Explain in detail the characteristics of Guangdong’s residential buildings (explained from the perspective of geographical knowledge)
Residential Residences of Guangdong Architecture: The Scenery of Qilou
Residential Residences of Guangdong Architecture
Guangdong is one of the provinces with a long history in China. Its capital, Guangzhou, has a history of more than 2,000 years. In history, there were Southern Barbarians in ancient times and Guangzhou today.
Many folk houses in Guangdong retain an ancient atmosphere. Many Chinese workers in the area went abroad and are now expatriates. After these expatriates returned to China, they built houses. Therefore, in addition to the original Chinese architectural style, Guangdong folk houses , also brings together foreign architectural forms and components. Guangdong is also the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, so there are many overseas Chinese-style buildings.
Although few people in China compare Guangdong folk houses with Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huizhou, and courtyard houses, to be fair, from the carved buildings in Wuyi to the Hakka enclosed houses, from the Xiguan houses to the Dongshan houses, from the Lingnan architecture From the important landmarks Qilou to Chaozhou’s Jiugong style building complex, Guangdong folk houses have their own style. They were the first to explore the combination of modern residences and traditional Chinese spirit.
However, modern Guangdong residential buildings are already lackluster. It’s the same everywhere. Small buildings with three, four, or five floors all have mosaic or tile veneers on the walls, stainless steel well grids and anti-theft nets on the doors and windows. Rich people in the countryside will also build a glazed tile on the roof of the building. The octagonal hall on the top. In short, he looks like he is wearing a suit and has gold teeth. He is really neither fishy nor foreign, nor can he be flattering.
Then let us turn our attention to these passing memories and make a collective reflection on the current Guangdong folk houses.
The Chikan arcade in Kaiping is very tall
Xianang, Kaiping, everyone seems to be full of tea guests under the arcade. Photo by Yan Changjiang
" There are courtyard houses in Beijing and Shikumen in Shanghai, but what about Guangzhou?" the reporter asked.
“There are arcades in Guangzhou.” Professor Zhou Cuiling, an expert in Guangzhou literature and history, answered from the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences.
What's going on on both sides of the narrow streets? The houses seemed to have legs and were held up in the air by pillars. Looking more closely, it seems that the house on the ground floor has been hollowed out by about two meters. In this way, a spacious pedestrian corridor is formed on both sides of the street. This corridor can be hundreds or even thousands of meters long.
This is the Qilou, an important symbol of Lingnan architecture.
The age of arcades
The age of arcades in Guangzhou is said to be less than 100 years old. Professor Zhou Cuiling told reporters: "In the seventh year of the Republic of China (1918), Guangzhou demolished city walls, expanded roads, and opened Yuexiu North, Renmin Road, Panfu Road, Wenming Road, Dade Road and other main roads that still serve people's livelihood today. At that time, in order to Making full use of the road space, and at the same time aiming at the humid, rainy, hot and high climate characteristics of the south, two or three-story arcade-style buildings with mixed brick and wood structures were built on both sides of the road. Even modern buildings such as Nanfang Building and Xinda Xin Company were built. , also adopted this arcade-style architectural structure, which became popular throughout the city and formed the main pattern of Guangzhou's street scene. "
At that time, arcades were mainly concentrated in commercial streets such as Zhongshan Road, Jiefang Road, and Renmin South Road. , the arcades in the West Haokou area are the most spectacular. This area is bustling with commerce, and the arcade-style buildings have high and spacious spaces. Representatives include Xinya Hotel, Xinhua Hotel, etc. The Aiqun Hotel, built in 1934, also has a typical arcade style on the first floor.
The origin of the arcade
When it comes to the origin of the arcade, there are currently two popular views.
The first is the theory of "European style and beautiful rain". Guangzhou is an important city in modern China that was influenced by the European style and American rain. To this day, the Cantonese word "store" (store in Mandarin), "wave (ball)", and "basket handle (number)" in Cantonese etc., are almost all transliterations of English. The influence of European style and American rain on Guangzhou is also clearly reflected in the architecture, such as religious buildings such as the Sacred Heart Church (Stone Chamber); such as the Guangzhou Postal Administration Building, Guangdong Customs Building, Municipal Government Building, and Provincial Department of Finance Public buildings such as the Building and the Provincial Federation of Trade Union Buildings; residential buildings such as Xiguan House, Bamboo House, Dongshan Garden House and Small Western-style House; commemorative buildings such as Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Sailor's Pavilion; and There are commercial buildings such as Aiqun Building, Nanfang Building, Municipal Bank Building, Provincial Bank Building, Xinya Hotel and so on.
