Brief introduction of Beijing quadrangle

Brief introduction of Beijing quadrangle

Siheyuan is a closed courtyard surrounded by north room, south room, east room and west room, and the rooms are connected by walls to form a "mouth" shape.

Beijing quadrangles, as the main architectural form that old Beijingers have lived in for generations, are well-known at home and abroad and all over the world. Siheyuan in Beijing has a long history. Since Beijing officially established its capital in the Yuan Dynasty and started large-scale capital planning and construction, quadrangles and palaces, office buildings, blocks and hutongs in Beijing have appeared at the same time. The large-scale formation of traditional quadrangles in Beijing began in the Yuan Dynasty. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, quadrangles in Beijing have experienced many vicissitudes, but this basic living form has been formed and constantly improved, which is more suitable for living requirements and forms the quadrangle form we see today.

The composition of Beijing Siheyuan is unique, and it is typical and representative in traditional residential buildings in China. The courtyard is spacious and spacious, and the houses on all sides are independent, and there is a veranda connection between them, which is very convenient for living. Siheyuan is a closed house with only one street gate outside. The closed door comes from Chengtiandi, which has strong privacy and is very suitable for exclusive residence. In the yard, all four houses opened to the middle of the yard, and the family lived in peace. Because the yard is spacious, you can plant trees and flowers, feed birds and fish, and pile stones to beautify the environment. Residents not only enjoy comfortable housing, but also share the beautiful world endowed by nature.

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 geomantic theory has been guiding the architectural activities in ancient China for thousands of years. In addition, 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". The auspicious words embedded in the door hairpin and the door head, and the couplets stuck on the eaves column are full of rich cultural atmosphere. Walking into the courtyard is like walking into a temple of China traditional culture.