四合院 Courtyard Gardens

Today visited a siheyuan, an old courtyard garden, in middle Beijing. The owner of the garden was over 70 years old, and had lived there her entire life. Away from the crowded Beijing streets was a peaceful cluster of buildings guarded by a solemn heavy gate. Inside lived the woman we met, her family, and her grandchildren (in total 11 family members spanning three generations). It was a beautiful garden and outside space, and a glimpse into the lives into the citizens of Beijing who have not yet moved into large apartment building complexes. There has been controversy as of late as whether or not to demolish down the old courtyard gardens in order to make room to build larger skyscrapers or office spaces. Some argue that Beijing’s old architecture should be preserved as much as possible; others say that the people who live in the courtyard would much rather prefer to have modern apartments, complete with private plumbing and other relative luxuries.

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