Zhejiang folk houses Traditional folk houses in Zhejiang are mostly built on hillsides and riversides. They not only adapt to the complex natural terrain, save cultivated land, but also create a good living environment. According to the climate characteristics and the needs of production and life, courtyards, open halls, patios, corridors and other forms are generally used to connect and separate the internal and external spaces, forming an open and transparent layout. The rational use of materials, structures and some artistic processing techniques on the body gives people a simple and natural feeling. The patriarchal system and traditional residences The patriarchal system is an important pillar of China's feudal society. The patriarchal relationship is a social relationship based on blood relationships that evolved from the patriarchal system of the clan society. For a long time, the patriarchal system has gradually penetrated into all areas of my country's feudal society. The resulting patriarchal thoughts and concepts have influenced the national political system, and have been deeply imprinted on the formation of social organizations, the establishment of life areas, and people's ideologies. Bearing the mark of patriarchal system. The "living together of clans" in traditional villages in Zhejiang is a typical combination of blood clans living together. The concept of respecting etiquette and following etiquette is also directly reflected in the residential architecture. The "History of the Song Dynasty" records that in Yue Zhong, "the sound of string chanting can be heard from house to house. There is no separation between urban and rural areas. There is no distinction between pain and joy. The courtesy is followed and followed, just like the Zou in the past. Lu." Shaoxing's traditional residential buildings under the spiritual materialization follow the rules and dare not go beyond the boundaries. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, clan organizations generally appeared in Jiangnan, which was marked by the large-scale construction of clan ancestral halls. Zhejiang ancestral halls generally adopt a strict axial symmetry layout, and the courtyard space is composed of several buildings, generally including the main entrance, the ceremonial gate, the main hall, the back bedroom, etc. Some ancestral halls also have gardens at the back. The main hall of the ancestral hall is also called the Xiangtang and the Sacrifice Hall. It is a place where ancestors and gods are worshipped, sacrificial ceremonies are held, and clan affairs are discussed. The back bedroom is where ancestors' tablets are placed and their portraits are hung. According to the patriarchal concept and its system, ancestor worship is a very sacred and serious matter, involving the type of sacrifice, sacrifice vessels, offerings, content of the sacrifice, the responsibilities of relevant personnel, the procedures of the sacrifice, the banquet after the sacrifice, etc. The types of sacrifices in Jinhua and Quzhou include occasional sacrifices, festival sacrifices, annual sacrifices, house sacrifices, and temple sacrifices. Among them, temple sacrifices are mostly held in spring and autumn, in mid-February and mid-August of the lunar calendar respectively. The sacrificial ceremony involves three animals, including whole pigs, whole sheep, and whole geese. The ceremony is presided over by respected elders. During the sacrifice, the sacrificial texts need to be read and the ceremony is solemn. After the sacrifice, a banquet is held in the temple and the meat is distributed so that the descendants can receive the blessings of their ancestors. Through grand sacrificial activities, we can achieve spiritual communication between descendants and ancestors, pray for the blessings of their ancestors, and unite clan members under the inspiration of their ancestors. This is exactly what Wan Sida, a classics scholar from Ningbo in the early Qing Dynasty, wrote in "Xue Li Doubi·Patriarchal Law" "" It says: "The people of the clan are united to offer sacrifices, to sacrifice the virtuous ancestors, and to receive the clansmen who are here." According to different sacrificial functions, they are divided into main ancestral halls, branch ancestral halls and private halls. During the heyday of Changle Village in Lanxi, 16 ancestral halls were built. Currently, the main ancestral hall of the Jin family, Jiahui Hall, Zishu Hall, Jiale Hall, Wu's ancestral hall and several other branch temples and private halls. The Bao Ancestral Hall in Yuyan Village, Sixi, Taishun is the main ancestral hall of the Bao family in Yuyan. It covers an area of ??more than 3,400 square meters and is surrounded by mountains. The eight-shaped gate is in the form of a wooden archway. There is a curved screen wall outside the door, and a small screen wall inside the door. After passing through a grove of cottonwoods and a winding ramp about 100 meters long, you will find the main building of the ancestral hall, including the moon gate at the front and rear. , Half Moon Pond, main entrance, main hall, sleeping