This paper expounds the characteristics of Guangdong folk houses (explained from the perspective of geographical knowledge)

Folk houses in Guangdong architecture: the ups and downs of arcades

Folk houses in Guangdong architecture

Guangdong is one of the provinces with a long history in China, and its capital, Guangzhou, has a history of over 2,000 years. There were barbarians in ancient times, and now there is Guangzhou.

Many folk houses in Guangdong have preserved their antique colors, and many Chinese workers there have gone abroad, that is, today's expatriates. These expatriates will build houses when they return to China. Therefore, Guangdong folk houses not only have the original architectural style of China, but also bring 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 Siheyuan, in all fairness, Guangdong folk houses have their own routines, from Wuyi's carved architecture to Hakka enclosed houses, from xiguan big house to Dongshan folk houses, from the arcade, an important symbol of Lingnan architecture, to Chaozhou's Jiugong architecture. They first combine modern folk houses with China's traditional spirit as an exploration.

However, modern folk houses in Guangdong are already scarce. It's the same everywhere. There are small buildings with three or four floors, mosaics or tiles on the walls, anti-theft nets with stainless steel wells on the doors and windows, and a glazed tile octagonal hall will be built on the roof of wealthy families in rural areas. In short, it looks like wearing a suit and gold teeth. It's really neither fish nor fowl, neither native nor foreign, and I dare not compliment it.

Then let's focus on these faded memories and make a collective reflection on the current Guangdong folk houses.

Kaiping Chikan arcade is very high.

Kaiping Xiangang, a tea drinker riding a horse downstairs, everyone seems to have lived a full life. Photo by Yan Changjiang

"There are quadrangles in Beijing, Shikumen in Shanghai and Guangzhou?" The reporter asked.

"There are arcades in Guangzhou," replied Professor Zhou Cuiling, an expert in Guangzhou literature and history and Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences.

On both sides of the narrow street, what's wrong? The house seems to have feet, supported by pillars in the air. Look carefully again, the house on the ground floor seems to have been hollowed out by about two meters. In this way, a spacious pedestrian corridor is formed on the left and right sides of the street, which can reach hundreds of meters or even thousands of meters in length.

This is an important symbol of arcade and Lingnan architecture.

Arcade era

The age of Guangzhou arcade is not more than 100 years old. Professor Zhou Cuiling told the reporter: "In the seventh year of the Republic of China (19 18), Guangzhou demolished the city walls, expanded roads and opened Yuexiu North, Renmin Road, Panfu Road, Wen Ming Road and Dade Road, which still serve people's livelihood. At that time, in order to make full use of the road space, and at the same time, in view of the humid, rainy, hot and high temperature climate characteristics in the south, two or three-story arcade buildings with mixed brick and wood structures were built on both sides of the road, and even modern buildings, south buildings, Xindaxin Company and so on. It also adopted this arcade-style architectural structure, which swept the city for a time and formed the main pattern of Guangzhou street view. "

At that time, the arcades were mainly concentrated in commercial streets such as Zhongshan Road, Jiefang Road and Renmin South Road, and the arcades around Xihaokou were the most spectacular. The business in this area is prosperous, and the arcade-style building space is tall and open, such as Xinya Hotel and Xinhua Hotel. Aiqun Hotel, built in 1934, is also a typical arcade-style building on the first floor.

Qilouyuan

Speaking of the source of arcade, there are two popular views at present.

First, the theory of "European style and beautiful rain". Guangzhou is an important city in modern China influenced by European style and beautiful rain. Today, Cantonese expressions such as "shop", "ball" and "basket handle (number)" are almost transliteration in English. The influence of European style and beautiful rain on Guangzhou is also very obvious in architecture, such as Catholic sacred heart hall (stone room) and other religious buildings; Such as Guangzhou Postal Administration Building, Guangdong Customs Building, City Hall Building, Provincial Finance Department Building and Provincial Federation of Trade Unions Building; Such as xiguan big house, Zhulou, Dongshan Garden House and Xiaoyanglou; Memorial buildings such as Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Seamen's Hall; There are also commercial buildings such as Aiqun Building, South Building, City Bank Building, Provincial Bank Building and Xinya Hotel.

