四合院

四合院是从明代的北京延续下来的古典建筑风格的住宅。四合 院之间的狭窄的街道被称为“胡同”。_个四合院有园林包围着四个 房子，有高高的围墙保护。四合院与胡同都是人们常见到的，有超 过700多年的历史，但是由于现在的城市改造和中国经济的发展， 四合院慢慢地从北京消失。

A standard siheyuan usually consists of houses on its four sides with a yard in the center. The gates are usually painted red and have large copper door rings. Usually，a whole family lives in compound. The elder generation lives in the main house standing at the north end, the younger generations live in the side houses, and the south house is usually the family sitting room or study.