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Beijing Courtyards |
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Author(s): Jia Jun |
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Publisher: Tsinghua University Press
Published Date: 2012
ISBN: 9787302290919
Pages: 278
Language: English
Type: Book
Cover: Paper Cover
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Our Price: $55.00
Avail: In-Stock |
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Description
In feudal China,the family was the rigidly stratified society in miniature(Fig.8-2-01) just as the family is the basic unit of modern society.This kind of feature is fully reflected in the layout of Courtyard which is closely linked to the inhabitation forms of family members.The houses in Courtyard,resided by various members of the family whose statuses are represented in the different position,exposure and space of their houses,are interconnected to form a unified whole characterized with strong concepts of superiority and inferiority.
The main houses in Courtyard,mostly positioned in the north,enjoy the best exposure,the largest space and the highest roof as well.As the core of whole buildings,the main houses are resided by the head of a family.After the head of a family passes away,the successor can not only inherit all the properties and but also move into the main houses,climbing to the top of a family justifiably.
Assuming an east-west asymmetry,side houses are mostly resided by sons,whose status is inferior to main houses. Since traditionally the east suggests supremacy,the eastern side house is resided by the eldest son and western side houses by other younger sons. Furthermore,the fact that the roof of eastern side house is a little higher than that of western side house indicates the east is superior to the west.But this difference,nothing important but in Fengshui,is too trivial to be observed by naked eyes.
In ancient times,the unmarried women enjoyed a lower status and commonly resided in backside houses.It is a common practice to receive teachers hired by the family and guests in opposite houses in the outer yard,while servants have to live respectively in inferior rooms of opposite houses,wing-rooms,backside houses or the yard in accordance with their different jobs.The people of a lower status have to live in a small and narrow house with a bad orientation.
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