Architectural characteristics of Naxi folk houses in Yunnan

Naxi nationality is one of the 56 ethnic groups in China and one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan. Most of them live in Lijiang, northwest Yunnan, the rest are distributed in other counties and cities in Yunnan, Yanyuan, Yanbian and Muli counties in Sichuan, and a few are distributed in Mangkang county in Tibet. The clan organization of Naxi nationality is everywhere, and it is a nation with a high degree of living. The clan organization of Mosuo people in Lugu Lake area has maintained a relatively old feature, and Naxi culture is deeply influenced by Chinese culture.

Since the Ming Dynasty, there have been magnificent tile houses among Naxi people in Lijiang, but most of them are the residences of chieftains and temples. Since the Qing Dynasty, with the increase of cultural exchanges and the development of Naxi's social economy and culture, the architectural techniques of Han, Bai and Tibetan nationalities have been absorbed by Naxi, and civil or brick-and-wood tile-roofed buildings known as "three squares, one zhaobi" and "four entrances and five patios" have become popular in Lijiang towns, dam areas and valley villages, and have produced unique residential courtyards.

Three squares and one zhaobi, that is, one square in the main room, two squares in the left and right wing rooms, and the zhaobi opposite the main room, form a three-in-one courtyard. Four-in-five-patio refers to a closed four-in-one house composed of four houses: the main room, the lower room and the left and right wing rooms. In addition to a large patio in the middle, there are four small patios or leaky houses in the four corners. Three squares, one wall, four in one and five patios are the most basic and common form of Lijiang folk houses, and other layout forms are their variation, evolution, development and combination.

Old Town of Lijiang's large and medium-sized residential buildings, which maintain the architectural characteristics of Ming and Qing Dynasties, pay attention to structural layout and pursue carving and painting decoration, are exquisite and incomparable, and are praised as "residential museums" by Chinese and foreign architectural experts. There is a canal in front of the door, a water lane behind the house and a building across the river. "The city depends on water, and the water comes with the city" is a major feature of the ancient city architecture.

The Naxi people's houses in Lijiang are generally two-story wooden buildings, about 7.5 meters high, and there are also a few three-story buildings, which are bucket structures with broken walls and tiled roofs and verandahs (that is, doorways). The processing of the framework is very flexible. There is a hanging mountain, and the main stress parts of the wooden frame are provided with members with binding function such as "Ma Le hanging", "anchor", "square crossing" and "jack". According to the inclination of 1%, the whole frame inclines the stigma inward and the column root outward, which enhances the stability of the frame.

At the connection part of the frame, flexible connections such as "two tenons", "big tenon" and "flat tenon" are adopted respectively according to the stress situation, and the hidden tip of the well is set to facilitate earthquake resistance. Heavy (garbage) and light (wood) retaining walls are solid and practical. Lijiang folk houses are criss-crossed in shape combination and wheel corridor modeling. Beautiful corridors; The facade is mostly stone, plastered on the wall, bricked in the corner, covered with blue tiles, with harmonious colors and simple appearance.

According to the different frame forms and verandahs, it can be divided into seven categories: bungalow, open building, rain mansion, arcade, savage building, stuffy building and rain mansion. Structurally, the main house and one side are generally higher, facing south and facing the wall, mainly for the elderly to live in; The east and west wings are slightly lower and occupied by the next generation; Patio is used for living, mostly paved with bricks and stones, and often beautified with flowers and plants. If there is a house facing the street, residents will use it as a pavement.

Lijiang folk houses attach great importance to the decoration of houses, focusing on gatehouses, zhaobi, verandahs, door and window partitions, patios, beams and so on. There are three types of gatehouses: brick arch, wooden beam arch and wooden frame. Brick arch buildings are mostly in the form of three drops of water with high middle and low sides. Wooden lintel archway is a three-story archway supported by wooden lintel and covered with thin bricks. Wooden gatehouses are mostly double-slope roofs, and the eaves are decorated with multi-layer flower boards and flower covers. There are three drops of water on the zhaobi of ordinary houses, and the small zhaobi of the inner corridor is decorated with marble.

The doors and windows of the house are decorated with woodcarving patterns such as blackbirds, flowers, chess, calligraphy and painting, stone utensils, etc., which are the product of combining function and art. In addition, beams, beams, railings, column bases, footstools, cornices, roofs and other wood, stone and tile parts are also decorated. For example, the beam head of a larger beam is carved into an animal head, commonly known as the "lion head", and some are carved into drums and bottles.

The courtyard of residential houses is paved with pebbles, five-flowered stones and other raw materials. The pattern depends on the size of the courtyard or the owner's preference. The content involves flowers, snakehead, insects, folk stories, fairy tales and so on. Simple technique and rigorous layout. According to the folk style, the symbolic patterns such as "four bats' heads", "unicorn looking at the moon" and "eight immortals crossing the sea" are paved, which reflects the integration of multi-ethnic architectural art.

With the development of tourism in Old Town of Lijiang, Naxi nationality is well known by more people and attracts a large number of tourists with its unique ethnic customs.