The Role of Patio in Huizhou

The patio has been transformed by the people through the generations, and the structure has changed in various ways, especially in Huizhou. The role of the patio is especially important as Huizhou buildings have fewer windows. In Huizhou, the patio is a place for light, scenery and drainage. It is said that windows are the eyes of a building, but for Huizhou buildings with few windows, the patio is their eyes to observe the outside world. The patio is also called Mingtang, so the rainwater flowing down from the patio is also called the four waters returning to Mingtang. Elsewhere, the eaves of the patio are at a 30-degree angle to the ground, so rainwater flows through the eaves to the outside of the house. In Huizhou, the patio is an inverted "V", rainwater flows through the eaves to the courtyard, and eventually through the underground channels in the courtyard to the outside. The four waters return to the Mingtang, which means that the external wealth returns to the family, and the fertilizer does not flow to the outsider's field. Huizhou patio reveals the financial shrewdness of Huizhou merchants.