The ancient houses in Chikan District on Chikan Old Street

Businesses are done downstairs, people live upstairs, and the arcades protect pedestrians from the sun and rain. The arcades and corridors of residential buildings on Minzhu Road, recalling the past, make you feel like you can hear the noisy trading of merchants back then.

Chikan was originally "the only small town south of Sui" and was under the jurisdiction of Suixi. It began to take shape as an ancient merchant port in the Song Dynasty, and gradually expanded through the historical deposition of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. After the more than 200-year-old maritime ban was lifted in the Kangxi year of the Qing Dynasty, shipping and trade developed rapidly. Merchants from Fujian, Zhejiang, Guangchao, Qiongya, and Gaolei frequently came to Chikan to do business. "Businesses and travellers, boats and cars were bustling." By the time of Dao Guangnian in the Qing Dynasty, Chikan had gradually become a prosperous commercial port.

The Imperial Palace in Jinghua is the home of Chaoshan people." There is an old Chaozhou immigrant mansion on Zhongshan Road in the downtown area, with obvious Qing Dynasty palace style and Chaoshan characteristics, confirming the history of Chaozhou merchant immigration.

< p>Many outsiders settled in the countryside and settled down, attracting fellow villagers to live together. The number of residents in Chikan was increasing day by day, and the number of residential buildings continued to increase. In addition to simple thatched houses and mud brick houses, the early residential buildings were basically brick and tile houses with civil structures. The strong architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties leads to a wide front door and a majestic appearance. The three-bay living room and two rooms pay attention to the layout of the living room, the two wings are well-proportioned, solemn and decent; the courtyard house pays attention to the rigorous configuration of the wing rooms and patios, and pursues the exquisite eaves and trusses. Because immigrants come from different regions, they inherit their traditional cultural characteristics and display them in appearance, structure, decoration, etc. With the import of cement and the application of steel and concrete, some also incorporate the new features popular in the times. The residential houses in Chikan have different styles and forms, each leading the way and bearing the mark of the times to varying degrees.

The Chen family house on Xinjing Road has a Chinese-style courtyard structure inside and a Western-style European facade. It may seem nondescript, but it is the earliest typical Chinese-Western residence in Chikan, witnessing the changes of a historical period.

The most distinctive one, the Chen Family House on Xinjing Road, is a typical example. It is an early product that combines Chinese and Western elements. The overall structure is built according to the courtyard model, but the facade is decorated in Western style. It is a natural mix of old residential buildings. It is like a history textbook with local teaching materials. It is a good place to study the historical process, business development, customs, and folk customs of Chikan. A cultural museum with great historical value.

Due to foreign influences, the concept of housing in Chikan changed. Nanxing Street was the first to be fully westernized, with old buildings with strong Nanyang tropical characteristics.

< p>With the development of society, time has changed and new houses have been replaced. Not many old houses have been preserved in Chikan. Most of the ancient houses that still exist in Chikan date from the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Except for Xinjing Road, which is relatively intact. Outside the Chen family's house, there are also the Li family's mansion on Zhongshan Road, the Liang family's courtyard on Nanxing Street, and the arcade residential buildings on Minzhu Road... Although some houses have been built several times, their ancient style still exists, deep in the winding alleys. , there are still old-style "sliding" sliding doors, heavy solid wood doors, and ancient and elegant arches. You can see it through these rare features.

The style of the ancient houses is like a ladder. Usually pushed into the wall and closed, the old-fashioned "sliding door" that separates the inside and outside can still be seen occasionally in the depths of the alley.