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.
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.
