Characteristics of residential buildings in northern and southern China

Folk Houses and Geographical Environment in Northern China

China has a long history, a vast territory, diverse natural environment and different socio-economic environment. In the long historical development process, different forms of residential buildings have gradually formed in various places. This traditional residential building is deeply branded with geographical environment and vividly reflects the relationship between man and nature.

Beijing folk houses

Siheyuan is a traditional residence in Beijing and even North China. Its basic feature is that houses and courtyards are symmetrically arranged according to the north-south central axis, facing south, and the gate is generally opened in the southeast corner. There is a screen wall inside the door, so outsiders can't see the activities in the yard. The main room is located on the central axis, with side wing and left and right wing. The principal room is the living room of the elders, and the wing room is for the younger generation. This solemn layout also embodies the orthodox and rigorous traditional character of the people in North China. Beijing has a warm temperate and semi-humid continental monsoon climate, with little snow in winter and heavy sandstorm in spring. Therefore, the residential design pays attention to heat preservation, cold protection, wind protection and sand avoidance, and is surrounded by brick walls. The whole yard is surrounded by houses and walls, hard gable roofs, thick walls and roofs.

Inner Mongolia dwellings

Mongolian yurts are typical tent houses in Inner Mongolia, and felt yurts are the most common. Due to the needs of nomadic life, herders in temperate grasslands of Inner Mongolia live in felt bags that are easy to disassemble and migrate. Mongolian herders traditionally live on aquatic plants and migrate four times a year, which are called "Chunwa, Xiagang, Qiu Ping and Dongyang". Therefore, yurts are the product of mobile grazing in grassland areas.

Ningxia dwellings

Ningxia is located in the northwest, far away from the ocean, with less precipitation, large temperature difference, severe cold climate, obvious continental climate characteristics, drought and sandstorm in winter and spring, and prevailing northerly winds, so houses generally do not open north windows. In order to keep warm and cold, a box courtyard is adopted. The house is compact and the roof form is one slope and two slopes coexist.

Folk houses in northern Shaanxi

Cave dwelling is a common living form in northern Shaanxi and even the whole Loess Plateau. It is divided into cliff kiln, ground prevention kiln and masonry kiln. Cliff kiln is a small kiln dug in the vertical plane of loess, with holes connected or several floors up and down; Pit kiln is to dig a deep pit in the soil layer, so that the artificial cliff surface can dig caves on it; Masonry kiln is a one-story or two-story arch house built with bricks, stones or adobe on the ground. The climate of the Loess Plateau is relatively dry, and the loess has the characteristics of uniform texture, good cementation and straightness, with loose soil and easy excavation. Therefore, local people creatively dig holes according to local conditions, which not only saves building materials, but also has the advantages of being warm in winter and cool in summer. In recent years, because pit caves are difficult to defend against floods, with the improvement of economic conditions, some places have abandoned the construction of pit caves and built brick-wood houses on the ground.

Shanxi and Shandong dwellings

The Taihang Mountain area in Shanxi is similar to the hilly area in Jiaodong, Shandong Province, with a single courtyard and a gatehouse with sloping roofs on both sides. Because mountains are high and stones are common, according to the traditional principle of using local materials for building materials. So there are more houses with masonry structure. Brick carvings and other decorations are also common in Shanxi folk houses. The latitudes of the two places are similar, but the precipitation is different, so the roof slope is slightly different. The former has a higher terrain, and the Taihang Mountain in the southeast blocks the ocean airflow, with little precipitation (< 700 mm/year); The latter has a wide valley, low mountains and sea, more precipitation (> 700mm/ year) and steep roof slope, which is convenient for drainage. China Southern Dwellings and Geographical Environment

Jiangsu folk houses

Jiangsu folk houses are represented by Suzhou. Suzhou, known as "Venice of the East", has dense water networks and flat terrain, and houses are built on water. Doors, steps and bypasses are all located at the water's edge. Houses are naturally integrated with water, roads and bridges, with many buildings and brick structures. Blue bricks and tiles, with exquisite architectural style, have formed a delicate, delicate and warm folk culture in the south of the Yangtze River. Because of the hot and humid climate, many courtyards have thin walls and roofs, and some have wide porches or spacious halls in order to facilitate ventilation and avoid heat and rain.

Shanghai folk houses

Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai is one of the cradles of modern national industry. Developed economy, good residential quality, mostly brick houses, novel and elegant style. The architectural style fully shows the influence of humanistic factors and has the shadow of "Shanghai style" culture.

Fujian folk houses

Hakka earth building in southwest Fujian is a special rural residence. Tulou is square and round, shaped like a pet bunker. Its outer wall is compacted with soil, lime, sand and glutinous rice, and its thickness is 1 m, which can reach 5 layers. From the outside to the inside, the roof falls off layer by layer, with the main building in the middle. The total number of rooms can reach more than 300, and there are dozens or even dozens of households living on the first floor. Fujian is a "mountain country" along the southeast coast, with mountains and hills accounting for more than 80% of the land area. The terrain is complex, and the phenomenon of banditry is serious in history. After the Han people in the Central Plains moved here, they built earth buildings to guard against thieves, and hundreds of people of the same family lived here, so they were like earth buildings in a fortress with outstanding defense functions. In addition, Fujian is located in the southeast coastal seismic zone, with a warm and rainy climate. This solid earth building can not only prevent earthquakes and damp, but also keep warm and insulate, killing two birds with one stone.

Yunnan folk houses

Ganlan Bamboo House is the main living form of Dai, Wa, Miao, Jingpo, Hani and Bulang ethnic minorities in southern Yunnan. The climate in southern Yunnan is hot, humid and rainy, and the lower part of the bamboo building is overhead, which is used as a rice milling room, storage room and utility room to facilitate ventilation and moisture insulation. There is a wide corridor and terrace in front of the upstairs, followed by the hall and bedroom; The roof lies on the mountain, with steep slopes and far eaves, which can provide shade and rain protection.

The colorful traditional houses in China reflect the characteristics of China's vast territory and rich natural conditions, and it is also a vivid embodiment of the working people's transformation and utilization of nature to adapt to the environment.