Cultural Connotation of Courtyard

The courtyard building, an ancient and traditional cultural symbol of China, contains profound cultural connotations and is the carrier of traditional Chinese culture. So here we choose to analyze the connotation of Chinese culture from the perspective of courtyard culture.

Overview of the Courtyard:

The Courtyard is an inner courtyard building formed by combining four houses together. Four? are the four sides, east, west, south, north and south,? The four sides of the house are the four sides of the house. means together, the four sides of the house enclosure, forming a? The four houses are enclosed to form a? Zigzag shape, this is the courtyard. Since the Yuan Dynasty, the official capital of Beijing, large-scale planning and construction of the capital city, the courtyard and Beijing's palaces, government offices, neighborhoods, alleys and hutongs appeared at the same time.

The courtyard houses are widely distributed in the south and north of China, and due to the differences in climate, geographic conditions and other natural environments, there are differences between the southern and northern courtyard houses. From the courtyard, not only different sizes, but also different roles, the courtyard in the south of the courtyard is smaller, the mansion between the houses of the houses and walls enclosed between the small courtyard like a well, commonly known as ? Tianjing? , the role of the patio is also due to the characteristics of the southern climate. The northern winter is long, cold climate, the house needs sufficient sunshine and light, so the northern courtyard have a larger courtyard, doors and windows are also tall. Although the courtyard is a building, it has a broad-mindedness and carries a broad Chinese culture.

Yin and Yang Ideas of Courtyard

The yin and yang ideas are most obvious in the composition and spatial combination of the courtyard. First of all, the courtyard is in the form of east-west, south-north quadrilateral houses surrounded by each other, outside? The real? Inside? Virtual? Constitutes a pair of yin and yang relationship. Secondly, the combination is based on? Gate and hall system? The design of the gate house and the main hall is dominated by the axis, with two compartments on both sides. Gate Hall? This main once again is a pair of yin and yang relationship, there are strict requirements in the hierarchy. The configuration of the east and west compartments also became the third pair of yin and yang relationship, with a horizontal axis through. And in the vertical and horizontal axis of the intertwined courtyard relationship, vertical main, horizontal for the second, forming the fourth pair of yin and yang.

The four-phase space is determined by the law of yin and yang. The I Ching says: "Taiji gives birth to two instruments, and two instruments give birth to one. Taiji gives birth to two meters, two meters gives birth to four phases, four phases gives birth to gossip. A group of compounds from the orientation, in addition to the compound enclosure of the southeast, northwest and north? Four positive? The combination of arrangements, there are four corners of the courtyard space utilization and arrangements, such as the arrangement of the ear room, patio or toilet storage, doorway, etc., become? Four-dimensional? The layout of this? Four positive four-dimensional? Also constitute a pair of yin and yang relationship in the courtyard space, the whole can be considered as a complete layout of the courtyard space gossip space.

In the internal and external space level evolution, the formation of yin and yang combination relationship. Each level of combination becomes a progressive level, forming a hierarchy of yin and yang relationship. Such as the Beijing courtyard closed inside the open, to the southeast of the house inside and outside the door, for the definition of the first level of the field. The second level is to define the host and the guest. The main room in the center of the courtyard is the boundary? The front hall and the back bedroom? That is to define the third level of privacy. The back room of the inner courtyard is the fourth level for defining the gender of the boudoir. The back room of the house, the fifth level of the definition of the master and servant. The different nature of the inner and outer, reflecting the distinctive characteristics of Eastern Confucian culture.

The closed and hierarchical ideas reflected in the courtyard

The courtyard was created in the feudal era in China, so it is difficult to escape the traditional cultural spirit and hierarchical concepts.