hall. The plaque "Do not practice the Qing Dynasty" hangs high in the main hall, which was made by the descendants of the Bao family to admire the integrity of their ancestor Bao Shichang who did not surrender to the Qing Dynasty. The ancestral hall is large in scale, and the buildings are laid out according to the mountain. They are well-proportioned and well-preserved. It is a large-scale ancestral hall in southern Zhejiang. A village is a space where people live together and a place where life is carried. The most basic part of a village is residence. Building a residence not only meets the comfort and convenience of people's life and production, but also reflects people's pursuit of spiritual life. "The husband's house is the hub of yin and yang, and the scale of human relations. It is not the husband who is a wise man who cannot understand this." In the traditional Neo-Confucianism, the "three cardinal guides and five constants", "the elder is superior to the young", and "the difference between men and women" are the villagers' The principles followed regulate the scale and shape of residential construction. In China's feudal society, the status of individuals within the family was classified according to gender, generation and age. The father had compulsory rights over his son, the husband over his wife, and the brother over his brother, thereby achieving an order of superiority and inferiority. This feudal patriarchal relationship is reflected in the spatial order of residences, which also stipulates the location of each person's house. Most of the residences in Jinqu area adopt the triple courtyard style building, precisely to meet the ordering requirements of "old and young" and "differentiation between men and women". In this space with clear hierarchical boundaries, special attention is paid to the distinction between men and women. "There is a distinction between men and women. The scriptures teach us that although the boudoir is close, it is ordinary and the internal and external defenses are not subtle. Therefore, the master tutor is the first to do this." (Lan Xi) (Volume 1 of Xijiang's "Jiang Family Genealogy·Zongyue") In a family, the husband is in charge of outside affairs and the wife is in charge of domestic affairs. This is precisely Zhu Xi's family etiquette standard of "men govern external affairs and women govern domestic affairs". According to Lanxi custom, "women do weaving and do not leave the boudoir." Sima Guang's "Sushui Family Rituals" strictly stipulates: "Every palace must distinguish the inside and outside, and the palace gate must be firmly secured." A wealthy family has a large population, and has supervisors, servants, and employees. In order to strictly guard against the inside and outside, three entrances and two entrances are required. The large house in Mingtang has a high wall behind the main hall and a small door to form a deep courtyard. The female family members and young ladies live in the back building. When the young ladies go out, they must be accompanied by their fathers and brothers. Only on a few important festivals such as the Spring Festival and during performances, Only female relatives can go out to watch. All daily necessities are provided by servants. Servants must enter through the side door and the back door, and are not allowed to use the main door. In an independent house, there must be a large space as the center of family life, which is the main room and open room called "tangqian".
Ancestor statues and tablets are usually enshrined in the front of the hall. This is where ancestor worship, banquets and gatherings are held on weekdays. Parents have absolute authority. The feudal hierarchy in which masters and servants have "differentiated superiority and inferiority" and "nobility and inferiority" is also very clear in the residences in many places. For example, at the back of the residential building, a corridor is opened between the house and the back wall, and a The small door serves as a channel for communication with the outside world, so that servants do not have to enter and exit through the main door, and at the same time they can achieve the purpose of serving the master. Ancient villages in Zhejiang are settlements based on traditional agriculture, and wealth mainly comes from land. Therefore, most of the residences are small in size, with one household and a small three-sided courtyard. The residences of those who became officials or became rich in business, There are often medium and large-scale building complexes built, which obviously shows their social status and economic ability. Such as Dongyang Lu's House, Shaoxing Lu's Mansion, Cixi Longshan Yu's old house, etc. As early as 7,000 years ago, the Hemudu people, the ancestors of Zhejiang Province, had wooden structures with stilts. They also eat rice. All this is no different from us. Like residential buildings in other regions, the production and style of residential buildings in Zhejiang are not only derived from the unique geography and climate to which it is attached, but also are the cultural creations