The interior of a typical Anhui residence: spacious living rooms fully open to inner courtyards which, apart from being the lighting source, also serve as the linkages between building units and blocks.

Whenever possible, an Anhui residence would try to have its entrance facing north (instead of south for most Chinese buildings). As the Five Agents for merchants is Metal (gold), and south belongs to Fire, the business owners of the Anhui residences thus preferred not to face the flaming elements since they didn't think they had too much money to burn.

Higher than usual firewalls are one of the most distinctive features of the traditional Anhui-style residential buildings designed to cope a unique living arrangement in which the men, historically known as Scholar Merchants (儒商), were away from home conducting business for most of time during the year with the women staying at home looking after elderly and kids.