A Combination of Forms (part 3)

　　7. Vernacular Dwellings in Shanxi and Shaanxi

　　The valley of the Yellow River, with its clement climate and plentiful supply of water, was once fertile. The following lines taken from Shijing, a book of the poetry of ancient China, attest to this. "Look into the forest, there are many deer." "On the slope, there are varnish trees", in the swamps, there are chestnut trees." "On the slope, there are mulberry trees; in the swamps, there are poplar trees." Conditions, alas, have changed; wars and the destruction caused by man have left their mark.

　　Since the Ming Dynasty, many natives of Shanxi earned their living in other places, but on becoming rich and returning to their native land, they transformed the place into a region famous for its thriving economy.

　　The arrangement of vernacular dwellings in Shanxi and Shaanxi is comparatively compact narrow courtyards being chosen as protection against sand blown by the wind, and there are corridors in the main house and wing houses in courtyards. Large country residences are often equipped with small square brick lookout towers called kanjialou. Roofs are of the gable-roof type. There are often handsome colored paintings and engravings on the efang (architrave, tie-beam between two peripheral columns, supporting maybe one or more intermediate bracket sets in buildings with a dugong).

　　In Shanxi, vernacular dwellings of the cave-house type are often to be found, with brick arching under flat roofing (i.e. independent cave-house). In the case of well-to-do families, such dwellings were obviously not chosen for economic reasons but for the advantages they offered; warm in winter, cool in summer and the protection the thick walls gave when fire broke out or in the event of attacks by robbers. In the case of ordinary families with limited financial means, main houses were built as independent cave dwellings, while the wing houses are dwellings with a single-sided pitched roof. In spite of their age, the elegant style of such dwellings can still be perceived. Tasteful, too, are the latticework on the doors and windows and the color of the moire on the beam-ends.

　　Ordinary families again around Shanxi often live in sanheyuan or siheyuan consisting of houses with a one-side pitched roofs. All the roofs are inclined toward the courtyard even the entrance gate and the daozuo (a room lying on the principal axis of a building and opposite the main room, i. e. usually facing north have a one-side pitched roof inclining inwardly).

　　In such type of dwellings, walls are of rammed earth. In order to protect them from erosion caused by rainwater, two rows of thin tiles are laid parallel to each other on the upper part of the outer wall and form an integral artistic whole with the roof above. The artistic conception of such dwellings is simple but highly suggestive.

　　The cave-dwelling of Shanxi and Shaanxi is unique in conception, and various shapes exist, depending on the natural environment, geographical features and local customs. They can, however, be divided into three categories as far as the configuration and structure are concerned, namely: the kaoya (against a precipice), the xiachen (sunk) and the duli (independent) types. Kaoya-type cave-houses are further divided into kaoshan (against a mountain) and yan'gou(facing a gully). Caves are often arranged in curved or zig- zag lines, lending them harmonious beauty and architectural artistry. Where the height of the slope permits, cave-dwellings are often arranged in layers like storied houses. Xiachen type cave-dwellings are constructed underground, and mainly distributed in loess areas without slopes or gullies. Construction of such dwellings is as follows: a square pit is first dug out to form a siheyuan, the cave-dwellings then being dug out in the direction of the four walls. Such dwellings are only to be found in China and Tunisia. While in Tunisia, existing cave-dwellings of this type are rare, they are still widely used by a good number of people in China, a fact that is unique in the world. The duli cave-dwelling is a kind of archtype house covered with earth. There are cave-dwelling both of fired and unfired bricks, earth, and with brick or stone arches. As stated above, such dwellings need not lie against a precipice and can stand independently, but still possess the merits of a cave-house.

　　Cave-dwellings represented an ideal form of building for the sweeping loess highlands in which they are situated. Warm in winter, cool in summer, taking up very little land and easy to build, they are ideally insulated against fire, wind and noise, even offering protection in the event of an earthquake. A gully can be filled with layers of such dwellings, which almost dissolve into the natural environment.

