In Shanghai, the well-preserved local houses and traditional buildings with certain cultural relics value are not only an important genetic map to record the evolution of Shanghai's regional economic and social development, but also an exquisite carrier of history and culture, which conserves urban civilization and enriches the city's spiritual character.
Historical changes and unique textures
For a long time, Shanghai, as the "descendant of ancient Wu", has often been presented to the world as a seaside fishing village. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Huating, Qinglong and other towns rose. Since Qinglong Town is an estuary to the sea, the imperial court has set up an official agency here to manage shipping affairs. The development of water transportation and trade has promoted the construction of various buildings one after another, forming a grand scene of "36 squares, 22 bridges, 3 pavilions, 7 towers, and 13 temples". During this period, Qinglong Town, "the dragon boat is extremely prosperous in the sea, and the Buddha Pavilion is the hero of the world", and was once known as "Little Hangzhou".
According to the records of the "Shanghai Chronicles" during the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty, in the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu, there were more than 50,000 people, more than 10,000 households and five alleys in Shanghai County. In the ninth year of Ming Zhengde, sixty-one squares and ten lanes were built. The expansion of the streets and alleys reflects the continuous development of residential architecture in Shanghai.
After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the southeast coast was plagued by wolves, and Shanghai was repeatedly harassed. The southeast of Shanghai and other places once became strongholds of the Japanese invaders, and the towns of Qinglong and Wunijing were looted, and the residential buildings were also seriously damaged. The war caused great damage to the buildings of the town, but it also had an important impact on the shape of the coastal houses in Shanghai later.
Research shows that the so-called "winch houses" in the suburbs of Shanghai are largely the product of dealing with natural disasters and external disasters. On the one hand, Shanghai is located on the coast and has to defend against typhoons, and on the other hand, it is due to the need to guard against foreign enemies.
After the test, Shanghai built the city wall, the society gradually stabilized, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, the number of eunuchs and wealthy people moved to the county town increased, and the construction of private gardens became a common practice. In this context, the number of residential buildings in Shanghai has increased year by year, and there are some of the great strokes that have been handed down to future generations. For example, during the Jiajing period, Shichun Hall, the residence of Shi Paine, the imperial court of the Imperial Palace, Xu Guangqi's nine buildings, and Lu Kexiao's Xie Yuan Hall.
The Qing Dynasty lifted the sea ban, creating conditions for the economic and social prosperity of Shanghai. During the Daoguang period, Shanghai County was already "the southeast corner of the city, densely populated, and almost without gaps". The number of existing Qing Dynasty dwellings in Shanghai is relatively large and widely distributed, and the Shuyin Building at No. 77 Tiandeng Lane in Huangpu District is the most prestigious. The house was built in the 28th year of Qianlong, and the Tianyi Pavilion in Ningbo, the Jiaye Hall in Nanxun is called "the three major library buildings in the south of the Yangtze River", and it is an ancient residential building in the center of Shanghai.
Judging from the existing Shanghainese houses in Shanghai, they not only have the characteristics of typical Jiangnan houses, but also give birth to unique features and architectural textures. Generally, the dwellings of ordinary people are low bungalows with brick walls and columns, wooden rafter roofs, and green tile roofs, and there are five road heads, seven road heads, and nine road heads in depth; the width of the house is often three or five rooms, and the main room is generally a guest hall, and the two sides are bedrooms; the white walls and tiles, and the roof ridge is like an ao, which means auspiciousness.
The mansions of wealthy families are generally courtyard houses, that is, what are commonly known as triple courtyards and quadrangle houses. The house is generally a mixed wooden structure of the bucket type or the beam lifting type, the plane layout is centered on the main hall or the main house, the two sides are the ear rooms, and the east and west wings are built on the left and right, forming a courtyard pattern of "one positive and two compartments".
The Cai Yitai Reading Building, which is hidden in the ancient alleys of Fengjing Ancient Town, has reappeared after repair. Photo by Li Maojun
In recent years, the "winch house" in the suburbs of Shanghai has received great attention. It resembles the courtyard houses in the north in terms of layout, not only with houses on all sides, but also "built in a ring", tightly connected like hinges. The whole courtyard is symmetrical on the left and right, and the center of the courtyard is in the center. Some of the architectural components, such as waist doors, flickering windows, fences, and between walls and doors, further highlight the unique charm of Shanghai-style houses.
