What are the building materials of Beijing courtyard houses?

The design and construction of Beijing courtyards is relatively easy. The materials used are very simple. No steel bars and cement are needed. They are all blue bricks and gray tiles. They are a combination of brick and wood. It is a mixed building. Of course, the wooden structure is the main standard structure and is light in weight. , in the event of an earthquake, it is rarely knocked down.

Beijing Siheyuan is a brick-wood structure building. The purlins, columns, beams (trusses), sills, rafters, doors, windows, partitions, etc. are all made of wood. The wooden shelves are surrounded by brick walls. . :

Beijing's formal courtyard houses generally face south along the east-west alley, with the main entrance at the "Xun" position in the southeast corner of the house. In the middle of the courtyard is the courtyard, which is spacious and planted with trees and flowers and tanks for raising goldfish. It is the center of the courtyard's layout and is also a place for people to walk through, get light, ventilate, enjoy the cool, rest and do housework.

Medium-sized and small courtyards are generally the residences of ordinary residents, while large courtyards are used by mansions and government offices.

The carving patterns of the courtyard are mainly composed of various auspicious patterns, such as "good fortune and longevity" composed of the characters "bat" and "shou", a vase with roses in it means "peace in all seasons", and "descendants for generations", "Three Friends of Cold Years", "Yutang Wealth and Honor", "Fu Lu, Longevity and Joy", etc., show the old Beijing people's yearning for a better life.

Siheyuan generally houses one household, but there are also cases where multiple households share a courtyard, mostly from poor families, and are called "large courtyards." The warmth of the courtyard is something that many old Beijing residents cannot forget.

The decoration, carvings and paintings of the courtyard house reflect folk customs and traditional culture, and express people's pursuit of happiness, beauty, wealth and auspiciousness under certain historical conditions.

Reference: Beijing Siheyuan