Xiguan Dajia---The Treasure of Guangzhou Traditional Architecture

The Xiguan Daiya is a traditional folk house with Lingnan characteristics built by wealthy merchants at the end of Qing Dynasty in the area of "Xiguanjiao" (now Liwan District) in the west of Guangzhou, which is called "Xiguan Daiya". Xiguan had already become the commercial center of Guangzhou city in Ming Dynasty, and Shibafu was gradually formed in Ming Dynasty. Xiguanjiao was formed in the Qing Dynasty during the Tongzhi and Guangxu Periods, and the area included Wenchang Bridge, Daguan Bridge, Pantang, and the area around Changhuayuan. The Xiguan houses were concentrated in Baohua Road, Duo Bao Road, Baoyuan Road and Fung Yuen Road. Later it was extended to other areas in Xiguan, mostly built by famous families and bureaucrats.

The Xiguan houses are mostly of brick and wood structure, with blue brick and stone feet, and the tall main door is inlaid with granite. Its layout according to the traditional form of the Central Plains main hall, basically the depth of the direction of the expansion. Its typical plan is three rooms and two corridors; symmetrical left and right, with the main hall in the center. The central axis from front to back, from south to north, in order for the porch, the door hall (door official hall), the sedan chair hall (tea hall), the main hall (hall or hall of God), the head room (elders room), the patio, the two halls (dining room), the two rooms (tail room). Each hall is one into the general big house for two or three into the formation of quite a lot of the central axis. On both sides of the front part of the side room for the study and a small courtyard on the left, the right side of the

partial hall and guest rooms. The top of the guest room is a flat rooftop for taking a cool ride, enjoying the moon and Xiguan ladies to pay respect to the moon on the eve of the seventh day of the month (to pay respect to the seventh sister) and so on. At the back of the side hall and guest room are bedrooms and kitchens, etc. The garden is planted with flowers and trees. The garden is planted with flowers and trees, and there is a rockery and a fish pond, which is quite elegant and secluded.

The porch of Xiguan Dajia is decorated with a short foot door (also called a foot door), a bar and a hardwood door. Trip bar is a movable fence, with 13 or 15 hard round wood strips (generally mahogany or hardwood) composition, horizontal opening and closing so called trip bar. The foot gate and the bar have the functions of ventilation and security, and they are special building components adapted to the hot and rainy climate of Lingnan. Xiguan big house door is made of mahogany or camphor wood and other high-grade wood, about 8 centimeters thick, the door knob copper ring, the foot of the door is hidden in the stone mortar, the door behind the door with a horizontal latch buckle door, in order to prevent burglars.

The door hall (door official hall) set up in the Heavenly Palace and the land God Shi, followed by four doors in the door, usually do not open, only sedan chair guests to visit before opening, to show the grand welcome. Only left the left and right doors in and out, so that passers-by can not see the scene inside the door. Sedan chair hall is for guests and masters in and out of the sedan chair.

The hall is the main building of the house, with the largest area and the highest ridge. The whole hall is spacious and grand with red building (the main beams are painted in red) and black jue (the corners of the wood are painted in black) and white tile (the lining tiles are painted in white). In order to make the hall brighter, the roof is staggered with bright tiles, i.e. glass tiles.

Behind the main hall is the head room (or elder room), where the elders live, with bright tiles and high windows for light.

After the head room, there is the second room (dining room) and the second room (for the couple to live in after the son's marriage). The second room, also known as the tail room, is the last room on the center axis.

The halls are separated from each other by a small patio, which is covered with a small hut and relies on high side windows for light and ventilation. On both sides of the central axis, there are mainly study rooms, side halls, bedrooms and stairwells, etc., which are arranged symmetrically on the left and right. To the right of the foyer, there is usually a small courtyard, in which valuable flowers and trees are planted, and stone mountains, stone scenery, fish oil or lotus ponds are arranged for the master or guests to enjoy. There is a Qingyun Alley on each side of the house, which means "a smooth step to the blue clouds". Qingyun Alley, also known as Cold Alley, Fire Alley, Water Alley, etc., serves various functions such as transportation (for women or servants to enter and exit), ventilation, lighting, drainage, drying, planting flowers, and removing feces and garbage.

The facade of the Xiguan Daiya is equipped with low-footed ceiling fan doors, triple bars, hardwood gates and other doors. Elegant interior decoration, can be said to set the arts and crafts of the great, wood and stone brick carvings, ceramic and gray plastic, murals and stone scenery, glass and iron leakage flower, Manchurian window, carved color patterns, mahogany furniture, wood carving flower decorations, threshold window, etc., are very rich Lingnan flavor and style.

Xiguan Dajia is the treasure of traditional architecture in Guangzhou, according to statistics, there are more than 100 of them, and more than 10 of them have preservation value. The most famous Xiguan houses are "Liang Zizheng Di" located at No. 18, Baoyuan North Street, Deng Gongbao Di located at Duo Bao Road, and Zhong Jia Garden located at about the center of Baohua Road, etc. It is a pity that these famous gardens and mansions are so beautiful and beautiful. Unfortunately, most of these famous gardens and mansions have long since disappeared. Now the only remaining famous house is the small boat Zhai