JANVI TOURS

As a representative architecture of ancient Guangzhou, Xiguan Mansion showcases strong local architectural characteristics and style from its plane layout, arcade formation, section to trivial decoration. Xiguan was the name given by Guangdong people to the area in Liwan District ranging from Xicun in the north and the Pearl River in the south, to Renmin Road in the east and Xiaobei River in the west, which also generally meant the area beyond the west city gate in the Ming (1368~644) and Qing (1644~1911) dynasties.

In that period there were many unique traditional old mansions and people called them Xiguan ancient mansion, which was the residence for the rich before. It has been an inseparable part of the history of Guangzhou ever since it came into being. However, the number of Xiguan Mansion has dropped from over 800 in its prime in the period between the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China to 100 at present.

The door decorated with blue polish normal Xiguan Mansion covers an area of 400 square meters, constructed by wood and bricks. The front door always decorated with granite. When one enters, he will be greeted by the porch, entrance hall, middle hall, main hall, the first chamber room, which is for the old generations of the family, the second hall, which is a dining hall, and the second chamber room, which is for the younger The lower single door generation in the family. The living rooms and the kitchen are always deep into the house. In Xiguan Mansion, the sitting room is usually the center, which boasts the highest ceiling, the most spacious room, and the grandest decorations. All the furniture in Xiguan Mansion is made from rosewood. There are woodcarvings, pottery figurines, and mural paintings.

All the rooms are connected by corridors, gardens, and yards. Its interior decoration adopts exquisite wood carvings, screens, and windows with Man style. In front of the gate, there are blue-brick decorated walls, a lower single door and a square porch, etc.

The living room in Xiguan MansionThe Xiguan Mansion was so uniquely constructed that the high walls were a break against the sudden downpours and it is good for air ventilation regardless of weather and seasons. On both sides of the mansions, there are corridors which are called Qingyun Corridor. The roads and lanes in front of the Xiguan Mansions are paved by stones, which is a unique characteristic of Xiguan.

In the fast-developing city of Guangzhou with skyscrapers gradually dominating the city with their tall and cold shapes, traditional Xiguan houses are being torn down by property developers too interested in profits to understand the value of what they are destroying. Most of the Xiguan houses that remain today are hidden down some alleyways in the old part of Guangzhou, and to find you'll have to do a little exploring.

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