According to the document issued by Guangdong Provincial Tourism Bureau, "the commercial arcade building was first seen in ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago, then became popular in Europe, and only spread to all parts of the world in modern times." Therefore, some experts believe that the arcade is the product of Guangdong people's combination of western architecture and Lingnan architecture, and it is a typical "combination of Chinese and Western".

The second view is that the arcade is the architectural heritage of Gan Lan, the ancestors of the Yue nationality. "Natural History" said: "South Vietnam nests". The annals of South Vietnam said: "South Vietnam is the gateway." The so-called "nest residence" and "door residence" are the "dry pillars" exhibited in Guangzhou Museum. Professor Zhou Cuiling told the reporter: "Dry refers to the above, and the column refers to the house. Architectural culture is closely related to the development level of productive forces. In prehistoric times, the primitive buildings in Lingnan experienced the development process from cave dwelling to semi-cave dwelling and then to complete ground. According to textual research, the trunk of the cultural relics unearthed from the Han Tomb exhibited in Guangzhou Museum is a house with people living on it and livestock and sundries under it. This kind of dry fence is characterized by dryness, ventilation, summer and moistureproof, which is suitable for the subtropical climate and geographical environment of Lingnan. "

Whether it is the theory of "combining Chinese and Western culture" or the theory of "inheriting tradition", arcade, as a symbol of Guangzhou, fully embodies the characteristics of Guangzhou shopping malls and witnesses the modernization process of Guangzhou. In Shanghai, Wuhan and other cities, the arcade has even become a symbol of "Guangdong Street".

Arcade philosophy

Recently, the reporter read a lot of information about arcade in the library, which said that arcade is the product of Guangdong folk wisdom, not the invention of professional builders.

If we look at the arcade from the perspective of folklore, we may be able to understand the unique "arcade philosophy" of Guangdong people.

There is an old saying: "How can you not bow your head under one roof?" However, under the arcade, whether it is hot or rainy, it can be handled calmly.

In the traditional architecture of China, the "corridor" is a routine project, but it is mostly used for enjoying the cool, inviting the bright moon and seeing the water features. But riding the corridor downstairs is more like social welfare. Walking under the corridor can not only block the scorching sun, but also avoid the wind and rain, so you can feel at ease. Of course, there are businessmen's ideas here. You can't stand in the corridor. Well, just go back to the store within 2 meters. When you look at it, you will inevitably meet the right object and you can buy it. Everyone is very happy.

Although the storefront has retreated 2 meters, it is not as eye-catching as the street, but this retreat has withdrawn from the larger profit space, and the wisdom of the old Cantonese businessmen is inside.

Another major feature of the arcade is free decoration, which also reflects the good character of Cantonese people who use it for me.

Professor Zhou Cuiling said: "The arcade is generally divided into three parts: the top, the main body and the bottom. Some roofs are spire-tower-shaped, and some front walls have arched awnings with rich shapes. There are also various wall decorations, such as embossed patterns, windows, molding feet, balcony cast iron railings and so on. Some of them combine the architectural decoration styles of Baroque or Rococo in the West, some are auspicious patterns of beautiful fruits with Lingnan characteristics, and some are classical patterns of rolling grass in China. Some still use clear windows in the arcade. "

Xiguan building

Four famous gardens in Guangdong in Qing Dynasty (Qinghui Garden in Shunde, Yuyin Mountain House in Panyu, Keyuan Garden in Dongguan and Liangyuan Garden in Foshan), Kaiping Diaolou, Daqitou Village in Sanshui, Qiangang Village in Conghua, Dapeng Lock City in Shenzhen and so on.

Brief introduction of clan:

Immigrants from the Central Plains, as well as Yue people and slang people integrated into the Han nationality, developed into Guangfu people, and now there are about 38 million people. Nanxiong Zhuji Lane played an important role in the migration of Guangfu people. Zhuji Lane is the only way to enter Lingnan from Dayuling Road, and it is also the first choice for Central Plains immigrants to settle down in the south. In the historical changes of the Song Dynasty, the Central Plains people who moved into Zhuji Lane moved to the hinterland of Lingnan and settled in the Pearl River Delta. Therefore, Zhuji Lane has become a symbolic place connecting the Central Plains and Lingnan, and it has the symbolic significance of national migration to the south.

