Siheyuan

Siheyuan (courtyard), also known as Sihefang, is a combined residential architecture found in Northern China. The basic layout of courtyard is four houses at four sides circling into a square, hence the name Siheyuan. The four houses include the main house, the wing houses, the opposite house, and the back house.

The Siheyuan is a kind of square or rectangular courtyard, composed of a Sanheyuan and front gate houses. If it resembles Chinese character ‘Kou’, the courtyard is called ‘Er jin yi yuan’; if it resembles Chinese character ‘Ri’, the courtyard is called ‘San jin er yuan’; and if it resembles Chinese character ‘Mu’, the courtyard is called ‘Si jin san yuan’. In general, in larger Siheyuan, the first row is gate houses, the second row is the hall, and the third or last row is private rooms or boudoir, which are women or dependents’ space and are not freely accessible. There are many types of Siheyuan throughout China and the Beijing courtyard is the most typical representative of all.


The planning and layout of the courtyard features north and south longitudinal symmetry and a closed and independent yard. It takes the family yard as the center, neighbors as the route, and community as a social network system, and, meanwhile, contributes to a harmonious environment, which meets people’s psychological needs, maintains traditional culture and cultivates a healthy neighborhood rapport. From the layout and construction, a courtyard is typically symmetrical, pays attention to the differentiated exterior and interior, humble and noble, and loses touch with the outside world to enjoy tranquility and share the happiness of a peaceful family union. In terms of the basic spirit of architecture, the courtyard house seeks serenity, peacefulness and embraces earth and enjoys its own entertainment. Living in a comfortable courtyard, we can cultivate our soul, settle down and get on with our pursuits, and recharge our life and spirit in a serene place.


The Courtyard is not only part of the art of life practice, but is also the product of Chinese people’s toil and wisdom and the crystallization of Chinese people’s artistic talent. It records our strong national feelings and is a rich historical and cultural heritage.


Formal courtyards usually refer to one yard with one family and the plane pattern is flexible. The homeowner can build the house according to the size of the land and the household of the family. It can be one-row house, three or four rows of houses, as well as two-courtyard wide cross yard. Small courtyards have 13 rooms, One-row or two-row courtyards have 25 to 40 rooms. The back wall of wing house is also the yard wall. An independent wall is built around the corner. A big courtyard has a tall and independent yard wall and does not open windows, so as to maintain its privacy. In terms of construction style, many palaces and temples are also designed and constructed in accordance with the layout of the courtyard.

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