In the past, the architectural community often regarded Shikumen as a representative of Shanghai's old houses, and the local residences before the birth of Shikumen were generally referred to as "local houses" in Shanghai. But later there was also a point of view that "the old local house in Shanghai is a noose house". "Shanghai County Chronicles" adopted this formulation, so that the "noose house" officially entered the public eye, becoming a typical "Shanghai-style dwelling".
As an old house with Shanghai's local characteristics, the "Winch House" condenses the traces of ancient Shanghai and deserves a place in the history of Chinese architecture. It was born out of the traditional Chinese courtyard house and retains the general characteristics of Jiangnan dwellings, but it is also deeply affected by the historical and cultural changes and political and economic development of Shanghai, and is the product of long-term infiltration of local customs.
Taking the roof structure as an example, as a bungalow enclosed on all sides, the northern courtyard house is independent because of the houses on all sides, so the houses are self-contained, and the Jiangnan houses are mostly connected with the double-slope roofs of the front and rear wings and the single-slope roofs of the east and west wings, and the Shanghai winch house is a four-sided herringbone double-slope roof connected into one, looking down from the air, like a rice bucket.
In modern times, new building materials and construction techniques introduced from the West began to be applied to the construction of "Shanghai-style houses". After the sixties and seventies of the nineteenth century, Shikumen lane houses gradually emerged, which not only saved land, but also continued the tradition. After the 20s of the 20th century, new lane houses emerged. It has open or semi-open green courtyards, and the spacing of buildings is increased and the depth is reduced, more imitating modern Western-style architecture. Among them, the representative ones are Jing'an Villa on Nanjing West Road and Huaihai Square on Huaihai Middle Road.
"Neighbors, front door mother, back door grandmother, front alley aunt, back alley uncle, this is a very special lane family affection, inside the complex of lane, Shikumen historical buildings contain the essence of Chinese culture and etiquette. As a result, it also opened a new development trajectory of "Shanghai-style houses".
The picture shows the exterior of Chen Guichun's house in Pudong. The traditional layout and Western-style decorative details reflect the architectural characteristics of the "Shanghai-style dwelling" that combines Chinese and Western cultures. Profile picture
Comparison of Chinese and Western architectural cultures
Through the development and evolution of "Shanghai-style folk houses", we can also make some in-depth comparisons between the differences between Chinese and Western architectural cultures.
In a social sense, the architectural culture of "Shanghai-style dwellings" is more in line with the patriarchal relationship, while the castle-type buildings are more in line with the military aristocratic hierarchy system.
China has been hierarchical since the Zhou Dynasty. The elite class's pursuit of blessing and prosperity is reflected in the construction of residences, which is to have requirements such as "five generations in the same house" and "five generations without separation". It is a patriarchal collectivist tradition. In Western Europe, the tradition of primogeniture was relatively strong, and conflicts between nobles were frequent; family members who did not receive the title of nobility were members of military groups, and the death rate was much higher than that of commoners. The castle of the nobility is actually a kind of military fortress, and its construction may take several or more generations. It was a tradition of aristocratic individualism.
From an aesthetic point of view, the beauty of the "Shanghai-style dwellings" is hidden in the walls. In fact, China's residential communities are almost all amplified versions of this style. On the other hand, European and American houses and even their cities, except for a very few royal palaces such as Buckingham Palace in London and Amerill Palace in Denmark, have high walls, and it is not so easy to find them. Those who have been to San Francisco know that the residential buildings there are not very large. But in the right season, the small courtyard of each house is full of flowers, which shines with the house and has a different beauty.
From the perspective of space rights, Chinese and Western living forms also have different connotations. The "winch house" has a patio and is an outdoor space for the family, with other functions as well. In European and American houses, the outdoor activity space is usually a lawn outside the building, and the lawn of each house can be connected together and separated by a fence. In contrast, one is that private rights and responsibilities are smaller, and the other is the opposite.
In response to this situation, European and American countries have also introduced some countermeasures. For example, in the United States, the head of the household is encouraged to hand over a part of the land use right to the society for free use, while in the United Kingdom, a part of the private garden must be allowed to be walked through and used by others in good faith, and the owner must not interfere unless the outsider has engaged in the garden with a gun or hunting or other behavior that clearly harms the interests of the garden owner.
The connotation and value of civilization in the form of living will change with the times. Looking back on the past and present life of the "Shanghai School Folk Residence", we must not only have the consciousness and self-confidence to continue the historical context, but also have the mind and ambition to embrace all rivers and bring forth the new.
(Source: Shangguan News, Author: Dai Yuanyuan, Dang Guoying)