Residential Houses in Beizhu Village

Residential Houses in Beizhu Village

The residential houses in Beizhu Village are designated as a cultural heritage site under protection by Henan Province.

The residential houses in Beizhu Village are located in Beizhu Village, Fucheng Subdistrict Office, Zhongzhan District, Jiaozuo City. There are currently 97 buildings with over 367 rooms in total — one dating back to the late Ming Dynasty, and the rest built during the Qing Dynasty. Most of the residences are courtyard-style wooden-frame houses, generally consisting of one-, two-, or three-courtyard layouts, predominantly quadrangle courtyards. Many entrances are flanked by a pair of square-columned gate piers and drum stones, carved with bas-relief patterns such as auspicious clouds, flowers and birds, animals, and verses. Opposite the entrance is usually a screen wall, while the southern wing rooms (street-facing rooms) often serve as guest rooms or utility spaces.

The overall architecture of the Beizhu Village residences consists of enclosed courtyards. Their structure and design typically feature brick walls built around raised-beam wooden frames, with most roofs being flush-gable style covered in gray tiles and adorned with ridge ornaments. The central bay often features intricately carved lattice doors and windows decorated with floral and bird motifs, while the eaves are supported by visible columns and corridors. Both interior and exterior floors are paved with square bricks. The color scheme mainly comprises large areas of gray-blue walls and roofs, accented with color at the main gate, second gate, corridors, and partition screens of the central bay. The brick surfaces of the gate, screen wall, step risers, and roof ridges are embellished with various carvings, achieving an excellent artistic effect.

The Beizhu Village ancient residential complex is large in scale, densely concentrated, and well-preserved. It represents a typical example of traditional northern Han Chinese residential courtyard architecture. The lower parts of the walls of each house are mostly made of strip stones. The brickwork, brackets, horizontal and vertical beams, hanging lotus pillars, window and door panels, lintels, window sills, column bases, and stone piers at the entrances feature carvings in stone, brick, and wood, as well as painted decorations. The exquisite carving art, unique architectural forms, and historical significance make this complex an important part of ancient architectural and cultural heritage, possessing considerable historical and artistic value.

On June 16, 2008, the People's Government of Henan Province announced it as a provincial-level cultural heritage protection unit.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units