of the people who live there. Clothing is a product of civilization, and architecture is the "clothing" of civilization. A civilized nation and society will always condense its spirit on its strongest and largest creation--building. Music solidified by agricultural civilization Zhejiang folk houses are a set of music solidified by mature agricultural civilization. All its melodies echo a fading pastoral dream - beautiful, warm, full of natural sounds, and filled with the contentment, harmony and kindness of the secular spirit. However, from the large pattern to the small decoration, they all reflect the patriarchal emotions and ritual atmosphere of Chinese culture. The ancients called choosing a place to live and build a house "divination". Some people say that the Chinese do not have a special religious life, but many aspects of their secular life have religious overtones. Building a house depends on Feng Shui. It is believed that the topography, orientation, height and relationship of the house with the surrounding landscape may affect the future owner's good or bad luck and the prosperity of the family. All in all, divination is a major event in one's life, so the saying "If you don't build a house or buy a field, you will never be a human being for the rest of your life" is still circulated in rural areas of Zhejiang. Weddings and funerals, building a house and buying land are a matter of a lifetime. Building a house marks success in life. This success is hard-won and requires decades of hard work and frugality in life. There are actually only four major events in a Chinese farmer's life: weddings and weddings, building a house and buying land. Since the fields are now owned by the public and cannot be bought or sold, there are actually only three things left. Without a house, Hongxi has no hope at all, so building a house has become a prerequisite, a necessary prerequisite for the ultimate goal of life - to build a family. The ambition hidden under the smiling face. Perhaps it is this pursuit of spiritual values ??that goes beyond simple survival that makes the house-building ceremony so grand, right? Not only the owner, but also the whole village and the whole clan felt the difficulty of life and the sacredness of entrepreneurship in this grand atmosphere. Just as you need to choose an auspicious day to get married, you also need to choose a good day to build a house. Firstly, I wish for success in building a house, and secondly, I wish for peace in my life. Of course, to be able to provide shelter for one's children and grandchildren, to have a good harvest, and to produce several respectable people in future generations is the ambition hidden deep in the heart of the owner of the house with a smile on his face. The time to put up the beam is carefully calculated. "Tall buildings rise from the ground", and the corner is the key. For the house to stand firmly, stand upright, and face the right direction, you have to look at the corners. Therefore, important people must be present when the wall is erected. The Feng Shui master was holding a compass in his hand, with a serious expression, focused eyes, and murmuring words, which gave this moment a mysterious color. The time when the beams of the house are installed is carefully calculated, and the birth dates of everyone in the family are the parameters of this time. Maybe it’s because the luck of everyone in the family is entrusted to this pillar that supports the family’s foundation? The most terrifying thing is fire. Traditional houses in most areas of Zhejiang are made of wooden structures, so the protection and fire prevention of wooden structures have become a big problem. From the day a house is built, people expect that the house will be strong and protected from insects and fire. When the beam is being raised, the owner hangs a basket on the beam and puts a chicken in the basket. Firstly, chicken has the same sound as auspicious and is auspicious; secondly, it is believed that chickens can eat centipedes and termites, which can keep the wooden structure strong. In order to prevent fire, Zhejiang residents generally use horse-head walls to prevent the spread of fire; some large-scale residences are equipped with ponds to facilitate firefighting. The roof ridges are extensively decorated with symbolism techniques such as fish, grass and other aquatic animals and plants; the beams and beams are carved into rolling waves, as if the entire house is covered by water. Previous major fires have left a deep impression on people. A spark can bring down a family that has been around for generations, and a fire can destroy half of a city. Therefore, the most terrifying disaster for brick and wood buildings is the fire known as "Zhu Rongjun". Zhejiang folk houses use water as the decorative theme in all eye-catching parts and components, which reminds residents to always pay attention to fire. Fire prevention has become basic common sense in life. The singer who sang Shaoxing's "Lotus Falls" reminded people of three important things in his opening remarks. The first was "Beware of fire."