Expert comments:

The style of Guangfu folk houses was gradually established after the Southern Song Dynasty, and it was quite mature by the middle of Qing Dynasty. The main representative forms are comb-shaped villages with neat layout and three two-corridor courtyards. There is a wind pool in front of the village, and a big ancestral hall is arranged at the front end of the central axis, which becomes the composition center of the whole village. Clean and unobstructed roadway plays the role of traffic, ventilation and fire prevention. Pot-ear gables come one after another, forming a spectacular Guangfu residential characteristics. Lingnan gardens are unique and can be visited and lived. They seek spaciousness in the crowd, calmness in the flow, lightness in simplicity and elegance in complexity. In the hometown of overseas Chinese in Wuyi, there are many layers of Lu-style houses and towers, which are especially prominent in the traditional villages with relatively flat development. Its diverse western architectural styles and decorative themes are full of exotic customs, and it has become a wonderful flower in China local architecture.

Classic of Lingnan Ancient Buildings —— Appreciating the Millennium Vicissitudes of xiguan big house in Guangzhou The so-called Xiguan is the collective name of the old Guangzhou people for the area located in Liwan District, which is adjacent to the West Village in the north, the Pearl River in the south, Renmin Road in the east and Xiaobeijiang River in the west. It was located outside the West Gate of Guangzhou in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Xiguan is divided into upper Xiguan and lower Xiguan, of which the upper Xiguan has a higher terrain and the lower Xiguan has a lower terrain. Eighteen banks were built and thirteen banks were opened in the late Ming Dynasty. Since the middle and late Qing Dynasty, Xiguan has successively built residential areas such as Bao Hua Street, Fengyuan Street and Duobao Street, and typical traditional buildings such as xiguan big house and Zhulou have emerged. Because most of these buildings are located in Xiguan area, they are called "Xiguan Ancient Big House".

Xiguan ancient house is a mansion built by wealthy businessmen in the past. These houses are tall and bright, with a combination of hall and garden, and beautifully decorated. Most of them are brick and wood structures with blue masonry feet, and the tall front door is inlaid with granite. Its plane layout is basically developed in the depth direction according to the traditional main hall form of the Central Plains. Its typical plane is three rooms and two corridors, symmetrical left and right, with the main hall in the middle. From front to back, and from south to north, the central axis is porch, entrance hall (gate hall), sedan chair hall (tea hall), main hall (hall or shrine hall), head hall (elders hall), patio, second hall (dining hall) and second hall (tail hall). Each hall is an entrance. Generally, a big house has two or three entrances, forming many central axes. On the left side of the front of both sides are the study and yard, and on the right side are the slant hall and guest room. The guest room has a flat roof, which is used for enjoying the cool in Xiguan Tanabata, enjoying the moon and visiting Yue Bai (Seventh Sister). Behind the slant hall and guest room are bedrooms, kitchens, etc. Flowers and trees are planted in the park, and a rockery fish pond is built, which is quite elegant and quiet.

Characteristics of Hakka Traditional Dwellings

Hakka traditional houses, represented by earth buildings, dragon houses and palace houses, have various types and styles. However, their firmness, safety, closeness and family settlement are their outstanding characteristics.

First of all, robustness

Now the round and square earth buildings in Fujian and Guangdong have a history of 200-300 years or even 500-600 years. They have been washed away by wind and rain, attacked by strong earthquakes and typhoons, and are safe and sound so far, standing proudly in the mountains.

Such a solid residence cannot be separated from careful site selection, scientific design, materials and construction methods. Now only from the earth building building materials and construction methods to do some explanation.