A document released by the Guangdong Tourism Bureau said, “Commercial arcade buildings were first seen in ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago, and later became popular in Europe and spread to other parts of the world in modern times.
"Therefore, some experts believe that the arcade is the product of the Cantonese people's combination of Western architecture and Lingnan architecture, and is a typical "combination of Chinese and Western architecture."
The second theory is that the arcade is the product of the ancestors of the Yue people." The legacy of "ganlan" architecture. "Natural History" says: "Nan Yue nests". "Nan Yue Zhi" says: "Nan Yue houses. "The so-called "nest dwelling" and "fence dwelling" are the "stem fence" on display in the Guangzhou Museum. Professor Zhou Cuiling told reporters: "The stem refers to the top, and the fence refers to the house. Architectural culture is closely related to the level of development of productivity. In prehistoric times, the original buildings in Lingnan experienced the development process from caves, semi-burrows to completely above ground. The gantry with relics unearthed from a Han tomb on display in the Guangzhou Museum has been found to house people in the upper room and livestock and sundries below. This kind of dry fence is characterized by being dry, ventilated, summer-proof, and moisture-proof, and is suitable for the subtropical climate and geographical environment of Lingnan. ”
Whether it is the theory of “combining Chinese and Western” or the theory of “inheriting tradition”, the arcade, as a symbol of Guangzhou, fully embodies the characteristics of Guangzhou’s shopping malls and witnesses the modernization process of Guangzhou. In Shanghai, In cities such as Wuhan, arcades have even become the symbol of "Guangdong Street"
Arcade Philosophy
The reporter recently read a lot of information about arcades in the library. It said that arcades can be called "Arcade Towers". It is the product of the folk wisdom of the Cantonese people, not the invention of professional construction personnel.
If you look at the arcade from the perspective of folk customs, you may be able to gain insight into the unique "arcade philosophy" of the Cantonese people.
As the old saying goes: “How can you not bow your head when you are under the roof of others? "But under the arcade, no matter it is the scorching sun or the pouring rain, you can be calm.
In traditional Chinese architecture, the "corridor" is a regular project, but it is mostly used to enjoy the breeze and invite people to relax. The bright moon and the water view, but the promenade under the arcade is more like a social welfare. Walking under the promenade, you can block the scorching sun and wind and rain, and you can feel at ease. Of course, there are also businessmen's thoughts here. You can't stand still, so just go to the store that's set back 2 meters and have a look. You'll inevitably come across something suitable and buy it, and everyone will be happy.
Although the store is set back 2 meters. Rice, it doesn't look as eye-catching as it is on the street, but this retreat also leads to greater profit margins. The wisdom of old-school Cantonese businessmen is reflected in it.
Another major feature of the arcade. The free decoration reflects the eclectic and beautiful character of the Cantonese people.
Professor Zhou Cuiling said: "The arcade is generally divided into three parts: the roof, the body and the bottom. Some buildings have a spire-shaped roof, and some have an arched awning on the front wall, with rich shapes. Wall decorations are also diverse, including relief patterns, window openings, moldings, balcony cast iron railings, etc. Some incorporate Western Baroque or Rococo architectural decoration styles, and some feature Lingnan-specific good fruit and auspicious patterns as well as classical Chinese curly grass patterns. . Some also use Manchurian windows on arcades. ”
Guangzhou Xiguan House
The four famous gardens of the Qing Dynasty in Guangdong (Shunde Qinghui Garden, Panyu Yuyin Shanfang, Dongguan Keyuan, Foshan Liangyuan), Kaiping Diaolou, Sanshui Garden Qitou Village, Conghua Qiangang Village, Shenzhen Dapeng City, etc.
Introduction to ethnic groups:
Immigration from the Central Plains and Yue and Li people integrated into the Han people developed into Guangzhou. Nanxiong Zhuji Lane has played an important role in the immigration process of Cantonese people. It is the only way to enter Lingnan from Dayuling Road and is also the preferred settlement place for immigrants from the Central Plains on their way south. . During the historical changes of the Song Dynasty, the Central Plains people who moved to Zhuji Lane gradually migrated to the hinterland of Lingnan and settled in the Pearl River Delta. Therefore, Zhuji Lane became a place that connected the Central Plains and Lingnan and had symbolic significance for the nation's migration to the south.
