What is the structure of Beijing quadrangles?

Siheyuan has a long history in China. The so-called quadrangle is the main building (north building), the inverted building (south building), the east wing and the west wing, which are surrounded on all sides and form a zigzag shape with a central courtyard. China people especially like quadrangles, which are not only used in palaces, temples and government offices, but also widely used in local houses. However, as long as people mention quadrangles, they will naturally think of Beijing quadrangles. After hundreds of years of construction, Beijing quadrangles have formed a unique Beijing style from the plane layout, internal structure to detailed decoration. As the main architectural form that old Beijingers have lived in for generations, it enjoys a good reputation at home and abroad and all over the world.

Although quadrangles have certain regulations, they are different in scale and can be roughly divided into three types: large quadrangles, medium quadrangles and small quadrangles. Their buildings are mainly composed of three parts, namely, foundation, wall and roof. The materials used in each part are different. The construction methods are also different. The biggest feature of traditional quadrangles in old Beijing is that wood is used as the support and skeleton structure of the house. Shelves, purlins, columns, beams (rafters), sills, rafters, doors and windows, partitions, etc. are all made of wood, and the walls around wooden shelves are made of bricks. The facade and eaves rafters of beams and columns should be painted with colored pictures. Although it is not as magnificent as the palace garden, it is also colorful. Walls are used to building walls with floor bricks and broken bricks. As the saying goes, "there are three treasures in Beijing ... rotten bricks can't build walls." Most of the roof tiles are blue tiles, which are interlocking. Before the eaves are dripped, or the tiles are not laid, all the roofs are painted with blue ash, which is called "grey shed".

Regular quadrangles generally sit in the East-West Hutong facing south. The basic shape is the north room (main room), the south room (inverted room) and the east and west rooms, which are separated on all sides and surrounded by high walls to form a four-in-one and open a door. The gate is located in the southeast corner of the house. Generally, there are 3 rooms in the north room, 5 rooms in the front room, 3 rooms in the east room, 3 rooms in the west room and 4 rooms in the south room, including door openings and hanging doors *** 17. If each room is11-12 square meters, the total area is about 200 square meters. The principal rooms in the north are called "halls", which are mostly three rooms. They abide by the provisions of the Ming and Qing Dynasties that "the common people's houses are only allowed to have three rooms and five frames, and no archways are allowed, and no colorful decorations are allowed". The width and depth of the main room are larger than that of the wing, and the left and right sides of the main room are connected with the wing, where the venerable elders live. There is a small corner yard in front of the wing, which is very quiet, so it is often used as a study. This layout of one main wing and two wings is called "Shamao wing". In front of the main building, there are two wings on both sides of the courtyard, and the front edge does not exceed the gable of the main building, so the width of the courtyard is moderate and the space feels good.

The wing is the living room of the younger generation. Both the main hall and the side hall have front porches facing the courtyard. Connecting the front porches of these three houses with the hanging flower gates with the "handwriting gallery" not only allows people to walk, but also allows people to rest on the porches and enjoy the scenery. Sometimes there is a long row of "back view rooms" behind the main room as a living room or utility room. A larger house can be connected with a quadrangle at the back of the hall for the family to live in. Or take out another group of quadrangles on one side of the whole house, or take out the garden on one side of the house.

The middle gate from the outer court to the inner court is usually a small gatehouse called Diaohuamen. Hanging flower gate is an important building in quadrangles, which has become the watershed between the outer courtyard and the inner courtyard with its dignified and gorgeous image. A door sash, called a screen door, is permanently placed on the post of the hanging door. Usually it's closed, people go around the corridor in front of the door, and only open it when they meet major events or guests. Using the middle door to separate the inside and outside not only keeps the inner courtyard quiet, but also contains the significance of patriarchal clan system. The quadrangles in Beijing are spacious and spacious, and the houses on all sides are independent and connected by cloisters, so life is very convenient. Closed doors make quadrangles have strong privacy, and closed doors come from heaven and earth; All four doors in the courtyard are open to the courtyard, and home and music are beautiful; The spacious courtyard can also plant trees and flowers, feed birds and fish, and stack rocks and scenery to let residents enjoy the beautiful scenery of nature. There is a saying in Qing Dynasty that describes the life in quadrangles: "ceiling, fish tank, pomegranate tree, old man, Liu Li and fat girl", which can be said to be a typical portrayal of life in quadrangles.

Beijing Siheyuan contains profound cultural connotations and is the carrier of China traditional culture. The construction of quadrangles pays great attention to geomantic omen. From site selection to determining the specific scale of each building, it must be carried out according to the theory of geomantic omen. Geomantic omen theory is actually an ancient architectural environmentology in China and an important part of China's traditional architectural theory. This theory of geomantic omen has guided the architectural activities in ancient China for one hundred years. In addition to the theory of geomantic omen, the decoration, sculpture and painting of quadrangles also reflect folk customs and traditional culture everywhere, showing people's pursuit of happiness, beauty, prosperity and auspiciousness under specific historical conditions. For example, the pattern composed of bats and longevity characters means "longevity", and the pattern with Chinese rose flowers in the vase means "peace in the four seasons". Auspicious words embedded in the door tube and the door head, couplets pasted on eaves columns, and masterpieces of calligraphy and painting hung indoors are all ancient sayings that combine the achievements of sages and philosophers, using ancient and modern famous sentences, or praising the beauty of mountains and rivers, or inscriptions. In old Beijing, besides the Forbidden City, royal gardens, temples, temples and palaces, a large number of buildings are the homes of countless people. "An Examination of the Past" quoted a poem from the Yuan Dynasty: "The clouds open and close three thousands of feet, and there are ten thousand pagodas in the fog." This "one million family" house is now called Beijing Siheyuan.

Beijing Siheyuan fully embodies China's traditional concept of living, is the crystallization of the hard work and wisdom of ancient working people in China for thousands of years, and is the concentrated expression of China's traditional culture.