What are the characteristics of old houses in Wuzhen?

Wuzhen, a typical water town in the south of the Yangtze River, has completely preserved the style and pattern of the original water town in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. The river forms a street, connected by street bridges, houses are built along the river, and the water town is integrated. It organizes architectural elements with unique Jiangnan charm such as water pavilions, bridges, stone alleys, and Mao Dun's former residence, which embodies the "harmony as beauty" in classical Chinese residences. The humanistic thought, with its overall beauty of the harmonious coexistence of the natural environment and the humanistic environment, presents the spatial charm of the ancient water town in the south of the Yangtze River.

Keywords: Wuzhen Building Group Factors and Environment

Overview of Wuzhen

Wuzhen is located in Tongxiang City in the northern Zhejiang Plain. It is more than an hour's drive from Hangzhou on the expressway. . The flat terrain here, the rivers as dense as a bead net, and the scattered rippling waves give Wuzhen a strong water town character, giving people a natural beauty that is elegant but not ostentatious, fresh and not cumbersome.

Although Wuzhen has gone through more than 2,000 years of vicissitudes, it still completely preserves the original style and pattern of an ancient water town. The whole town is made up of streets connected by bridges and streets, with houses built along the river, deep houses and courtyards, with double ridges and high eaves, river port corridors, arcades across the streets, bamboo and stone railings, and water pavilions next to the river. It is antique and integrated into the water town, presenting a simple, bright and clean style. The tranquility is typical of Jiangnan's "small bridges, flowing water, and people's homes".

1. Wuzhen layout

The river network overlaps with the main roads in Wuzhen, with bridges forming roads and flowing water for boats, creating a pattern of both roads and water. This water network system connects the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, Taihu Lake and ponds and wells in Wuzhen, ideally solving water problems such as farming, drinking, drainage, viewing, and transportation.

In the layout of Wuzhen, because it historically spanned two provinces (Zhejiang, Jiangsu), three prefectures (Jiaxing, Huzhou, Suzhou), and seven counties (Wucheng, Gui'an, Chongde, and Tongxiang) , Xiushui, Wujiang, Zhenze), coupled with the accumulation and precipitation of Wuyue culture, the concept is obviously influenced by traditional Chinese Confucian culture and canal commercial culture. Confucian culture often rejects the Feng Shui theory that is popular in construction, so it is rare to see slanted doors and left-right doors often set up due to Feng Shui, screen walls and screen walls erected to avoid anger, or "Taishan Stone Gandang" placed along the road. "It's not like a town, but a variety of residential buildings with clear multi-axes and orderly layout.

There are also commercial buildings such as the Luge Teahouse, Gaogongsheng Zaofang, and Hongyuan Taidye House. Huiyuan Pawn Shop is located on Changfeng Street. There is a black word "Dang" on the street and a 1.8-meter-high counter with a Strong business atmosphere. This is also very different from other ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River.

2. Shuige is like many water towns in the south of the Yangtze River. The streets and houses are built along streams and rivers. As the saying goes, "every house rests on the river."

What is unique about Wuzhen is that some of the residential buildings along the river extend to the river. They are driven into the river bed with wooden piles or stone pillars, with beams and wooden boards on them. They are called "water pavilions". This is Wuzhen. unique features. The water pavilion is a real "river pillow" with windows on three sides, from which you can see the city and river scenery. Mao Dun once described the water pavilion in his hometown in "The Earth, Mountains and Rivers": "...there is a river outside the back door of a house. Standing at the back door (that is the door of the water pavilion), you can use a bucket to fetch water, and you can listen to dreams when you wake up at midnight. The sound of the oar floated by..."

Legend has it that the water pavilion was built illegally by a clever tofu farmer. However, with the passage of time, much of the history has disappeared, only This architectural form that integrates practicality and enjoyment of life has been preserved and continued because of people's love. In a sense, the water pavilion is the aura of Wuzhen, although it is not luxurious and cannot compare with high-rise buildings. With the water pavilion, the people of Wuzhen are closer to the water; with the water pavilion, the style of Wuzhen is more charming; with the water pavilion, the temperament of Wuzhen is more elegant; with the water pavilion, Wuzhen's history has been added. Very euphemistic. The Water Pavilion is unique to Wuzhen and is the charm of Wuzhen.

The meandering blue water, the flowing shadows of small bridges, and the sound of oars slowly unfold before my eyes like a picture scroll of the water pavilion. I can see the people living in the water town living and walking in the water pavilion, and listen to the local calls of the people in the ancient town. Wuzhen's Water Pavilion is being loved by more and more people for its unique charm.

Three. Small Bridges and Flowing Water

Bridges are an indispensable factor in the ancient water towns of Jiangnan. It is said that there were more than 120 bridges in Wuzhen's history. It is truly "a bridge with a hundred steps", and there are more than 30 existing bridges.

Among them, there are Tongji Bridge and Renji Bridge in the west gate; Yingjia Bridge, Taiping Bridge, Renshou Bridge, Yongan Bridge and Fengyuan Bridge in the middle city and east gate; Fuxing Bridge and Fuxing Bridge in the south gate. Lan Bridge; Beizha has Tiyun Bridge and Liji Bridge.

These bridges were first built in the Southern Song Dynasty, and most of them were built or rebuilt in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Some bridges also have bridge couplets, such as Tongji Bridge: "Amidst the cold trees and smoke, the old land of Wuxu and the Six Dynasties is seen; the sunset sails Outside, there are mountains in the distance of Wuxing. "(facing south) "Tongyun Gate opens to the west of Zhejiang River; people from Tiqiao are looking at Yanjing three thousand miles north." (facing north) It has a strong historical and cultural atmosphere. .

Four. Stone alley

When you walk into Wuzhen and walk on the narrow alley paved with bluestones, you will see all kinds of houses on both sides and the villagers still living in them. It gives people a kind and natural feeling. As a historical town, Wuzhen, both the entire town and Guanqian Street, embodies the overall beauty of the harmonious coexistence of the humanistic environment and the natural environment.

Entering this ancient town full of agricultural cultural atmosphere, strolling along the stone streets that stretch for more than a mile, you can listen to the echo of your footsteps on another alley.

There are "stone banks" along the small streets along the water, some of which may be decorated. For example, I have seen a vase carved with three halberds inserted in it, which means "leveling up to three levels". Used to tie up boats.

Reposted to China Paper Download Center