学进去

Have you ever been to Beijing? Have you ever noticed some houses in the Hutongs of Beijing? If you see a yard enclosed by a group of houses and walls on the four sides, it is called a Siheyuan. Siheyuan is a traditional type of building found throughout China, most famously in Beijing.

Siheyuan has a history of more than three thousand years. People first built this kind of building in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The size of the Siheyuan was affected (影响) by the owner’s social status (身份). And the gates were also dif-ferent. Some gates were painted red while others had door nails (钉).

Facing towards the yard, the houses in a Siheyuan are mostly for different members of a large family. For example, the senior (较年长的人) members usually live in the main house in the north which has good lighting and temperature all year round. The eldest son usually lives in the house in the east while the second son in the west. The houses next to the gate in the south were for servants in old times.

With the development of society (社会), some houses have been knocked down, making Siheyuan a precious (宝贵的) memory of the old Beijing City. When you come to Beijing, do visit a Siheyuan to experience the real Beijing culture.