Traditional Courtyard in Old Beijing Research Assignment (Research Paper Sample)

TRADITIONAL COURTYARD IN OLD BEIJING
John Doe
History 2016
Dr Johnson
November 21, 2016
Abstract:
Due to the fact that Beijing Courtyard is large in scale, quantity, time span, so it reflects a strict and explicit hierarchical order, a completeness of interdependence between courtyards and alleys, and rich features of building types. In other words, the decoration, the carving and the painting of Courtyards have always reflected the folk customs and traditional culture, showing a pursuit of people on happiness, beauty, prosperity, and auspiciousness. Although the Courtyard is residential building, it contains a profound cultural connotation. There is another unique type of Chinese architecture called Hutong, and so the research paper will give more explanation on the interdependent relationship between Hutong and Courtyard since Beijing Courtyard and the alley in the Hutong are closely linked. Beijing Courtyard buildings are only difference in the size and the level of quality, but they basically remain the traditional architectural form and characteristic pattern. In addition, the traditional pattern of Beijing Courtyard has close relationship with the feudal clan system of China, thus it not only creates the comfortable daily life and living conditions, but also satisfies the ethical needs of the big family on the noble and Chinese old manners. Beijing Courtyard is the only surviving residential buildings in the capital in the era of emperor, and it is the traditional street life cultural carrier of the eight hundred years’ ancient capital, Beijing. It has a precious historical, scientific and cultural value in the history of Chinese architecture, so it is really necessary for me to do a research on tracking the progress of this meaningful building type, or even a cultural heritage to the whole world.
Introduction
Courtyard housing is a housing typology classified as one of the oldest forms of domestic development spanning thousands of years and occurring in distinctive variant forms in many parts of the world such as Latin America, Europe and China. The courtyard design is the fundamental housing typology found in China with its origin dating back to the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 BCE) and Tang (618-907) when among the Chinese, the belief was that harmony, good fortune and stability could be achieved by residing in an environment that followed cosmic order principles.[Edwards, Brian. 2006. Courtyard Housing. 1st ed. Abingdon [England]: Taylor & Francis.] [Zhang, Donia. 2013. Courtyard Housing And Cultural Sustainability. 1st ed. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company]
The orientation and planning of the houses in the courtyard followed a cosmic order as the Chinese worshipped sun and moon gods. Their belief that the earth had nine continents, the land, nine mountains and mountains, nine paths led them to hold nine as supreme number. Consequently, the housing courtyard plan had 9 squares divided in a 3 X 3 arrangement. Such an arrangement allowed them to have a central courtyard allowing them an opening to the sky where smoke could easily drift to the sky during worship. The housing plan as well was oriented based on the cardinal points: North, West, South and East.
734060-5080
Exterior
The old Beijing hotel is great to look at one can take that from the above pictures. The hotel could have been renovated but it is still more like the way it was many years ago. The management have just brought in some of the current materials that are used in the modern hotels without interfering with the building structure of the Beijing Courtyard.
The building is covered by green dwindling plants on the exterior. The building is the perfect existing example of the Chinese courtyard. The buildings are arranged in a rectangular manner with only one side left for the gate. From the picture above, the traditional tables and chairs have been replaced by modern furniture. One can see the table is made of glass which could not exist in the early days. The chairs are still made to resemble the traditional chairs. The tables are round just like the traditional tables in courtyard hotels. The building is appealing to the eye just from the outside. It is a perfect mixture of tradition and the modern technology. The building has the orange colour which is the traditional colour of the Chinese courtyards. The building has more than one entrance into the house.
The building is one storey. It also has balcony on all the sides of the building. The early customers and the current can still stand on the balcony and communicate with the people on the ground. The building is quite big from the external look. The picture is taken from the side of the gate.
Interior
The interior of the Beijing Courtyard has not changed. They are more the same just like the old courtyard. At the entrance of the gate there is a screen wall inside the gate. The screen wall is for the purpose of protection and safety. The traditional people believed that the screen wall protected them from evil powers. Even in the current Beijing Courtyard the wall screens still exits. The wall exists mainly to preserve the culture of the Chinese people. The interior of the courtyards are very neat and clean. The arrangements of the building protect the interior of the house from dust. It also product the building from storms. The houses are free of dust and in extreme case just few element of dust. The beds are covered by traditional bed seats.
The above picture is an illustration of the modern bedroom of the Double Happiness Beijing Courtyard Hotel. The room is slightly lit and the room is very huge enough to accommodate up three people in one bed. In the wall there is a portrait of Chinese painting. The room is arranged in a traditional manner and this makes many customers who have visited the hotel very happy with the services that they receive.
Relation to ethics and morality
The layout of the Beijing courtyard just like other courtyard is in relation with the tradition of the Chinese. It is closely related to the morality of the traditional Chinese and Confucian ethics. The four buildings in the courtyard received different amount of lights. The main house that served the purpose of living room and bedroom received most of the lights. The main house is located on the north. In the hotel the main building has the executive rooms. The rooms on the North are always charged more.
In the tradition the rooms on the West and East received less light. The rooms served the purpose of bedroom for the least important people and children. Concurrently the hotel rooms on the west and the east side cost less as compared to the rooms on the North side. The building on the southern side received the least amount of the sunlight. Since the gate was on the southern side, the building on the southern side served as reception. The current Beijing courtyard also has the reception on the South side. The South building also has the room for the watchmen and the changing rooms for the staff members.
The bar is also located on the southern side. The southern side of the Beijing Courtyard is used to relax most likely in the evening as the visitors take their drinks. The central part of the courtyard that is the part without the rooftop serves the purpose of smoking. It allows for the smoke to easily move out of the building. The current Beijing Courtyard is just used like the traditional courtyard hence preserving the tradition and culture of the Chinese people. However, the allocation of the rooms is done on the basis of who can afford. A young person can sleep on the rooms on the North side as long as they can afford, the old people can also sleep on the rooms on the West or East side if they cannot afford the rooms on the North. It was against the strict Confucian ethics for young people to sleep on the rooms on the North and the old people to sleep on rooms on East or West.
Relation to the feudal clan system of China
There are different houses that are related to different cultures and tribe. The courtyard is greatly related to the Feudal clan system of China. The arrangement of the house is as a result of the belief in the Supreme Being and the culture of the Feudal. The courtyard is greatly inhabited by the feudal clan members. The house was occupied by entire clan. The oldest and the most important generation occupied rooms on the North side. However, in the current Beijing, the courtyards are occupied by more than one family. The different families occupy different houses in the building. The houses are paid for by those who are much better off to pay the rent within the time. The rich occupy the rooms on the North side.
The architecture
The courtyard was made on not a very complex design. However, the basis of the courtyard also made it the basis for the design of complex structures just like the palaces and the temples.
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