Editing Chinese architecture (section)

=== Commoners ===
Due to primarily wooden construction and poor maintenance, far fewer examples of commoner's homes survive compared to those of nobles. Korman claimed the average commoner's home did not change much, even centuries after the establishment of the universal style: early-20th-century homes were similar to late and mid-imperial homes.<ref name="Kohrman" />

These homes tended to follow a set pattern: the center of the building was a shrine for deities and ancestors, and was also used during festivities. On its two sides were bedrooms for elders; the two wings (known as "guardian dragons") were for junior members, as well as the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen, although sometimes the living room was close to the center.<ref>{{cite book |title = The Beijing Courtyard House |last=Cassault |first=Andre |publisher=Open House International |year=1987 }}</ref>

Sometimes the extended families became so large that one or two extra pairs of "wings" had to be built. This produced a U-shape, with a courtyard suitable (e.g., for farm work).<ref name="Kohrman" /> Merchants and bureaucrats preferred to close off the front with an imposing gate. All buildings were legally regulated, and the law required that the number of stories, the length of the building and the building colours reflect the owner's class.

Some commoners living in areas plagued by bandits built communal fortresses called [[Tulou]] for protection. Often favoured by the [[Hakka]] in [[Fujian]] and [[Jiangxi]], the design of Tulou shows the ancient philosophy of harmony between people and environment. People used local materials, often building the walls with rammed earth. No window reached the outside on the lower two floors (for defense), but the inside included a common courtyard and let people gather.<ref>Wang, Shao-Sen; Li, Su-Yu; and Shi-Jie Liao (2012). ''The Genes of Tulou: A Study on the Preservation and Sustainable Development of Tulou'' (http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/4/12/3377/htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904155543/http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/4/12/3377/htm |date=4 September 2018 }}). Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.</ref>