Page:Chinese Pictures.djvu/110

 A TYPICAL ENTRANCE TO A HOUSE.

particular house was at Mukden, in Manchuria. The main building is surrounded by a courtyard. The outer building contains the servants' rooms. They live around the courtyard, the family occupying the central building. The windows of the servants' rooms may be seen in the outer wall. The pillars of woodwork are highly decorated, and in the courtyard itself there is always a flower-garden. Comparing this simple house with a palace such as the English Legation, it will be seen that the latter is but an amplification of the ordinary house, the number of courtyards surrounding the chief dwelling being greater, but the principle of construction being the same.