Why The Architecture of Rongguo Mansion Matters

And what it symbolizes

Why The Architecture of Rongguo Mansion Matters

Yesterday’s post was a little bit long, and can be somewhat confusing.

The majority of the places Lin Daiyu was escorted to were outside. This includes the “drooping flower gate” (垂花門), the reception hall she saw, the main courtyard, and the small rooms on the sides of the courtyard that contained the birds.

The main residence and its side chambers were indoor.

Also — the corridors that led from one part to another, called 遊廊, were actually covered corridors.

There’s a name for this kind of house. They called it a 四合院, which means a courtyard surrounded by buildings on all four sides. Most old Chinese housing compounds were created in this style, as well as palaces, temples, monasteries, and even government offices. You can still visit a number of these throughout China.

However, the Rongguo Mansion was a larger, almost exaggerated version of a 四合院. For example, instead of a single central courtyard, there were dozens, as we’ll soon see. Each branch of the family had its own thresholds, and, once we get to chapter 18 or so, we’ll learn about the infamous Grand View Garden (大觀園), which was almost like a miniature world within the confines of the mansion.

It certainly wasn’t as large as, say, the Forbidden City, but still probably took up something like 5 acres of land, or around 20,000 square meters.

There’s also something really symbolic about the journey Lin Daiyu takes.