Eunuch
Li's
Siheyuan Residence
in Beijing
22 August 2006
Siheyuan
is a traditional Chinese residence, most
commonly seen in Beijing. A typical siheyuan
consists of several courtyards divided by
doorways, with each courtyard being
surrounded by rooms that are directly open to
the court and linked by verandas.
Verandas
are the linkages between the rooms
It is
a self-contained small world: within the
humble enclosure walls, there is a
multi-layered realm which is orderly and
tranquil with access to natural elements.
Siheyuans
usually sit in the north and face the south.
Such a structural arrangement is not only for
maximising the exposure to the sun and
obstructing the winds in the winter, but also
to follow the principle of Feng
Shui. So naturally, the hutongs
(alleyway of Beijing style) that offer access
to siheyuans are normally running in the
east-west direction.
The
sizes of siheyuans vary. While having two or
three courtyards is the most common, they can
also contain one courtyard only, or get two
or more siheyuans standing side by side with
a garden at the rear.
Siheyuan
is not just confined to residential uses.
Most of Buddhist and Daoist temples in
Beijing are also built in siheyuan style - a
case in the point is the famous Taoist temple
White
Cloud. But
the most magnificent siheyuan is,
undoubtedly, the Forbidden City, which
comprises of nearly a hundred courtyards,
from as majestic as the one with emperor's
audience halls to as tiny as those in which
low-rank eunuchs used to live.
The
siheyuan residence shown in the photos
originally belonged to famous eunuch Li
Lianying, the most trusted assistant to the
most notorious Empress Dowager Cixi of the
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Situated
in northwest Beijing's Haidian District,
fairly close to the Summer Palace, it was for
a long period inhabited by Li's brother and
his descendants. Currently the district
health bureau uses it as its office.
The
screen wall behind the inner gate has the
image of phoenixes and peony flowers
carved on, indicating the space beyond is
the inner residential quarter where
ladies used to live. In the old days
guest gentlemen and male servants were
not allowed to step across the threshold
without exclusive permission.
