Courtyard is a historical type of residence. It was commonly found throughout China, most famous in Beijing. In ancient times, a courtyard would be occupied by a single large family. Today, many remaining courtyards are still used as houses, but most lack modern living facilities. Courtyards date back to as early as the Western Zhou Period, with a history of over 2,000 years. They exhibit outstanding and fundamental characteristics of Chinese architecture. Courtyard also serves as a cultural symbol of Beijing and a window into old ways of life.
四合院（courtyard）是一種歷史類型住宅。它在中國很常見，最著名的則是在北京。在古代，一座四合院住著一個單一的大家庭。今天，許多現(xiàn)存的四合院還用作住房，但大都缺乏現(xiàn)代生活設施。四合院最早可以追溯到西周時期（the Western Zhou Period），至今已有2000多年的歷史。它們表現(xiàn)出中國建筑的優(yōu)秀和基本特征。四合院還是北京的一個文化象征，也是探索古老生活方式的一個窗口。
