Speaking of Xiguan in Guangzhou, if you can't think of anything else, you should know that this is where Miss Xiguan used to live and grow up. Miss Xiguan and Master Dongshan are actually a reflection of the phenomenon of matching families in Guangzhou. Both families are famous local families or wealthy merchants. From the ancient point of view, they are naturally well matched in all aspects. In Dongshan at that time, if you want to know the status of a family, just look at the height and luxury of Xiaoyanglou. In Xiguan, what you need to see is the situation in xiguan big house. Therefore, regarding xiguan big house, some people have made the following definition: "Guangzhou xiguan big house, which flourished in the late Qing Dynasty, is a traditional residence with Lingnan characteristics built by famous families and wealthy businessmen in Xiguanjiao, Guangzhou." [ 1]
The emergence of xiguan big house was related to the two Opium Wars.
Before the end of Qing Dynasty, Xiguan was a land of plenty in the suburbs of Guangzhou. Due to the developed water system, aquatic crops and fish ponds are mainly planted locally, and commercial streets are distributed along "Yong 'an An Wei-Xilewei-Daiheji-Penglai-Li Ji-Jeffery Ji-Ji Xian". In the third year of Daoguang, a fire broke out in Xiguan, and some businessmen left the business circle along the Yangtze River and moved to the west of Baohuafang. In the 20th year of Daoguang (AD 1840), the first Opium War broke out. The following year, the British army occupied Guangzhou, looted thirteen lines, and people fled to Foshan and other places. In the first year of Xianfeng, the Taiping Army approached Guangzhou many times, and a large number of officials, gentry and wealthy businessmen fled to Hong Kong and other places under unsafe conditions. After the war, most officials, gentry and rich people in Xiguan lived far away from Shisanhang. At this point, Xiguan, north of Shibafu business circle and west of Baohuafang, began to build large-scale blocks with high construction standards and new residential blocks with regular orthogonal street systems. The residential building under construction is xiguan big house. [2]
Among the "Guangdong folk houses", there are bamboo houses and Ming houses. Bamboo tube house is a single-room residence, and its plane feature is that the width of each household is narrow, often four meters. The depth depends on the length of the terrain, and the plane layout is like bamboo, so it is called "bamboo tube house". (Photo 1) The Ming-style residence is a double-room apartment, which consists of a hall, a bedroom, a kitchen and a patio. The Ming-style houses in Xiguan, Guangzhou are generally wealthy households, and the layout is basically the same as that of bamboo buildings, but there are more rooms. (Figure 2) xiguan big house is not recorded in the book "Guangdong Folk Houses". According to the author's speculation, it may be based on the Ming family, expanded by the official gentry and the rich. (Figure 3)
Xiguan big house is generally two-storeyed, with a plane feature of three bays and large depth. The middle hall is the main hall on the ground floor. The gantry, gatehouse, sedan chair hall, main hall, head hall, second hall and second room are arranged in turn on the central axis. The patio is used for separation and lighting. Its structure is similar to a bamboo house. Both sides are mainly rooms and stairs, which are smaller than the central hall. The overall appearance is the primary and secondary layout.
The decorations in xiguan big house mainly include shrines, calligraphy and paintings, wood carvings, couplets, wall hangings and full windows. Overall, it is more elegant. Shrine, calligraphy and painting, wood carving, couplets and hanging waterfalls are all located in the car hall. The shrine is above the car hall, facing the Longmen. Calligraphy and painting, couplets, hanging on the walls on both sides of the car hall, exquisite wood carving prevented it from becoming an artistic decoration of the car hall. The full window is the window of the room, reflecting the skylight and creating a soft light environment indoors.
References:
[1] Cao Zhijiao. Architectural features of xiguan big house in Guangzhou [J]. Southern Architecture, 2002(03):43.
[2] Qiao-Yun Huang. Research on xiguan big house Residence [D]. South China University of Technology