Exterior walls of ancient house in Jinjiang are usually made from white limestone and red bricks.
The wall of the back yard in the ancient house is called the mirror wall (Jingmianbi). This wall which consists of several parts from top to bottom is the front facade of the whole architectural complex. Each part is called ‘Du’ in Chinese. The stone part of the wall is the pedestal which is made from the white limestone, while the front face of the pedestal is called the footplate. Above the pedestal is the ‘Qunqiang Wall’ which is made from white limestone, too. The red-brick ‘Shendu’ is the part that stands above the ‘Qunqiang Wall’. Various designs decorate the ‘Shendu’, to produce a picturesque image for visitors. In recent years the decoration of the ‘Shendu’ has evolved as materials became more abundant. In the middle of the ‘Shendu’ is the window made from white limestone or bluestone. Most of these windows take the shape of plain poles, bambo stems, or even a legendary animal. Between the ‘Shendu’ and the eaves is a narrow decorative wall known as ‘Shuichedu’. Clay sculptures or ceramics are placed within these decorative walls.
Gables of an ancient house is called ‘Dadongbi’ which are made from red bricks. Sometimes the gable is made from two different materials, such as stones and red bricks. Stones are placed upright while red bricks lie horizontally. Walls made from these two different materials create a special gable which exhibits the different colors and textures of stones and red bricks.
Some ancient houses use only plain walls which cost less than the more decorative gables. These economical gables are made from sand, yellow mud, shells and broken tiles.
