Sanheyuan (Chinese: 三合院; pinyin: sānhéyuàn; Wade–Giles: san1-ho2-yüan4) is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China and Taiwan. Sanheyuan have structures on three sides of a courtyard, forming an inverted U-shape, resembling the Chinese character Chinese: 凹 (āo). There is normally a wall linking the two forward-thrusting side wings, called xiāngfáng (廂房), similar to the wings of a siheyuan. Sanheyuan may be square or rectangular shaped and can be single or multiple-story structures. Typically there are three structural divisions within the horizontal building in the U, which is called a "three-jian" building (三間屋; sānjiānwū). The purpose of this main building varies by region, but typically consists of a central room serving ceremonial needs flanked on either