Expert comments:
The Guangfu residential style was gradually established after the Southern Song Dynasty, and by the middle of the Qing Dynasty, it was already quite mature. There is a Feng Shui pond in front, and a large ancestral hall is arranged at the front of the central axis, which becomes the composition center of the entire village. The neat and smooth lanes play the role of transportation, ventilation and fire prevention, and the pot-ear-style gables rise one after another, forming a spectacular Cantonese residential feature. Lingnan gardens are unique in that they can be visited and lived in. They seek tranquility in the midst of crowds, tranquility in the flow, lightness in simplicity, and elegance in prosperity. In the hometown of overseas Chinese in Wuyi, multi-story Lu-style houses and houses are produced. Diaolou architecture is particularly prominent in the traditional villages that spread out on the ground. Its diverse Western architectural styles and decorative themes are filled with strong exotic customs, making it a wonder among Chinese vernacular architecture.
A classic of Lingnan ancient architecture - a taste of the thousands of years of vicissitudes of the Xiguan House in Guangzhou. The collective name for the area outside the west gate of Guangzhou City during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Xiguan is divided into Upper Xiguan and Lower Xiguan. The upper Xiguan has higher terrain and the lower Xiguan has lower terrain. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Shibafu was built and thirteen rows were opened. Since the middle and late Qing Dynasty, residential areas such as Baohua Street, Fengyuan Street, and Duobao Street have been built in Xiguan. Typical traditional Guangzhou buildings such as Xiguan House and Bamboo House have emerged here. Since most of these buildings are found in the Xiguan area, they are called "Xiguan Ancient Houses".
The ancient houses in Xiguan are large residences built here by wealthy businessmen in the past. These residences are tall and bright, with halls and gardens combined and beautifully decorated. Most of them are brick and wood structures, with blue brick and stone feet, and the tall main entrance is inlaid with granite. Its plane layout is based on the traditional central hall house form of the Central Plains, basically unfolding in the depth direction. Its typical plan is three rooms and two corridors, symmetrical from left to right, with the main hall in the middle. From front to back, from south to north, the central axis is the porch, foyer (gate hall), sedan hall (tea hall), main hall (hall or sacred hall), first room (elderly's room), patio, and second hall (dining room). , second room (last room). Each hall has one entrance, and generally a large house has two or three entrances, forming quite a few central axes. The left side of the front part of the side rooms on both sides is the study and the small courtyard, and the right side is the side hall and guest room. The top of the guest room is a flat terrace, which is used for enjoying the cool air, admiring the moon, and worshiping the moon on Chinese Valentine's Day (worshiping the Seventh Sister). The side hall and the back of the guest room are bedrooms, kitchen, etc. The garden is planted with flowers and trees and has a rockery fish pond, which is quite elegant and quiet.
Characteristics of traditional Hakka houses
Hakka traditional houses, represented by earth buildings, enclosed dragon houses, and palace-style enclosed houses, come in different types and styles. However, their sturdiness, safety, closure, and gregariousness are their outstanding common features.
1. Robustness
The current round and square earth buildings in Fujian and Guangdong generally have a history of 200-300 or even 500-600 years. They have gone through wind and rain, strong earthquakes, and typhoons, and they are still safe and sound, standing majestically among the mountains.
Such a solid residence is inseparable from the careful selection of the site, scientific design, materials and construction methods. Now we will only give some explanations on the building materials and construction methods of earth buildings.
The walls of earth buildings are thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top, with some parts as thick as 1.5 meters. When tamping the wall, first dig a deep and large wall trench at the base of the wall, ram it firmly, bury large stones as the base, and then use stones and mortar to build the wall base. Then use sandwich panels to ram the walls. The raw material of the earth wall is mainly local clayey red soil, mixed with an appropriate amount of small stones and lime, and is repeatedly pounded and mixed to make what is commonly known as "cooked soil". An appropriate amount of glutinous rice and brown sugar should also be added to some key parts to increase its stickiness. When ramming, fir branches or bamboo pieces should be buried in the middle of the earth wall as "wall bones" to increase its pulling force. In this way, after repeated tamping, an earth wall like steel concrete was built, and a layer of lime was applied on the outside to prevent weather and erosion, so it is extremely strong and has good windproof and earthquake resistance. According to the "Yongding County Chronicle", a major earthquake occurred in 1918. During the day, there was a sound for 20 minutes. It continued to shake at night, but the earth building always stood upright and intact.
