Chaozhou House: The spiritual sustenance of Chaoshan Jiaoji people

It seems that folk houses all over the country have a hobby of comparing themselves to the royal family. There is also a saying among Chaoshan folk houses that "Chaozhou houses come from the imperial palace." When I came to the local area, more people told me that the villagers of Chaoshan were originally the royal family and were relegated here. However, they could not abandon their original magnanimity, so they built houses like this, which meant that they gave up the world and were alone in the Peach Blossom Land. Listen to this. Come here for entertainment, you can't test yourself.

Chaoshan people are one of the three major ethnic groups in Guangdong Province, coexisting with Guangfu and Hakka. They are very distinctive and belong to the Fukuo ethnic group. They are composed of the Minyue people and the Han people from the Central Plains who have moved into the area since the two Jin Dynasties. They are rich in adventurous spirit and good at doing business. They are known as "Chinese Jews". Together with Hui merchants and Shanxi merchants, they are known as the three major traditional business gangs in China. They pursue classical elegance and meticulous craftsmanship in life. The experience is particularly profound in the Chaozhou houses.

Recently, there is a Chaoshan dialect movie "Dad, I Can Do It" which is quite topical in Guangdong. The filming location is Jinzao Town in Chaoshan area. The Chaoshan characteristic building "Xiashan Tiger" is in the film. It’s even more of a highlight. "Xiashanhu" is one of the basic forms of Chaoshan folk houses. It is also called climbing lion and Xiashuanghu. It is a form of three-sided courtyard. It is named after it is high at the back and low at the front, like a tiger descending from the mountain. There is a patio in the middle.

The basic form is "Four Points of Gold", which is a courtyard house. It is named because there is a room shaped like the word "Gold" on each of the four corners. The back hall is used to worship ancestors. The elders live in the "big rooms" on both sides of the hall. The juniors and servants live in the "lower rooms" on both sides of the hall. There are north and south halls with cloisters on the left and right sides of the patio. Some also have two small rooms, which are used as kitchens or firewood houses, also known as "Checkered". There is a side door leading to the outside between the "checker" and the big room, which is called the "descendant door", which means that there are many children and grandchildren coming in and out. Most of the other residential buildings are developed using the four-point gold as the basic unit. The ancestral halls and family temples in Chaoshan were expanded on the basis of the Four Points of Gold, and are similar to the architectural pattern of the capital.

Chaozhou emphasizes that houses face north and south, with a courtyard open in the middle and windows only open to the inner courtyard. According to Kanyuology, this is for "accumulation of wealth". As the saying goes, "Every house uses the patio as a source of wealth. The front room is a mountain with a wide and narrow patio, which is used to gather wealth. "Wealth" comes from the door or from the sky and accumulates in the patio, and then "sucked" into the house through the doors and windows of each room.

From an architectural point of view, the Chaoshan area has a low latitude, a large angle of the sun, and a large amount of radiated heat. In addition, the southern climate has high humidity and indoor air is stuffy. Sun protection, sunshade, and heat insulation for residential buildings are particularly important. In residential buildings, in order to achieve good natural ventilation effects, we must first have a good orientation to achieve wind-inducing conditions. When the orientation and draft conditions are met, the ventilation effect inside the house will depend on the floor plan. Chaoshan folk houses adopt a layout method that combines halls, patios and passages to organize natural ventilation, which is very scientific.

The local love for Feng Shui is almost paranoid, so Kanyuology has flourished here for a long time. However, this simple aesthetics is not so much superstition as it is Chaoshan people’s persistence in pattern that they will never let go of. Concept, a perfect combination of the beauty of folk customs and the science of human settlements.

Wealthy businessmen in Chaoshan still love to return to their hometowns to build houses, and they want to build houses according to traditional patterns.

Chaoshan people’s ultimate pursuit of beauty makes local houses not only practical but also rich in artistic flavor. The humanistic sentiments are not found in temples, but in the homes of ordinary people.

Most of the roofs of residential buildings in Jieyang are made of gray tiles. Chaozhou is generally black and gray, and Chaoyang Huilai area is red. Various gods, auspicious animals, and Yao are usually placed on the roofs of large residential buildings. Flowers, trees, and opera characters may create an auspicious atmosphere of dancing phoenixes and flying dragons, or tell a mixed story of humans and gods. It is known as a world where "birds fly". The decoration focuses on the gatehouse, roof and hall. The interior decoration buildings include wood carvings and stone carvings with fine and unique carvings, lacquer paintings and inlaid porcelain. Flowers, birds, insects, fish, birds and animals, stories about historical figures, etc. are painted on the cornices. The shapes are vivid and vivid, making the whole building full of literary and artistic atmosphere.

Roof buildings are most susceptible to wind and rain erosion. The common shell ash material used in buildings is easy to age. Moreover, the Chaoshan area is corroded by the sea breeze, and the aging is even more prominent. Based on the characteristics of the abundant colored porcelain in the area, the skilled craftsmen of Chaoshan invented the method of using broken colored porcelain shards, mixed with plaster sugar water and tung oil, and sticking them on the clay shapes to form various beautiful images. Porcelain shards Although it has been exposed to wind, rain, and sun, it will remain new over time.

Gables refer to the horizontal outer walls at both ends of the building. They are called "Cuojiaotou" in local proverbs. They are named after the five elements of gold, wood, water, earth and fire. They have five different shapes and are used. Inlaid with porcelain pieces of various colors, it has become a unique style of arts and crafts in Chaoshan folk houses. The majestic, towering "Cuojiaotou" is the conspicuous feature of Chaoshan folk houses, and the huge gables are one of the symbols of Chaoshan people's recognition of their homes. one.

