Folk Houses South of the Yangtze

Language: English
Format: Papercover
Page: 263
Publication Date: 09/2009
ISBN: 9787313058713
Publisher: Shanghai Jiaotong University Press
Series: Architectural Culture South of the Yangtze
Details
For the purpose of collecting data, the author visitedmany villages in the region south of the Yangtze to makeon-the-spot investigations of hundreds of ancient houseslocated in those villages. The conditions for the existenceand development of these ancient folk houses as well as theircultural connotations have been illustrated in this book. Thefundamental mode of these folk houses is atrium house withChinese curved roof, wooden structure conjugated withtenon and mortise as well as rivets. They present in threetypes: Patio House, Court House and Garden Residence. Theplane figure is presented as Hall Structure symmetricallybuilt along an axis. The external appearances of the housesare harmonious and austere looking, but the internal woodendecorations are refined and complicated.

These ancient folk houses not only function as theresident place, but also embody Chinese moral integrity.,ceremonial system, and agricultural features.

The dialectical relations between human beings, housesand nature have been illustrated in the book. The idea hasbeen presented that harmonious development of man, natureand the state is based on the harmonious relation betweenresidence houses, man, nature, community as well as the state.