Siheyuan: the traditional courtyard-style residence of Beijing

Siheyuan may be big or small, or varied in the number of courtyards. In the construction of a siheyuan its magnitude and design were based not only on the owner’s economic situation but also on his social status. Ancient China as a feudal society honored strict hierarchical principles which found its expression also in the construction of siheyuan. During the Qing Dynasty the residences of the princes were called wangfu while those of other royal family members could only be called fu. Wangfu was of great magnitude. Its main house was called dian (hall), its roofs were covered with green glazed tiles and its gates and walls were painted red. Fu was normally smaller in size than wangfu, its main house could not be called dian and it was not roofed with glazed tiles. Apart from these there were also rules in connection with the number of rooms, decorative paintings, the height of the foundations as well as the number of decorative nails on the gate and all these allowed no breach. The residences for commoners were called zhai or di and the roofs and walls were of grey colour. The allotment of the houses in a siheyuan also called for separation of the old from the young and of master from servants. Zhengfang was for the elder generation while xiangfang for their children. The servants had no choice but to live in daozuo in the front courtyard. 民俗节庆门户网站

So far some of the well-preserved model siheyuan in the urban district have been on the list of preserved cultural relics. Some siheyuan, like that of Prince Gong’s, have been opened to the public and have attracted number tourists. 

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