cultural connotation of architecture. The traditional Confucian etiquette thought is the main idea guiding architectural creation, supplemented by the theory of metaphysics and Feng Shui. The closed overall structure of the compound, the clear priorities, and the layout of different buildings inside and outside can all be found in the etiquette, hierarchy, and routines of feudal ideology. Folk customs are also on display in the courtyard: decorative patterns symbolizing wealth and auspiciousness emerge in endlessly, and scenes of legends and stories containing Confucian education are everywhere.

Compared with the courtyard houses in Beijing and the courtyard houses in Shanxi, what you said may be more reasonable depending on the situation.