在中国古代社会性别制度中,“男女有别”是最重要的内容之一。中国古代的住宅建筑,是体现男女有别理论的重要物质形式之一。因住宅建筑结构不同,在先秦时期,人们以寝门为内外之限;而至东汉,已有人称中门为内外之限,并且这一看法,也为其后的唐人所继承。唐代的住宅建筑以四合院为主,其中的高级住宅则由多组四合院共同组成,因此,唐代住宅建筑内的中门位置并不固定,并非绝对是第二道门。虽然唐人一般以中门为内外之限,但它并不能彻底区隔男女。唐代中堂的重要功能之一是宴请外客,而中堂又位于中门之内,故中门至中堂这一空间,实是外之男人与内之女人的交叉空间。因此,对妇女应否进入中庭的看法,就体现了唐人对礼教的不同认识;而宴请宾客时,妇女是否进入中堂,则体现了她们的阶层身份差异。 In ancient Chinese gender system, “difference between men and women” is one of the most important content. Ancient Chinese residential buildings are one of the important material forms that embody the theory of difference between men and women. Due to the different structure of residential buildings, in the pre-Qin period, people used the bedroom door as the limit of the interior and exterior; while in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the door was known as the internal and external limits, and this view was inherited by the subsequent Tang people. The Tang Dynasty residential buildings to the main courtyard, of which senior housing is composed of multiple sets of courtyard, so the Tang Dynasty residential buildings in the door position is not fixed, not the absolute second door. Although the Chinese usually use the gate as the limit, it does not completely separate men and women. One of the important functions of the Tang Dynasty Hall is to entertain foreign guests, while the Zhongtang is located in the middle of the gate. Therefore, the space from the gate to the middle hall is actually the cross space between the outer man and the inner woman. Therefore, the view on whether women should enter the atrium embodies the different understanding of the Chinese people over the ethical standards of righteousness and education. When they invite their guests, whether or not they enter the middle school shows their differences in social status.