　　8. The Diaofang of Tibetan People

　　Diaofang is the common form of building on the Qing-Zang Plateau and in some areas of Inner Mongolia. According to Houhanshu (the history of the Western Han Dynasty), it already existed before the 6th year of Yuanding period, the Han Dynasty(111 BC). Built of irregular-shaped stones or of earth, the dwellings are of two or three stories, and because they are like a pillbox in outer appearance, they are called diaofang (pillbox house). The name diaofang may be traced back to the reign of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. Diaofang of the Tibetan people have an austere and almost sacred look. The wall is thick at the base and thin at the top with the load borne by the wall, compact rib-work and flat roof. The general layout is simple and usually square or L-shaped. For topographical and economic reasons, regions such as the Qing-Zang plateau have many undulating mountains and hills, ordinary dwellings are built upwards to conserve land, sometimes having a small courtyard in between. Diaofang has fine and inspiring interiors and an impressive external appearance.

　　The ground floor is generally used for raising livestock and for the storage of fodder. Floors above consist of sitting rooms, bedrooms, a kitchen and storage space. On the top floor, there is a flat roof for drying, a Buddhist scripture hall, an airing gallery and a toilet. The Buddhist scripture hall is located in the best position, worthy of particular mention, the toilet, some project out of the wall, supported by extended brackets, and have the enclosure braided with twigs so that the feces drop directly into the manure pit outside the wall.

　　Vernacular dwellings of Tibetans stand out on account of their successful treatment of profiles. The almost unavoidable monotony of the facades of buildings with a square or L-shaped layout is counteracted by projecting wooden structures, which contrast well with the solid and heavy stone walls and give the whole variety. Attention has not only been paid to function but to the general artistic effect as well.

　　9. Mongolian Yurt

　　Mongolian yurts are the traditional dwellings of the Mongolians, and were called qionglu in the Han Dynasty. The exterior consists of wool felt stretched over a simple wooden frame, layout and profile both circular in shape, the yurt is an ideal form of dwelling for a nomadic people as the prefabricated parts are constructed in such a way that erecting and taking down the yurt is quick and easy. A stove is placed in the center of the yurt, its chimney protruding out of the top of the tent. Around the stove is an area kept free for sitting and lying. Walling consists of twigs woven into a kind of fencing. Yurts are sometimes even set on a circular fire- place for warmth. Similar felt yurts are also used by other nomadic peoples such as the Kazakh.

　　10. Vernacular Dwellings in Sichuan

　　As a result of the climate in the Sichuan Basin with its hot summer, rare snow in winter, its plentiful rainfall and moderate winds, vernacular dwellings are of the single-storey type with tile roofs, sihetou, and large overhanging eaves. Attics are used for storage, and help insulate the building.

　　Dwellings in the mountainous regions of Sichuan are built along practical lines. Courtyards are not very deep to save land, roofs in a siheyuan join up to keep out the rain and protect the inside rooms from excessive sunlight in summer. Overhanging eaves and gable-ends project widely to protect walls constructed of earth or wooden panels, or those of the pile and earth type, from damage by rainwater.

　　The towering supended houses located among the group of vernacular dwellings at Linjiangmen in Chongqing are a magnificent sight. The alleys are so narrow that they resemble a labyrinth, and at each turn a new and completely different world presents itself. As an old Chinese poem says: "To the end of the way, seemingly blocked by mountains and rivers, there appears a village anew, with thick willows and bright blossom."

　　Vernacular dwellings in Sichuan are all of the through-jointed frame type. The local people are adept in utilizing the topography. Construction is carried out according to the actual situation without adhering to established rules and regulations. In one and the same dwelling, there are often several contours on ground level. The Tuitai of the house base are traversal and longitudinal to coordinate the heights of roofs. Eaves are not very high and branches of trees growing in the vicinity result in an attractive combination of architecture and nature. In the vernacular dwellings in Chongqing and the mountainous region of Eastern Sichuan, the orientation of houses is not important and they are built against precipices. Suspended houses are far extended, some at different levels, producing a magnificent and brilliant sight.

　　出版：Springer Wien New York

　　ISBN-3-211-83008-1

　　2000年