2. Security
Historically, the Hakkas were originally Han people from the Central Plains. After they moved south to the mountainous areas in the border areas of Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi, in order to prevent robberies by indigenous people and bandits and attacks by wild beasts, they The earthen buildings and enclosed houses they built were strictly guarded and very safe.
For example, in an earthen building that looks like an ancient castle, there are no outward-facing windows on the first and second floors, or there are only slender stone windows like bullet holes. The third and fourth floors and every room have outward-facing windows. The large windows are not only good for lighting and air circulation, but also become gun holes for observing the enemy's situation and shooting outwards. The door frame and sill of the Tulou gate are made of stone, and the door panel is about 10 centimeters thick. Some gates have several door protection holes embedded with bamboo tubes dug diagonally. If bandits attack the door, they can shoot down and pour boiling water. Some tulou gates are also equipped with fireproof water tanks and sinks. If an invading enemy sets fire to the door, just press the switch and water will flow down the door to extinguish the fire and protect the door. The earth buildings are already extremely strong, but as a precaution, some earth buildings have rammed walls. If the outer wall is blown open by artillery fire, the earth building will still be supported by the sandwich wall and will be safe and sound. There are various complete living facilities in the earth building: the deep well in the courtyard was the source of water during the siege, and there are rice mills, rice mills and other equipment for processing grains in the building. All this makes it difficult for the enemy to attack for a long time.
As for those "Four Points of Gold" with towering watchtowers at the four corners, they are even more daunting to bandits.
3. Enclosedness
Every room, hall, and patio in Hakka houses, whether earth buildings, enclosed houses, or Wufeng buildings, are connected by corridors, lanes, and stairs. Residents' life is convenient. However, they are completely closed to the outside world. Earth buildings generally have only one front door and one back door, or one front door and two side doors. The enclosed houses, the horizontal houses surrounding the dragon house, and the semi-circular enclosed houses are all equipped with gate towers. In case of robbers, just close the door and it will be sealed tightly.
4. Ethnic settlement
Hakka earth buildings, enclosed houses, Wufeng buildings, etc. are generally large in scale. Yongding "Chengqi Building" has more than 300 rooms and an area of 5,376 square meters. The "Heritage Building" has five floors, covering an area of 10,336 square meters, and has 51 halls alone. No wonder a Japanese architecture professor wrote after seeing the Yongding Earth Building: "This moving Hakka Earth Building is more like a small city than a huge residence."
Such large residential buildings are designed to adapt to the characteristics of ethnic groups living together. At its peak, "Chengqi Building" once housed 80 households and more than 600 people. Luo's Weilongwu in his hometown has more than 300 rooms and is home to 50 Luo families and 350 people. Although there are many residents, there are also many rooms, halls, and patios. Halls, patios, and several rooms can be used to form small living units, and each resident can find his own place, making it appear elegant and comfortable.
It is worth mentioning that the "heart" of earth buildings and enclosed houses is the ancestral hall. This is where the patriarch gathers the heads of each household to discuss matters. During festivals, every family in the He clan carries various offerings and goes here to worship their ancestors. When a man gets married, he must worship heaven and earth, kowtow to his ancestors, and entertain guests in the ancestral hall. After a daughter gets married and bids farewell to her ancestors, she can put on a hijab and step out of the palace with a large round plaque symbolizing reunion. When an old man dies, the ancestral hall becomes a mourning hall. In this way, an ancestral hall unites the whole family harmoniously and enjoys family happiness.
Guangdong Kaiping Diaolou
On the fields of Kaiping City, Guangdong, European classical-style small buildings intersect with traditional earthen houses in rural areas in southern China, forming a unique rural scenery in China. The watchtowers are a combination of Chinese and Western styles, integrating the essence of various architectural styles. At its peak, there were more than 3,000 watchtowers in Kaiping. Currently, there are more than 1,800 watchtowers in existence, distributed in 15 towns and offices in Kaiping. These watchtowers are the result of the initiative of overseas Chinese and villagers in Kaiping in the last century to combine foreign architectural culture with local architectural culture. With its large number, exquisite architecture and diverse styles, it can be called the largest "Diaolou Museum" in the world.
