The West Courtyard, commonly known as Hongmenbao, is a very regular castle-style closed residential group. Overlooking the west courtyard, its plane is a very regular rectangle, with a width of 105 m from east to west and a length of 180 m from north to south. There is only one fort gate and one main street in the whole yard.
Among them, the fort gate is located slightly east of the Nanbao wall, facing the main street of the castle. The magnificent gate of the West Courtyard has two floors. There is a bluestone plaque engraved with "Hengzhenbao" in the center of one side gate. Because the gate is red, people call the west courtyard "Red Gate Castle".
The fort wall is 8 meters high outside, 4 meters high inside and more than 2 meters thick. It is made of blue bricks. There is a crib on the wall of the fort. There is a brick screen outside the castle gate. There is a walkway to the left and right of the fort gate and the northeast and northwest corner of the fort wall. There is a main street paved with pebbles from a big river in the north-south direction of the battery, named "Longlin Street", which is133m long and 3.6m wide.
The main street divides the west courtyard into two areas, east and west, with three horizontal lanes, and divides the west courtyard into four rows of north and south. Counting from bottom to top, each row of courtyards is called bottom armour, dimethyl armour and top armour in turn. A vertical street and three horizontal lanes intersect, just forming a big word "Wang".
There is a watchtower in the northeast corner and northwest corner of the fort wall. There is a well in the southeast corner and a well in the northwest corner of the fortress. There are 27 courtyards in the fort, except for 6 armour, the other three are all 7. The layout of each courtyard is similar, mostly with a front compartment and two houses, with caves and corridors in front and caves or pavilions on the top floor.
Most of the courtyards in the West Courtyard take the north-south central line as the symmetry axis, which is basically symmetrical from east to west. There are also some courtyards that are in the positive direction, and the gates are in the southeast. There is a long passage in the gate. The south end of the west side of the passage is the door leading to the front yard, and the north end is the door leading to the backyard.
Wang's compound has been added several times. The West Courtyard was built in 57 years, and the East Courtyard, namely Gaojiaya, was built. Built from 1796 to 18 1 1 year, it is an irregular castle-like series of residential groups.
This is the last old castle built by Wang Rucong and Wang Rucheng, the grandson of the 17th Wang family. According to legend, before the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the land occupied by this castle was owned by Gao's family in Jingsheng Village, and the place name was also named Gao Jiaya. Therefore, although it was later occupied by the Wangs' castle, the people still used the old place names.
The shape of the East Courtyard is said to be a "Phoenix" about to spread its wings and fly. Careful identification, although the outline is a bit far-fetched, but also can see a little similar. There are 35 courtyards and 342 houses in the fort, covering an area of nearly 20,000 square meters. It is the essence of Wang's existing houses, especially in architectural decoration art, and is regarded as a model of "slender density".
The whole East Hospital is large in scale and rigorous in structure. Courtyard is built according to geographical layout and trend. It is mainly composed of three rectangular courtyards of different sizes: two main courtyards, with a north courtyard in the middle; Southwest is a big yard; To the northeast is a small courtyard commonly known as "Baiyuan".
There are fort doors on all sides of the East Courtyard. Dongbaomen, located at the eastern end of the main entrance, is the main entrance with a three-story gatehouse. The word "Yin Bin" is written on a huge stone tablet, which means that the God of the East respects the sunrise. The lion's head in front of the door is big and wide, and the lion wears a ribbon, which symbolizes that good things are going on. The lioness caresses her cubs and wishes future generations prosperity.
Nanpu Gate opens in the middle of the main courtyard. Although the decoration is not as luxurious as the East Gate, it has charm in simplicity and charm in roughness.
The north gate is located in the northeast corner of the small side yard, and the gatehouse is tall and solid, which provides access for the fort guards.
Xibaomen is located in the southwest corner of the compound and can communicate with the west courtyard. This extends in all directions, and it is very convenient to get in and out smoothly.
Outside Nanbaomen is a 50-meter-long and 3-meter-wide stone slope road, which goes straight to Wuli Back Street in the village. Datong Road in front of the main courtyard is127m long and1m wide, all paved with bluestone. On the south side of the big passage is a high brick wall with a wind and rain corridor more than 60 meters long.
The main building of the East Courtyard is two three-way quadrangles in the middle, one is Wang Rucong's residential area and the other is Wang Rucheng's residential area.
The residential area where Wang Rucong lives, also known as Dunhoufu, is located in the southeast corner. It is a chicken-headed gatehouse and stands tall. The facade is a single room, and the decoration of the gatehouse is mainly wood carving and brick carving. The wooden components are carved with piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and some bottles, pots, dishes, flowers and plants. Brick carvings on both sides of stilts and flat-bottomed pots are phoenix peony and mythical figures respectively.
