Siheyuan in China has a long history. According to the analysis of the existing heritage information, they appeared as a kind of form of construction two thousand years ago. In the course of historical development, Chinese people love siheyuan. Not only palaces, temples, official courtyard, but also residential were widely used.

Siheyuan is Beijing's traditional form of residential. Why are they called siheyuan? This is because the construction in the East and West, North and South siege together.

Beijing's siheyuan has large, medium and small three different specifications.

The layout of small our-section compound is simple. Generally speaking, they often have three rooms in the north, most of who are cut off into two or three parts which are divided into light and dark. There are two wing-rooms in each side of the east and west. Three rooms (also known as Block back room) are in the south and the eastern side of south is open for the door. The door is often made as a gate tower and there are paths which are made of bricks lead to each room. Old Beijingers, a two or three generations family always lived in such a compound. Parents lived in the main room and the younger generation lived in the wing-rooms. South rooms are normally used to be living room or study.
 

The medium siheyuan has three yards. The main rooms are more than five or seven with small houses besides. Main rooms are tall and most of them have gallery. There are three or five wing-rooms on each side and to the south of the wing-rooms, there's a wall with a moon gate in the middle which divides the compound into two areas. In the front yard there are one or two wing-rooms on each side. They are used to be kitchen or are lived by servants. The southern rooms near the street from the east are gate, gate house, living room or study, garage. 

Large siheyuan are magnificent. The buildings are tall and there're always many yards, outside the yards are gardens. They are connected to large-scale construction of residential. None of ordinary people can live in such a compound.
 
The siheyuan in Beijing has right size. The main rooms are full of sunshine in the winter. They are cool in summers and warm in winters. Main rooms are larger and more beautiful than any other rooms. Parents live in the main rooms, younger live in the wing-rooms, women live in the inside yard and visitors and manservant live in the outside yard. It's the rule of ancient Chinese family life.