四合院

Have you ever wondered what the traditional Chinese house looked like? Well, I find the structure of the 四合院 very interesting. The 四合院 was first used in Beijing. It is a yard surrounded with four walls that includes many rooms within it. The 四合院 has a front door(大门) and a second door(二门). The front door is connected to the front yard and the room for guests. When you enter the second door, there is an inner yard(内院) and that’s where the family lives. The master suite, also known as the 正房, is where the elderly live. It is warm during the winter and cool during the summer. Next, we have the east and west suite. This is where the sons and their family of the elderly live. There is a corridor that connects both of these suites. Last, there is the 耳房. This is where the daughters of the elderly live before they get married. Remember the inner yard? Well, that is where all the family members gather, talk, eat, and play. The 内院 has a beautiful view of flowers, trees, and stars at night. Since the soil in China is very soft, houses can not be built. Instead, the houses are dug up from the soil. This can lead to many designs and structures of the 四合院.