Regional Expression in Ming–Qing Merchant Courtyard Brick Carvings: A Comparative Study of Shanxi and Huizhou Aesthetics

Abstract

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Chinese merchant courtyard architecture served as a visual language through which regional identity, family ideology, and cultural memory were expressed. Brick carvings in these spaces reveal how different regions in China developed unique aesthetic and symbolic traditions. Purpose: This study examines how brick carvings in merchant residences from Shanxi and Huizhou reflect regional values, social structures, and cultural symbolism. It aims to explore how visual traditions embody merchant identity and Confucian worldviews rather than relying on generalized assumptions of Western artistic influence. Method: A qualitative, comparative case study approach was adopted, drawing from secondary data in scholarly databases, visual archives, and historical sources. Cultural Transfer Theory and visual semiotics provided the framework for analyzing regional adaptation and symbolic meaning. Findings: Shanxi carvings emphasize bold relief, symmetry, and public expression of status and patriarchal authority. In contrast, Huizhou carvings are refined, symbolically rich, and oriented toward moral storytelling and ancestral reverence. Both regions encode Confucian values, but through different visual strategies shaped by geography, economy, and cultural orientation. Implications: The study reframes Chinese courtyard ornamentation as an expression of internal regional diversity. It contributes to heritage discourse by advocating for preservation approaches that consider symbolic meaning and local aesthetic traditions, moving beyond binary narratives of foreign influence.