The wall of tulou is thicker under the wall and thinner on the top, and some of them are as high as 1.5 meters. When tamping, first dig a deep and large wall ditch at the foundation of the wall, tamp it, bury it with stones as the foundation, and then build it with stones and mortar. Then tamp the wall with sandwich panels. The raw material of the earth wall is mainly local clay red soil, mixed with appropriate amount of pebbles and lime, repeatedly pounded and stirred evenly to make the so-called "cooked soil". Some key parts should be mixed with appropriate amount of glutinous rice and brown sugar to increase their viscosity. When tamping, Chinese fir branches or bamboo pieces should be buried in the middle of the earth wall as "wall bones" to increase its tension. In this way, after repeated ramming, a steel-concrete earth wall was built, and a layer of lime was coated outside to prevent wind and rain erosion, so it was strong and abnormal, with good wind and earthquake resistance. According to Yongding County Records, a major earthquake occurred in 19 18, which rattled for 20 minutes during the day and continued to vibrate at night, but the earth building was intact.

Second, safety.

Historically, Hakkas were originally Han Chinese in the Central Plains. After they moved south to the mountainous area at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi, in order to prevent the looting of natives and bandits and the attack of wild animals, the earth buildings and enclosed houses they built were heavily guarded and very safe.

For example, like an ancient castle, there are no outward windows on the first and second floors, or only stone windows as slender as gun holes. On the third and fourth floors, each room has large windows facing outward, which is not only conducive to lighting and air circulation, but also a loophole for observing the enemy's situation and shooting outward. The doorframe and doorsill of the Tulou gate are all stones, and the door panel is about 10 cm thick. Some doors were dug obliquely, and several openings were embedded with bamboo tubes. If bandits attack the door, they can shoot it down and pour boiling water. Some tulou doors are also equipped with fire-proof water tanks and sinks. If the invading enemy sets fire to the door, just press the switch and water will flow down the door to put out the fire and protect the door. Earth buildings are inherently strong and abnormal, but just in case, some earth buildings are rammed on the sandwich wall. In case the external wall is blown open by gunfire, the earth building is still supported by the sandwich wall and is safe and sound. There are all kinds of living facilities in the earth building: the deep well in the patio is the water source when it is besieged, and there are equipment for processing water, water and other foods in the building. All this made the bandits unable to attack for a long time. As for the towering "four-point gold" of the four-corner tower, attracting bandits is even more daunting.

Third, close

Every room, hall and patio of Hakka dwellings, whether it is an earthen building, an enclosed house or a Wufeng building, is connected by corridors, lanes and ladders, which is convenient for residents to live in. However, they are completely isolated from the outside world. Generally, there is only one front door and one back door, or one front door and two side doors. Gatehouses have been installed in all the horizontal houses and semi-circular houses in the enclosure and dragon house. In case of robbery, as long as the door is closed, it will be closed tightly.

Fourth, family living.

Hakka earth buildings, enclosed houses and Wufeng buildings are generally large in scale. Yongding "Chengqi Building" has more than 300 rooms with an area of 5,376 square meters. The "Heritage Building" has five floors, with an area of 10336 square meters, and there are 5/kloc-0 halls alone. No wonder a Japanese architecture professor wrote after seeing Yongding Earth Building: "This touching Hakka Earth Building is a small town rather than a huge house".

Such a huge residence is just to adapt to the characteristics of living together. In its heyday, there were more than 600 people living in 80 households in Chengqi Building. There are more than 300 rooms in Longjuandi, my hometown of Roche, where 50 households with 350 people live. Although there are many households, due to the large number of rooms, halls and patios, small living units with halls, patios and several rooms can be formed, so that each household has its own place and looks elegant and comfortable.

It is worth mentioning that the ancestral hall is the "heart" of earth buildings and enclosed houses. This is the place where the head of the family gathers his parents to discuss. On holidays, every family comes here with all kinds of offerings to worship their ancestors. When a man gets married, he must worship heaven and earth in the ancestral hall, knock on his ancestors and entertain guests. After a daughter marries and says goodbye to her ancestors, she can put on a hijab and walk on a big round plaque symbolizing reunion. After the old man died, the ancestral hall became a mourning hall. In this way, a ancestral temple unites the whole family in harmony and enjoys family happiness.

Guangdong Kaiping Diaolou

In the fields of Kaiping City, Guangdong Province, the small foreign buildings with European classical style are intertwined with the traditional earthen houses in the southern rural areas of China, forming a unique rural scenery in China. The diaolou combines Chinese and western styles, blending the essence of various architectural styles. At the peak of Kaiping, there were more than 3,000 watchtowers. At present, there are more than 800 watchtowers in Kaiping 15 townships and offices. These towers are the crystallization of the initiative of overseas Chinese and villagers in Kaiping in the last century to combine foreign architectural culture with local architectural culture. With a large number, exquisite architecture and diverse styles, it can be called the largest "Diaolou Museum" in the world.

