Picture: A typical Chinese courtyard in the Wuhou Ci Shrine in Chengdu.
A common feature of the Chinese construction is its standardized architecture. Regardless of being in Hong Kong, Chengdu or Georgetown (Penang), the traditional house structure is the same. Houses are built on stone platforms on which a wooden frame is placed. The walls that are a few feet behind the pillars act as a supportive structure, but essentially the walls by themselves are not supportive. The roofs are covered with tiles and upward-sloping at the end topped by gargoyles. Traditonal houses are built around one or many courtyards that feature a well.The proportion and alignment of the house is determined by Feng Shui principles. One can still find traditional shophouses in China where the groundfloor houses a shop and the living quarters are upstairs.
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