There are often both paintings and calligraphy in front of the door. Whether it is an old tile-roofed house or a newly built building, a plaque will be inlaid on the door to indicate the identity of the owner or to pray for peace. For example, if the surname is Zhang, the plaque will be "Qinghe" "Old Home" to show the origin of the family. On both sides of the stone are inscriptions such as "loyalty and filial piety spread far and wide, and poems and books will last forever" and other world-awakening quotes. The entry and exit is the descendants' gate, with fire lanes on both sides. Take a closer look at the cornices and painted buildings, or for Auspicious paintings and decorations wishing for a safe and prosperous family, or arty chess, calligraphy and painting, or allusions to celebrities such as Meng's mother's three moves and the twenty-four filial piety, which express a certain cultural atmosphere and artistic taste. The master should reflect his own and even the status of the entire clan with elegance of taste.

From the gable to the lintel, from the courtyard to the window lattice, paintings, calligraphy, stone carvings, and wood carvings are all integrated into it. Looking at it alone, it is not amazing, but when combined together, it is dizzying. Don't be surprised by the wonder of its architecture and its superb craftsmanship, but there is something special about every inch of it.

Chaoshan people have never valued academic qualifications, but they have never forgotten the original meaning of poetry and calligraphy. Through the historical stories carved in murals and calligraphy works, they convey their philosophy of life and their requirements for the conduct of their descendants.

If you ask the young people in Chaoshan, they may not be able to give a detailed answer about what "Xiashan Tiger" and "Four Points of Gold" are, but most people are still living there. This may be the reason why Chaoshan folk houses have not declined to this day. The charm lies in it. While cave dwellings and yurts have become tourist attractions and pretentiously welcome tourists from all over the world, Chaoshan people still stubbornly live in their Chaozhou houses, looking up to the sky, entering and exiting the gates of descendants, living endlessly, comfortably and poetically.

When talking about architecture, we must talk about a scenic spot in Chenghai - Chen Cihong's former residence. It is a house built by wealthy overseas Chinese businessmen in Thailand who returned to their hometown. It is known as Chaoshan's Little Forbidden City. It is located in Chenghai District, Shantou City, Guangdong Province. Qianmei Village in Longdu Town was built by the Chen Cihong family of overseas Chinese. The architectural style is a combination of Chinese and Western styles, with the traditional "horse trailer" mixed with Western-style Western-style buildings, decorated with pavilions, pavilions, corridors and overpasses, and twists and turns. It is known as "the first overseas Chinese residence in Lingnan". There are countless people who have analyzed this scenic spot in detail. Here No more details.

To put it simply, a tourist once arrived at Qianmei Village and saw two golden phoenix trees full of red flowers on the side of the road. Under the huge tree crowns, there were rows of simple Chaoshan houses. There were the words "Rulin Di" and "Lang Zhong Di" on it. I couldn't tell whether it was a scenic spot, so I was quite confused. When I walked further and saw the words "Shou Kangli", I was sure that this place was the "former residence of Chen Cihong", so I was very excited. When I started taking pictures, it turned out to be a joke. It turned out to be just an ordinary house, still occupied by people. Apart from the embarrassment, it can be seen that in the eyes of outsiders, the style of ordinary houses in Chaoshan can almost be regarded as a tourist attraction.

If you visit Chen Cihong’s former residence, you will understand that the meaning of the Forbidden City is by no means luxurious and grand. At least, it is not just the so-called "prince's palace in the capital, the home of Chaoshan people", which is exactly what it is. Chaoshan folk houses are more of a symbol and inheritance of traditional significance. They meticulously follow the rules passed down from generation to generation. However, while copying the "horse trailer" and "tiger down the mountain", they continue to absorb the advantages of foreign cultures, use them for their own purposes, and integrate them into their own. 's bedroom. Look to tradition for origins, look to the West for classics, and explore living art that conforms to the progress of the times. Chen Cihong's former residence was built at the beginning of the last century. It has used a large number of decorative materials such as porcelain tiles and floor tiles, all of which were imported from foreign countries. It is a combination of Chinese and Western styles and is exquisite. The same is true for ordinary houses in Chaoshan area, which not only absorb Western decoration concepts, but also have the exquisite workmanship of fashionable craftsmen.

Chaoshan people are brave enough to explore and are not afraid of vast waves. They have traveled to other places for hundreds of years and have traveled all over the world. There are countless successful hipster businessmen, and every year during the Qingming Festival, tens of thousands of overseas Chinese return to their hometowns to worship their ancestors, which is shocking. Many wealthy businessmen are seeking development abroad, but they are willing to return to their hometown to build a courtyard of their own. This is nothing more than the local sentiment of "birds nostalgic for the old forest, and fish in the pond nostalgic for their old abyss." The pride and cultural identity of "Chaoshan people" makes them sincerely look forward to their hometown no matter how many generations they have passed or where they are.

Architecture is a combination of technology and art. As a folk residence, the first thing that is recognized in Chaozhou is its use value. When I was a child, it was where my parents lived, providing shelter from wind and rain; when I grew up and left my hometown, it was a reminder of homesickness. Sustenance is a home that is not enough for outsiders. Chaoshan people integrate the way of running a family into their lives. This building has made the residential buildings go beyond the connotation of simple buildings, and it is far from being artificially soaked in formalin. Compared with the ancient commercial cities that have deteriorated one after another, Chaoshan is undoubtedly unique and full of vitality compared to those ancient cities that have lost their souls and are only empty shells for future generations to look up to. Today, with the overwhelming development of the ancient town economy in various places, if you go to see the unique Chaozhou houses, you might as well think more about how to give life to tradition.