Kaiping Diaolou in Guangdong Province —— The Rise of Kaiping Diaolou

Founded in the early Qing dynasty, a large number of buildings were built in the 1920s and 1930s.

The rise of Kaiping Diaolou is closely related to the geographical environment of Kaiping City and the social security in the past. Kaiping is a low-lying city with dense river networks. In the past, the water conservancy was in disrepair for a long time, and every time there was a typhoon and rainstorm, there was always the worry of being flooded. In addition, the territory under its jurisdiction used to be the remote border of Xinhui, Taishan, Enping and Xinxing counties, which has always been known as "caring for the four" and the social order is rather 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 more decadent, and Kaiping people began to go abroad to make a living because of livelihood problems. After a generation or even several generations of efforts, they gradually have some industries. By the time of the Republic of China, wars were more frequent and bandits were particularly rampant. Because of the blend of mountains and rivers, convenient land and water transportation in Kaiping, and the relatively comfortable life of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese, bandits concentrated in Kaiping area to commit crimes. At that time, Shao Zhang, Zhu Bing, Hu Nan, Hou Wan, Tan Qin, Wu Jinfa, Zhang Zhan and Huang Bao were big bandits in the county. They plundered everywhere, causing countless tragedies. According to rough statistics, from 19 12 to 1930, about 7 1 occurred in Kaiping, killing more than 100 people, capturing more than 2 10 cows and plundering countless other properties. At that time, the county town of Cangcheng was captured three times, and even the county magistrate Zhu was captured.

During the period from the first year of the Republic of China (19 12) to the fifteenth year of the Republic of China (1926), bandits robbed schools eight times and captured more than 0/00 teachers and students. Among them, in the eleventh year of the Republic of China (1922), when several bandits robbed Kaiping Middle School in Chikan area, they were illuminated by the searchlights of Yingcun watchtower, and four township groups intercepted them in time, intercepting the principal and students 17. This incident caused a sensation in the county, and overseas Chinese were surprised to hear the news. They think the watchtower has played a role in preventing bandits. So, they scrimped and saved, and sent money back to their hometown to build a watchtower. Later, in order to protect their families and property from losses, some overseas Chinese built various towers when they returned home to build new houses.

Guangdong Kaiping Diaolou —— Types and Artistic Features of Diaolou

In terms of building materials, there are early mud wall buildings (rammed layer by layer with a mixture of lime sand, sugar, salt, mussel shells and oyster shells), middle blue brick buildings (thickened with ordinary blue bricks), and finally reinforced concrete buildings (built with reinforced concrete according to modern building materials).

In terms of types, it can be divided into three categories: one is the night watchman's building or lantern building, which is usually built at the head or end of the village, and some are built on the mountain for the use of vigilante and night watchman, equipped with guns, searchlights and alarms. Once the thief is found, the police will be called immediately to prepare the villagers. The second is a multi-storey building, which is built by more than a dozen households or several households. This watchtower has 3 ~ 6 floors, and each floor has 2 ~ 4 rooms. In case of bandits or floods, every family can live in a multi-storey building to avoid disasters. Third, residential buildings, wholly owned by overseas Chinese, are used for long-term residence. Kaiping Diaolou combines Chinese and Western styles, and the Diaolou has various shapes. The biggest feature is to integrate different foreign architectural styles according to their own wishes and form a whole. There are not only ancient Greek and Roman styles, but also architectural elements of Gothic, Islamic, Baroque and Rococo styles. It is difficult to classify Kaiping Diaolou as a certain architectural style in a certain period abroad. These architectural elements of different styles, schools and religions complement each other in Kaiping Diaolou, showing unique artistic charm. The defensive function is fully embodied in the building structure. Narrow doors and windows, heavy steel windows and iron gates, blastholes around the top floor, watchtowers, searchlights, sirens and firearms are on the roof, which has made great contributions to protecting the lives and property of villagers in history.