The house can only be located on the land of one's ancestors, not on the land of others' ancestors. Ancestral land was bought or developed by predecessors and has the right of eternal inheritance. Every household attaches great importance to the construction of houses. Before building a house, please invite Mr. Yin and Yang Feng Shui to see that Feng Shui determines Yin and Yang. Mr. Feng Shui determines the orientation of the house according to the type and location of the house, and then chooses a good day to worship the land god and ancestors. This is the only way to break ground. At this time, the men and women of the same clan came to help, and even the married daughter came back with her children. This superstitious folk etiquette has been accompanied by the whole process of the rise and fall of a family. In the self-sufficient natural economy and agricultural society, the constraint of "courtesy" on people's behavior is also reflected in people's housing types.
The pattern of traditional houses in Hainan is generally an independent quadrangle brick house, with the hall as its main body and the center of the family. Next to the left side of the hall are two small rooms, a kitchen near the courtyard wall and a utility room where food or tools are placed. Some utility rooms also have beds, and families with many children often live in them. Facing the kitchen is a small courtyard door, which is also a tile house. You can pile things or cool things in rainy days. Close to the courtyard gate and against the courtyard wall are woodshed and toilet, which are used to place farm tools or chicken coops. Some have backyards. If the backyard is very wide, the chicken coop will be put there, and some of them will live in little wings there. There are usually fruit trees in the backyard. Small backyards are usually just for drying things. However, fruit trees are planted next to the walls of general residential courtyards, which not only plays a beautiful and green role, but also can be cooler. Hainan's hot days are long, and when fruit trees blossom and bear fruit, there are always fragrant flowers sneaking into the night with the wind, accompanying residents to sleep.
The hall is the main body of the house, which is spacious and tall than other houses, and it is particularly prominent in the yard. The hall is divided into two parts, with the living room in the middle. There are three halls in the living room to worship the ancestors' gods. Under the new year season, birthdays and birthdays are set here to pay tribute; Weddings and funerals are also held here; Usually, if a distinguished guest comes to the door, he will also receive it here. A married daughter must go through the main gate before going back to her parents' home, and then enter the hall to meet her parents. Thus, the church is the symbol of patriarchal clan system and the etiquette and education center of the family.
The local custom is that only the son can inherit the room. If there are many brothers, only the eldest son can inherit the room. If the brothers are separated, the new house must have a room to be a real new home. When getting married, the woman is most concerned about whether the object has his own room.
The traditional closed independent quadrangles in Hainan reflect the conservative thoughts and narrow psychology of farmers under the natural economy. At the same time, this courtyard building system also reflects the continuation of Central Plains culture in Hainan.