Chuandixia

Search l Korean 

Traditional Chinese Settlements 

Chuandixia is located at Zhaitang-zhen, Mentougou-qu, Beijing-city. The traditional mountain village is 90km away from the center of Beijing to west. It has been set up at a southwestern slope of mountain along an ancient post road. Such a location made the village flourish then. The clan village was inhabited by Han's family in the late Ming dynasty. Its population was dramatically decreased during the War against Japan when most of the young villagers died, and is 70 people, as now. The houses of the village show how variously the geometric form of Siheyuan can be transformed according to the topographical conditions of sites.  

chuandi1.jpg (154607 bytes) general view of the settlement, the post road on left a section of settlement which is incorporated with the terrain chuandi2.jpg (164835 bytes)

chuandi3.jpg (188254 bytes)

path of high level whose paving and parapet are made of locally obtained stones emergency stairway projected from the stone revetment for escaping from flood

chuandi4.jpg (193980 bytes)

chuandi5.jpg (175698 bytes) gate building with gorgeous decoration of wood and stone gateway paved with local stones which  have beautiful colors and patterns

chuandi6.jpg (154866 bytes)

chuandi7.jpg (139655 bytes) main building, Zheng-fang, on a high podium which is not usual in Siheyuans on flat sites peculiar floor heating system, Kang, which is very similar with that of the traditional Korean house, Ondol

chuandi8.jpg (165046 bytes)

chuandi9.jpg (155599 bytes)

narrow alley connecting neighboring houses inside of the Family Head's House, in which the wood beams with natural shapes have been used chuandi10.jpg (180813 bytes)