On both sides of the front steps are a pair of mighty stone lions, which belong to the town house.
Set each other off with the gate is a large stone shadow wall embedded in the wall. The heart of the wall is a lion rolling hydrangea, and the back is peony, lotus, chrysanthemum and plum blossom, with rooster, mandarin duck, quail and magpie, which means "fame and fortune, precious mandarin duck, living and working in peace and contentment, beaming".
From the stone shadow wall to the west, it is the front yard of Dunhou House, which is the social activity space of the host. It was built according to the traditional geomantic "Kanzhai Gate", with the south room, east room and west room occupied by servants, and the north room as a high-level hall.
There is a relief in the front corridor of the North House lobby, which is exquisite and elegant. The first layer is the background of plane relief group flowers, the second layer is the main object, with mascots such as bergamot, lotus leaf and folding fan leaf, and the third layer is piano, chess and calligraphy.
In this quadrangle with three eaves corridors, the living room upstairs is beautifully decorated. This building has three rooms and seven frames. The bright room is bigger than the second room. Every room is equipped with partition doors and windows, and there is a curtain rack outside. The center of the frame is carved with woodcarving patterns of "pointing to the rising sun", "three friends in the cold year" and "Jade Hall is safe" in turn.
The eaves gallery in front of the hall is hung with a three-layer relief composed of sparrows and foreheads, which integrates auspicious flowers, auspicious clouds, dragons, chess, calligraphy and painting, and a statue of Zhong Ding.
Dunhoufu backyard is Wang Rucong's residential area, which is private and hidden.
There are two ways to enter the backyard from the front yard. One is to go out from the back door of the main hall and enter through a narrow yard. One is to go out from the small side door on the east side of the front yard and bypass another door on the north side of the alley to enter.
This back door is a "long yard", which separates and connects the front yard and the back yard, and is a transitional space. To the south of this small courtyard is a ternary academy with two halls and one hospital.
Sanyuan Academy, also known as Li Zhengshu Shu, is a place where young masters study. The hall is small, simple and plain, without gorgeous decoration. This is a secluded place suitable for reading. The house is divided into two halls, north and south. The door pillow stone is a mouse pulling grapes, which symbolizes the prosperity of future generations.
Behind the study courtyard is the kitchen courtyard, with seven doors and three courtyards, where the Wangs eat. There are seven doors of "three inside and four outside".
So why are there seven doors? This means that people with different identities in the hospital have to go through different doors and eat in different restaurants. The master is in the elegant restaurant upstairs in the backyard, the senior servant is in the intermediate people's court, and the long-term worker is in the third-class hospital.
There are five caves in front of the backyard of Dunhou House, where the elders live. The first floor of the East-West Building is where children and grandchildren live, and the second floor is a boudoir specially designed for young ladies. On the east and west sides of the main kiln separated from the box kiln, there are steps in the embroidery building.
The main kiln on the second floor is a pavilion, which enshrines the statue of the ancestor of Wang in Taiyuan. Under the patriarchal clan system of feudal society in Qing dynasty, this layout is convenient for arranging the residence of family members, so that the upper and lower levels are equal and orderly, which is different between men and women at home and abroad.
The decoration of Dunhoufu backyard is basically the same as that of the front yard, which can be said to be an art palace. The stone carvings on the legs of the kiln are Bo Gu designs, including bottles, ding, Jue and Zun, which are matched with folk treasures such as Qing Ji Ruyi, indicating that the title has been raised, implying good luck.
The stone carvings in the East Wing and the West Wing are slightly smaller, with flowers of the four seasons carved on them. The wood and stone brick carvings here are elegant, solemn, neat and antique.
The pillars are painted with eight treasures of Buddhism, eight treasures of Taoism, eight treasures of folk, gifts of Kirin and rolling hydrangeas of lions. Among them, the crane indicates longevity, the four arts imply elegance, and the Eight Immortals indicate the arrival of immortals, and everything goes well. The whole yard can be said to be full of tiles and stones.
Wang Rucheng Residential Area in the East Courtyard, also known as Ningruiju or Fumen Courtyard, has the same architectural pattern and function as Dunhou Mansion, but it is different in some architectural forms.
The most obvious difference is that the settings of the doors in the two communities are completely different.
Because Wang Rucheng's official position is bigger than his brother's, Wang Rucong's official position is five grades, and the gatehouse looks very high, but it is a single room; Wang Rucheng is a senior official. Compared with the old people, the gatehouse is lower, but the three rooms are wide and imposing.
Moreover, Wang Rucong's house is gorgeous and flamboyant, while Wang Rucheng's house is subtle and low-key, but rich in cultural accumulation and taste.
