1. General summary The general layout of Jiangnan dwellings is roughly the same as that of the courtyard houses in the north, but the general layout is compact and the courtyard covers a small area, so as to adapt to the characteristics of high local population density and less farmland.

The main door of the residence is mostly open on the central axis, the main house facing is the hall, and the two-story building is often built in the back yard.

The small courtyard enclosed by quadrangle houses is commonly known as a patio, which is only used for lighting and drainage. Because the rainwater from the inner slope of the roof flows into the patio from all sides, this type of residential layout is commonly called

"Four Waters Return to the Church". Second, the building structure of the four water return to the church style of the individual building to the traditional

"Rooms" are the basic units, and most of the houses are odd numbers, generally three or five. Each room is 3~4 meters wide, with a depth of five purlins to nine purlins, and each purlin is 1~1.

5 meters. Each single building is connected by a corridor, and together with the courtyard wall, it forms a closed courtyard. However, in order to facilitate ventilation, most of the windows are opened on the courtyard wall, and the front and rear windows of the house are also opened.

This kind of house that adapts to the topography, makes full use of the space, has a flexible layout, is beautiful in shape, and uses materials reasonably, showing a fresh and lively appearance.

The structure of Jiangnan dwellings is mostly a bucket-type wooden frame, without beams, but directly bearing purlins with columns, and the periphery is built with thin empty bucket walls or woven bamboo plastering walls, and the walls are mostly whitewashed.

The roof structure is also thinner than that of northern dwellings. The bottom of the wall is often paved with stone slabs, and the indoor floor is also paved with stone slabs to prevent moisture.

The interior of the hall is freely separated by traditional covers, wooden fans, screen doors, etc., depending on the purpose of use.

Only a small amount of delicate carvings are added to the beam frame, painted with chestnut, brown, gray and other colors, and no color is applied. The exterior of the house is made of brown, black, dark green and other colors, which reflect the white walls and gray tiles, and the color is elegant and clear, which is combined with the surrounding natural environment to form a picturesque water town style.

3. Reflecting the culture, the history of the water town dwellings in the south of the Yangtze River can be traced back to the Hemudu culture about 7,000 years ago.

The ancestors lived and multiplied on this land, inheriting all the dwellings and lifestyles. In the Shang Dynasty, a residential settlement had begun to take shape.

From the Han Dynasty onwards, officials began to live here, and the wars in the north during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties caused a large number of people to migrate southward, and this trend led to the rapid economic and cultural development of the south, and the economic center of gravity shifted southward.

In the Tang Dynasty, a considerable scale of official residences has been formed here, and in the Song Dynasty paintings "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" and "Pingjiang Map", the architectural layout of the Jiangnan dwellings has been specifically and vividly depicted.

With the establishment of Hangzhou as the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, Jiangnan has achieved unprecedented political, economic and cultural development. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Jiangnan has become the most economically and culturally developed area in the country, dignitaries, landlords and wealthy businessmen, literati and scholars have chosen this place to build houses, villas, pavilions and pavilions, everywhere, each with its own characteristics.

Due to the large population and the preciousness of the land, the buildings in the south of the Yangtze River are extremely space-saving, and the height of the floor is worked hard, so its architectural art is more than exquisite, and the style is insufficient.

But through the hands of skilled craftsmen, the houses placed in the gurgling water are still overwhelming.

Fourth, the formation of the reason 1.The influence of the hot and humid characteristics of the southern climate on the building. For example, the walls of the living room are high and the bay is large; The front and rear doors are through to facilitate ventilation; In order to facilitate moisture-proofing, there are many two-story buildings, the ground floor is a brick structure, and the upper floor is a wooden structure.2. The terrain in the south is complex, the residential courtyard is very small, and the surrounding houses are connected as a whole, which is suitable for the climatic conditions of the south, and the house combination is more flexible and suitable for undulating terrain.

3. In the south, the gables of the houses are mostly shaped like the walls of horses' heads, and in some cities in the south where the population was densely populated in ancient times, this kind of gables that are higher than the roof can indeed play a role in arson, and also play a good decorative effect.

4. The south is red and willow green all year round, the environment color is rich and colorful, the exterior wall of the residential building is mostly white, which is conducive to reflecting the sun, the southern building has pink walls and tiles, and the color of the house is plain and elegant, especially in summer, giving people a refreshing and pleasant feeling.

5. The water resources in the south are relatively abundant, and the small river flows gently from the front and back of the house, so it is very convenient to take water, which is directly used for drinking and washing.

Water is also a unique scenery of southern Chinese dwellings, water surrounds the dwellings, and the dwellings have an aura because of the water.

Waterways are also the main artery of transportation, and people travel from south to north, drifting across the ocean to open up new worlds and build new homes.

5. For example, Zhouzhuang Town, a residential residence in Zhouzhuang, is Zeguo, because of the river into a street, presenting a simple, clean and quiet, is typical of the south of the Yangtze River

"Small bridges, flowing water, people", although after more than 900 years of vicissitudes, still completely preserve the original style and pattern of the ancient water town.

The most famous scenic spots in Zhouzhuang are Fu'an Bridge, Shuangqiao and Shen Hall. Fu'an Bridge is the only remaining three-dimensional bridge building in the south of the Yangtze River; The double bridge is connected by two bridges as a whole, with a unique shape; Shen Hall is a Qing-style courtyard house, the overall structure is neat, and the local styles are different; In addition, there are religious places such as Chengxu Taoist Temple and Quanfu Temple.

The whole town is connected with bridges and streets, building houses along the river, the green shadow is swaying, and the tourists who return to the simplicity and return to the truth will can't help but chant: Wu Shu is still flowing according to Wu Shui, and Wu Zhongzhou is good at swimming.

The river in the ancient town area is in the shape of a tic-tac-toe, the dwellings build houses according to the river, and the streets become streets according to the water, and the river spans 14 ancient bridges built in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.