| Si He Yuan | |||||||||||||||||
| by Jared Madsen | |||||||||||||||||
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China�s architecture has changed considerably in the past few decades. It has gone from traditional four walled houses with a courtyard in the middle to high rise apartment buildings capable of providing convenient housing for the masses. It was obvious that the traditional houses were not suitable for China�s recent population expansion and there needed to be living quarters that accommodated this growth. This new transition that China has encountered has changed not just living conditions, but the structure of the family unit. This has caused the traditional large Chinese family to be transformed into the present day Chinese nuclear family: two parents and a child. Before the population explosion it was common for the whole family, not just the nuclear family, to live together under one roof. During that time period families needed enough space to accommodate all its members. They did this by creating the si he yuan, a rectangular shaped house with a courtyard in the middle. This style of housing made it easier to add additional rooms when the family grew larger. They would build the new rooms or even buildings behind the original house creating a type of corridor that connected both buildings. This allowed the family members to move freely throughout the houses. The si he yuan was usually made from stone, brick, tile and/or timber. People would generally enter the house from the south and instead of there being a long hallway, there would be a wall, this was because of feng shui. The houses had a strong outside wall intended for protection from natural elements and thieves. This protection allowed for a harmonious inner living condition, which was accentuated by beautiful plants and flowers. This type of architecture provided a basis for future Chinese buildings, palaces and eventually whole cities. Many buildings in China used the idea of a strong outer wall and a peaceful inside, like the si he yuan. This has provided a basic house plan for many of the great architectural wonders in China, such as the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. This style of architecture is the foundation for Beijing City. The city has an outer section and an inner city each containing several square kilometers. All the temples and the parks in Beijing conform to this style and also the principles of feng shui. The inner city of Beijing is then subdivided into the Imperial City and in the middle of that is the Forbidden City. Today the style of architecture in China is straying from its traditional roots and incorporating western methods of building. This would be the creation of large apartment complexes that are able to house a large number of people in a small area. This would be a good idea, but the families have to be broken up and distributed among many different apartments. This family separation causes its members to grow further apart and lose their family ties. This creates a kind of independence that is new to China, which is changing not only the structure of society, but also peoples individual outlook on the world. It is amazing how the changing architecture in China can directly affect the Chinese family unit. It has gone from large families living together in small communes to single families living desolate lives in little three roomed apartments. This change has affected the family members' relationships to one another and has caused them to grow apart from each other. This is something China seriously has to analyze and decide if this family separation is really the best thing, not only for the individual, but also the entire nation. | |||||||||||||||||
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