The main building of Ningruiju faces south, with a south gate in winter and a north window in summer. This hospital is built in strict accordance with the feudal hierarchy, with a symmetrical axis, three doors and two houses, and carved bergamot, peach and pomegranate on the eaves column in front of the door, symbolizing many blessings and many children.
Outside the main entrance of this house is a beautiful single-room double-column wooden archway. The archway is a cantilever beam frame, and the beam-column surface is complex and has obvious dry-long style. There is a plaque hanging on the archway, which reads "Rong Gui is pregnant". Opposite the archway is the gate of Ning Ruiju, and there is a plaque with the word "Ning Rui" written on it.
There are all kinds of door pillows, horse stones and horse nails in front of the door. The couplet on the post is:
Yang thick soil, southeast and northwest, is often liked by tourists;
Soak in the clouds and wear rainbows, remembering the past, remembering the past in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The difference between the layout of the courtyard and the front yard of Dunhou Mansion is that there is no south hall, but there are two symmetrical and bright wings, one on the left and the other on the right, with the mansion door and instrument door in the middle, forming a pattern of three rooms and two mansions. In addition, the overall decoration is well connected and well connected, which looks very distinctive.
To the north is the senior living room, which is tall, majestic and solemn, with few decorations but heavy weight. The stigma of eaves column has the feeling of "going out into the phase" and "the door is as deep as the sea"
The pillars in front of the eaves are divided into five layers, and there are deer, rabbits, sheep, cats, quails and monkeys on the back, which means peace and longevity, increasing happiness and well-being, and sealing future generations.
The couplet in the front column of the living room is:
Listening to the sound of the waves, the idealistic road in the world must be quiet;
The world is bumpy and the road is hard to know.
On the top of the living room of Ningruifu, there are four big characters written on a plaque, which means: "Let Confucian classics and moral norms be passed down from generation to generation".
Behind the living room is a beautifully carved hanging door with phoenix peony and lion rolling hydrangea carved on it. The door plaque reads "Tianpa Huancai", which is a compliment to the host's blooming flower buds, as well as to the colorful and exquisite carving art of the hanging flower gate and backyard.
The backyard of Ningruifu is the courtyard where the owner lives and moves. It is divided into upper and lower floors, which is the structure of going upstairs from the kiln.
The couplets on the two pillars of the former kiln are:
Invite filial ancestors to fly Peng and raise phoenix;
Crouching tiger, hidden dragon pillow on the stream.
Above the kiln door, there is a plaque of "Honorable Person", indicating that the elders of the Wang family live in the house.
The structure of the backyard of Ningrui House is roughly the same as that of Dunhou House. It is also a typical cave on the first floor, and the wing on the second floor is Miss Xiulou.
The top floor of the main kiln here is an ancestral pavilion with shrines and statues, which is a place to worship ancestors' gods.
The backyard of Ningrui House is not as spacious as Dunhou House, the front hole is two holes less than that of the old people, and there are fewer eaves gallery devices at the bottom of the east and west rooms. Why is this?
It is said that it is because the younger brother is unwilling to surpass the older brother. But the sculpture in the backyard of Ningrui House is more unique than Dunhou House. Whether it is the cornerstone of the wall, wall, window lattice, pendant, column cornerstone, or the stone fence on both sides of the steps of the embroidered building, the exquisite carving art of the ancients is displayed from different sides.
Among them, the most striking is the 10 wall cornerstone with the same specifications, which was built on the base of the main kiln and the box kiln respectively, with the height of 1.6 m, the width of 0.6 m and the thickness of 0.3 m, and the patterns of five sons winning the championship, five oxen crossing the moon, unicorn sending the son, flying horse reporting good news and "twenty-four filial piety" were engraved in turn.
These sculptures are vivid, lifelike, with natural and smooth lines, radiant characters and strong three-dimensional sense, which can be described as fine works in stone carving art.
At the same time, from the main kiln to the windowsill of the box kiln, there are woodcarvings showing their special artistic charm, as well as small window scenes composed of several paintings such as "One Product is Clean and Honest", "The Magpie Climbs the Plum Tree" and "The Spring Banquet in Xinglin", which make the finishing touch and make the back room ethereal and real, affectionate and picturesque, and the scenes blend and interesting.
However, among the numerous carving arts of Ningrui Building, the most famous is the stone door frame of Zheng Yang Bookstore.
Zheng Yang Bookstore is located on the south side of Ningruiju Kitchen Courtyard, which is the owner's living area and the middle courtyard connecting the front and rear main courtyards.
The large courtyard on the southwest side of the East Courtyard consists of two garden-like courtyards, one is Guixin Academy owned by Wang Rucong's brothers, and the other is "Diecuixuan", the garden of the Wangs.