The four walls of the courtyard are walled, people outside can not see the courtyard, people in the courtyard can not see the outside, the activities of the family are within the walls of the courtyard, the only channel to communicate with the outside world is the door, and usually the door is tightly closed, so the courtyard reflects the traditional closed culture of ancient China, as Lao Zi said `? A small country with few people, old and dead? Closed homes so that the courtyard has a strong sense of privacy, close the door to their own world; courtyard, the four sides of the room doors are open to the courtyard, the family and the beauty of the relatives, and its happy.

The layout of the courtyard houses is established, the living arrangements of family members also have strict regulations, reflecting the traditional hierarchical concept of the extended family, ? The traditional requirements of the order of the eldest and youngest? The traditional requirements. Layout is generally higher than the side room, the area is larger than the side room, housing arrangements are generally parents live in the main room, the younger generation live in the compartment Huo Zehua ear room, a family of young and old, from the top to the bottom, what kind of people live in what kind of room, everything is in accordance with the rules, there is no controversy. This arrangement not only highlights the status of the parents, but also contributes to the internal order of the family, strengthening the concept of hierarchy.

The location of the house in the superior prominent main room, are to the old generation of lords and wives live. North room of three only the center of a door to the outside, known as the hall. The two sides of the two rooms only open to the hall, forming a suite, becoming a bright two dark pattern. The hall is a place for family members to live, entertain relatives or make offerings to ancestors during festivals, and the two sides of the hall are mostly used as bedrooms. The bedrooms on the east and west sides were also divided into the inferiority and superiority, and under the polygamy system, the east side was honored by the main room and the west side was inferior by the side room. The east and west compartments were inhabited by the younger generation, and the compartments were also divided into two rooms, one in the center for the living room and two on either side for the bedrooms. One of the rooms on the south side can also be divided into a kitchen or dining room.

Folklore and traditional culture of the courtyard

The decoration, carving and painting of the courtyard's gatehouse, gate pier, wall, flower house, eaves, ridge, doors and windows also reflect folklore and traditional culture, showing people's pursuit of beauty, happiness and good fortune. For example, the pattern composed of bats and the word "longevity" implies that the people are in pursuit of good fortune, happiness and good luck. Fortune and longevity? ; to the vase inserted moonflower pattern means? Four seasons of peace? ; and embedded in the door for the door, the head of the auspicious words, attached to the pillar on the couplets, as well as hanging in the interior of the painting and calligraphy, is a collection of wise and philosophical ancient teachings, the collection of ancient and modern quotations, or praise the beauty of the mountains and rivers, or the study of the world, or Wing magpie's will, elegant and elegant, full of rich cultural flavor, as a temple of traditional Chinese culture.

Just take the door pier as an example. Door piers are mainly box-shaped and hold the drum-shaped majority, as well as lion-shaped, polygonal columns, water bottle-shaped piers and so on. Most of the courtyard is placed in the door frame on both sides of a pair of small stone lions, although they do not have a large family in front of the pair of stone lions tall and grand, but it is carved alive, very beautiful, or squat or stand, or ambush or Yang, as if a pair of protective god, guarding the door. In fact, the original intention of placing them is to ward off evil spirits, guarding the door to see the household. Stone lions placed in front of the door there are two sayings, one is that it is auspicious, so a pair of lively and lovely small stone lions placed in front of the door, is a symbol of a joyful and lively surplus; two is that there are piers on the door was lying in a large and a small two lions, lions resonance? World? The big lions and small lions to take? Shishijiazhongju? The meaning of the small lion lying on the chest of the big lion, and there is? Father, son, filial piety? The lion cub is lying on the chest of the big lion, which means that the father is kind and the son is filial. Harmony? The first is to make the door open and the second is to make the door open.

Plus that hold the drum-type door pier, hold the drum symbolizes the drum to inform the guests, guests to show the master of the good people, the family business is booming. And the box-type door pier engraved with bats (Fu), deer (Luk), peach (life), magpies (happy), Sui (years), bottle (flat), crane (An), sheep (Sanyangkaitai) and money and other patterns, are auspicious, showing people's desire for a happy life and the pursuit of good things and desire.