Ancient Residence

As the main body of Huizhou Architecture, ancient residences were built under guidance of Feng Shui, which follow some principles to select lucky locations based on their environment around. Feng Shui contends the trinity of the Heaven, the Earth and human and seeks harmony between selected site, natural environment and human fate. The site of dwelling house is prudently chosen.

The major outer feature of Huizhou-style house is black tiles and white wall. The simple and bright color can easily mate green trees and bamboos, creating a nice and harmonious landscape. Huizhou's local-style dwellings are enclosed by high walls which are known as "fire-proof wall" or "horse-head wall" presenting a beautiful skyline. The wall is higher than the roof, so it can cut the way of fire spreading in case a house is on fire. The upper part of the wall near the eave has a slim protruding part which looks like horse head. The high wall can prevent the fire spreading vertically while the horse head part block the fire horizontally. Wood, stone or brick carved small lattice windows are set into the wall to add change. No wonder simple but elegant residences become a good theme of painting or photograph.

The interior design is quite complicated compared with the exterior. Decorative patterns of flowers and birds on pillars, parapet, windows and eaves add much luster. Those patterns are of delicate carvings, they were wood carving, bamboo carving, stone carving and brick carving. Those carvings are exquisite and various, with traditional patterns, animals of mascot, folklore and historic stories as themes. The inner complex is a square layout, with rooms on each side and "Zhongtang" - a hall served as a drawing room in the middle. The drawing room has a rectangular "Tianjing" - a dooryard for enough lighting and fresh air.

The inner feature is Tianjing ( Sky Well ) and delicate carvings. Entering a house from the main gate, you come to living room, on both side are bedrooms, in front is a long and narrow table against wall with a vase on the left and mirror on the right. The Chinese pronunciation of vase and mirror is same as peace. The hope for peaceful life makes the vase and mirror a fixed ornaments. On the wall is a traditional Chinese painting, a pair of couplets. Above you is Tianjing. Chinese traditional furniture, which has a strong aesthetic appeal due to its apparently simple lines and the natural materials in the hall, finely carved wooden ornaments and Chinese paintings often by famous artist, all present literary grace.

Tianjing (Sky Well, or dooryard) is a big rectangular hole in the roof, something like a skylight without glass, it serve as a window in the roof to admit sunlight or moonlight and ventilate. People can easily enjoy blue sky, white clouds and glittering stars in the house. The design is to enable the rainwater drip into the yard. Rain comes in directly through the hole and from the four sides of the Tianjing. According to Feng Shui, water is the symbol of fortune, Coming in of rainwater implies the entering of fortune, considered an auspicious symbol. The length of Tianjing should be less than 3.3 meters, otherwise the fortune will easily scatter and lose. So Tianjing shows the wish for enrichment of Huizhou merchants, also reflects the idea of keeping close to nature.