Guixin Academy is the advanced study room of the Wangs, which is divided into three courtyards: front, middle and back. Its architectural features are quite different from the two main courtyards.
The whole academy houses are low, sunny, and the courtyards are scattered. The appearance is extremely simple and unobtrusive. However, when you walk into that humble door, it is another world.
Symmetrical "Yingkui" Moon Cave Gate and "Tanyou" Moon Cave Gate face the main entrance, and the word "Gui Xin" is engraved on the door plaque. The front yard is criss-crossed, the east and west communicate with the moon gate, and the north and south connect the gallery and the backyard.
In this elegant and unique land of Xiaotian, there are 12 double-sided calligraphy stone carvings under the south porch, which are called "stone carving calligraphy". The handwriting on it was written by the 15th King of the Wangs.
From the front yard to the backyard, you have to go through three steps, which means "connecting three steps"
The backyard is divided into upper and lower rooms, separated by a parapet in the middle. The watchposts on both sides of the central step are engraved with the inscription "Seal the Hou for generations", and the base is a bas-relief "fish farming" four-escape map, which draws a vivid stroke for the simple and simple academy.
On the west side of this academy, there is the "Diecuixuan" of the garden. On the top of Xibaomen in the southwest corner of this courtyard, there is a full moon building with the word "Cloud Bridge" on the cave door.
The tall and handsome Zhanyue Pavilion, with overlapping archways and protruding eaves, is one of the main landscapes of the garden, with brick walls as the base and stone railings as the steps.
Through the hanging flower door under the pavilion, there is a stone carving with stamps, and the moon door is on it, just like a ladder holding a bright moon rising in Ran Ran, Ran Ran.
Inside the entrance of Yuedong is a small courtyard of less than 20 square meters. There are three small caves inside. There are flower houses and flower kilns here.
Between the main kiln and the wing, there are two brick doors, the east gate leads directly to the backyard of Guixin Academy, the west gate is two levels higher than the east gate, and there is a quiet small courtyard hidden inside, which is easy to be ignored if you don't pay attention.
It is said that in the past, the flower beds and courtyards of elegant houses were filled with flowers all year round, which were specially designed for family members to enjoy after meals, especially the quiet and secluded elegant houses, which were the best places for owners to relax and write books.
In addition, there is a cellar in the house next to the garden gate, which is actually a secret tunnel to prevent accidents. Once the castle is surrounded by soldiers or bad guys, you can escape from the castle, avoid disaster and save the day.
In addition to the two main courtyards in the middle and the southwest courtyard, the East Courtyard also has a fort protection courtyard, which consists of a row of caves with holes of 13, and is divided into four small courtyards in the backyard due north of the main courtyard of the East Courtyard.
The whole East Courtyard and West Courtyard are opposite to each other and connected by a bridge. Its general characteristics are: standing by the mountain, changing with the shape, overlapping buildings, patchwork, magnificent momentum and complete functions, basically inheriting the quadrangle style that was formed in the Western Zhou Dynasty in China.
Coupled with the ingenious brick carving, wood carving and stone carving, it is elegant in decoration, rich in connotation, practical and beautiful, with both north-south sentiment and high cultural taste, and is a rare traditional residential building in China at present.
Located in the south of the East Courtyard and the West Courtyard, arranged zigzag with the two castle buildings is the Xiaoyi Hall of the Wang Family Courtyard, also known as the Wang Ancestral Hall or the Wang Ancestral Hall.
Xiaoyi Temple, including Xiaoyi Square and Xiaoyi Temple, was built for filial piety in rural areas.
It is said that the Wangs had 15 memorial archways, only Xiaoyi Square was left, which was built in 1786.
This bluestone archway is a magnificent building of Xiaoyi Temple. There are 10 head of drum-holding stone lions in front of and behind the three tall four-poster archways, which lie tall and straight, imposing.
Xiaoyi Temple was built in 1796. It is divided into two floors with a total area of 428 square meters. Upstairs is the ancestral hall and the stage, and downstairs is the display of the ancestral hall of the Wang family, the mausoleum model and the three-dimensional sculpture recording Wang Yisheng's good deeds, which is of great artistic value.
Because Wang Shi, the ancestor of the Wang family, made his fortune by selling tofu, in the Wang family courtyard, the pole used by Wang Shi to sell tofu has always been the treasure of the Wang family and placed in the Wang family ancestral hall. Moreover, there are vinegar shops and tofu shops in the west courtyard of Wang family.
Wang's ancestral hall is the home of Wang's ancestors' souls, and tens of thousands of overseas Wang's descendants have visited it.
Stone archway in Wang's courtyard