Guangdong Kaiping Diaolou - The rise of Kaiping Diaolou
It was first built in the early Qing Dynasty and was built in large numbers in the 1920s and 1930s.
The rise of Kaiping Diaolou is closely related to the geographical environment of Kaiping City and the past social security. Kaiping City is a low-lying city with a dense network of rivers. However, in the past, the water conservancy system was in disrepair, and there were often worries about flooding every time there were typhoons or rains. In addition, the territory under its jurisdiction was originally the remote junction of Xinhui, Taishan, Enping and Xinxing counties. It has always been known as the "four no matter", and the social order is relatively chaotic. Therefore, in the early Qing Dynasty, villagers built watchtowers to prevent floods and bandits. After the Opium War, the rule of the Qing government became even more decadent. Forced to make a living, the people of Kaiping began to go abroad in large numbers to make a living. After one or even several generations of hard work, they gradually became rich. In the Republic of China, wars became more frequent and banditry was particularly rampant. Kaiping was a place where mountains and rivers blended together, land and water transportation was convenient, and the families of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese lived relatively well-to-do, so bandits concentrated in Kaiping to commit crimes. At that time, the larger bandits in the county included the Zhang Shao, Zhu Bing, Hu Nan, Hou Wan, Tan Qin, Wu Jinfa, Zhang Zhan, and Huang Bao gangs. They robbed everywhere and caused countless tragedies. According to rough statistics, between 1912 and 1930, there were about 71 major banditry incidents in Kaiping, killing more than 100 people, capturing more than 210 cattle, and plundering countless other properties. Cangcheng, the county seat at the time, was captured three times, and Lian County was The elder Zhu Jianzhang was also taken prisoner.
In the 14 years from the first year of the Republic of China (1912) to the fifteenth year of the Republic of China (1926), bandits robbed schools eight times and abducted more than a hundred teachers and students. Among them, in December of the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922), when gangsters robbed Kaiping Middle School in Chikan area, they were illuminated by searchlights from the Yingcun watchtower. Four township groups intercepted them in time and intercepted the principal and 17 students. This incident caused a sensation in the whole county. Overseas Chinese were also very surprised when they heard the news. They felt that the watchtowers played a role in preventing banditry. Therefore, they scrimped on food and clothing and raised funds to build watchtowers back home.
Later, some overseas Chinese built various watchtower-style buildings when they returned to their hometowns to build new houses for the safety of their families and property.
Guangdong Kaiping Diaolou - Types and Artistic Characteristics of Diaolou
In terms of building materials, there are early mud-walled buildings (mixed with gray sand, sugar, salt, clam shells, oyster shells, etc.) and hammered layer by layer. rammed), the mid-term blue brick building (built with ordinary blue bricks thickened), and the final reinforced concrete building (built with reinforced concrete according to modern building materials).
In terms of type, it can be roughly divided into three categories: one is the watch building or the lantern building. This kind of building is usually built at the beginning or end of the village. Some are built on small hills for the use of vigilante groups and watchmen. There are guns, searchlights and alarms. Once the bandits are discovered, they will immediately call the police and let the villagers prepare. The second is the public buildings, which are jointly built by more than a dozen or several families. This kind of watchtower has 3 to 6 floors, with 2 to 4 rooms on each floor. If there are bandits or floods, each family can live in the public buildings. , to avoid disaster. The third is residential buildings, which are built solely by overseas Chinese and are used for long-term residence. The Kaiping Diaolou combines Chinese and Western styles, with various shapes. The biggest feature is that different foreign architectural styles are selected and combined according to one's own wishes to form a self-contained whole. It has the styles of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as architectural elements of Gothic, Islamic, Baroque and Rococo styles. It is difficult to separate Kaiping Diaolou. Specifically classified into a certain architectural style of a certain period abroad. These architectural elements of different styles and religions are harmoniously integrated in the Kaiping Diaolou, showing unique artistic charm. Its architectural structure fully embodies the defense function. Its most common features are narrow doors and windows, steel windows and iron doors, thick walls, gun holes on all sides of the top floor, and lookouts, searchlights, and alarms on the top. Weapons, firearms, etc. have historically made great contributions to protecting the lives and property of villagers.