Siheyuan is a traditional residence in Beijing and even North China. Its basic feature is that according to

Beijing quadrangle map

Houses and courtyards are symmetrically arranged along the north-south axis, facing south. The gate is generally opened in the southeast corner, and there is a screen wall inside the door, so outsiders can't see the activities in the courtyard. The main room is located on the central axis, with the wing and the left and right wing on the side. The main room is the living room of the elders, and the wing room is for the living of the younger generation. This solemn layout also reflects the orthodox and rigorous traditional character of the people in North China. Beijing has a warm temperate zone and semi-humid continental monsoon climate, with little snow in winter and windy sand in spring. Therefore, residential design pays attention to heat preservation, cold protection, shelter from wind and sand, and brick walls are built around it. The whole courtyard is surrounded by houses and walls, with hard mountain roofs and thick walls and roofs.

Beijing quadrangle is the most typical courtyard house in northern China. Courtyard houses face south, and the gate opens in the southeast corner, which is called "Kanzhai Xunmen", which is considered auspicious, and is actually conducive to maintaining privacy and increasing spatial changes. Enter the gate and turn west to the outer court, and arrange guest rooms, servant rooms, kitchens and toilets. From the outer court to the north, it enters the square and large inner court through a gorgeous hanging flower door. The main room in the north is called the hall, which is dedicated to the memorial tablet of "Heaven and Earth", holds family etiquette, receives distinguished guests, and its left and right wing houses elders and is used as a study. The wing rooms on both sides of the courtyard are junior bedrooms. Each room is connected by the "Handwriting Gallery", so you can sit in the gallery and enjoy the flowers and trees in the courtyard without going through the open air.

The quadrangle in Beijing is famous because it is a residential building, but it contains profound cultural connotations and is the carrier of Chinese traditional culture. The construction of quadrangles is very particular about geomantic omen. From site selection and positioning to determining the specific scale of each building, it should be carried out according to geomantic omen theory. The geomantic omen theory is actually the architectural environmentology in ancient China, and it is an important part of China's traditional residential architecture theory. This geomantic omen theory has been guiding the building activities in ancient China for thousands of years. In addition to the geomantic theory, the decoration, carving and painting of quadrangles also reflect folk customs and traditional culture everywhere, showing people's pursuit of happiness, beauty, prosperity and auspiciousness under certain historical conditions. For example, the pattern composed of bats and longevity characters means "longevity", and the pattern with Chinese rose flowers in a vase means "peace in the four seasons". The auspicious words embedded in the door tube and the door head, the couplets attached to the eaves column and the masterpieces of calligraphy and painting hanging indoors are the ancient teachings of collecting sages and philosophers, adopting ancient and modern famous sentences, or praising the beauty of mountains and rivers, or inscriptions.

Beijing quadrangle is kind and quiet, with proper courtyard scale, which brings the earth closer to people's hearts. It is an ideal outdoor living space with square courtyard, which is conducive to the sunshine in winter. The northeast climate is cold, and the yard is wider. South of Beijing, the summer sun is severe, and the yard becomes narrow and long from north to south. The northwest wind sand is very big, and the courtyard wall is heightened.