Beijing Quadrangles

Quadrangle is a major feature of traditional Building of Beijing, and this style of architecture was developed during a 2,000 years of history of city building. Common citizens of Beijing are still living in this kind of quadrangle. The quadrangle also displays a picture of real life as well as history of Beijingers to the world.

Beijing City was formed in Yuan Dynasty, with Beijing style Hutongs and quadrangles. Because people lived by families, and people with the same family names lived in the same quadrangle, people built houses on each side of the yard. Alleys between these quadrangles are original Hutongs. There are more than 3,000 Hutongs in Beijing, and numerous quadrangles between these Hutongs.
　　

There are big, medium size and small quadrangles in Beijing. The small quadrangles are usually very simple, and it was called “yards”. Quadrangles of medium size are more complicated, there are more houses and more yards in it. There are also gates with wooden decorations and verandas in it. This kind of quadrangle can be called “House”, Big quadrangles are even more complicated and luxury. There are yards between houses and gardens, pool, decorating, stones, and even pavilions in it Usually there are five to seven sets of square courtyards in one big “quadrangle”, and this kind of quadrangle are called residences with royal people or rich merchants living in it. Today we can even tell the status of the old owners of the quadrangles by the gates, steps, and decorations of those quadrangles.
　　

There are typical quadrangles and Hutongs in the quadrangle Sightseeing Area of South Luogu Alley of Dongcheng District, which is one of the 25 Protective Area of Bungalows in Bejing. The imagination of this area is quite similar to scolopendra with the South Luogu Alley as the trunk and eight Hutongs across it as foots, In this case, people call the South Luogu Alley Scolopendra Street, This area is exactly to the north east of the Forbidden City, and most royal people, officials, writers and merchants lived here. The last Queen of Qing Dynasty, Wanrong lived here before married, The famous scholar Wen Yu of Qing Dynasty also lived in this area, The president of Democratic Public of China, Mr Jiangjieshi also owned a xanadu in this area. The famous Modern Chinese writer Mr Maodun used to live in one small yard in the South Luogu Alley.