Architectural Characteristics of Xiangxi Hanging Foot Towers

The Xiangxi footstools are a unique architectural form of the ethnic minorities in southern China, where the building frame is made entirely of wood and mortise-and-tenon joints. The so-called "foot" is actually a few thick wooden stakes that support the building. Built on the water's edge of the Xiangxi footstools, stretching out two long front "feet", y inserted in the river, with the other side of the wall on the river bank **** with the support of a building; in the hillside, Xiangxi footstools of the first two "feet" is stable on top of the lower part of the wall, with the other side of the wall **** with the support of a building; in the hillside, Xiangxi footstools of the first two "feet" is stable top in the lower part of the On the mountainside, the first two "feet" of the Xiangxi footstools are firmly on the top of the lower part of the mountain, and the other side of the wall foundation **** with the building support balance. There are also some Xiangxi footstools built on the flat ground, that is by a few stakes of the same length to support the building from the ground. They are supported from the ground by several wooden stakes of the same length. The floor of the wooden building is about 60 centimeters above the outdoor ground, sometimes overhanging by as much as one meter. This ventilates the bottom of the wooden building, thus keeping the indoor floor dry and protected from poisonous snakes and beasts (at the earliest).

The western Hunan footstools are divided into two or more floors, the lower floor is mostly free and empty, which is mostly used for cattle, pigs and other livestock sheds and storage of agricultural tools and sundries. Upstairs are the guest rooms and bedrooms, surrounded by picket corridors, and the first half of the upstairs is well lit, so the master can do his work and rest in the corridor. Some of the pillars of these porches are not on the ground, so that people and animals can pass underneath, and the weight of the porch is completely borne by the wooden beams. Xiangxi footstools look beautiful, dexterous and chic, wanting to fly in the air; live comfortably, dry and airy, ventilation and light; its architectural art embodies the philosophical idea of "the ground is not flat, my body is flat".

The western Hunan foot-hanging buildings are sometimes called "dry" buildings, with corridors on three sides and wooden balustrades hanging out. The railing is carved with patterns symbolizing good luck such as the pyramid of ten-thousand pyramids, the grid of joy, the grid of sub characters, and the quadrilateral grid. The hanging pillars are octagonal, quadrangular, and the bottom end is often carved with embroidered balls, gold claws, and other various shapes. The upper and lower floors of the Xiangxi footstools are paved with floor boards, and the upper floors have windows for ventilation and sunlight. The window lattice is carved with double phoenix sunrise, magpie voice plum, lion rolling ball and peony, camellia, chrysanthemum and other kinds of flowers and plants, simple and elegant, both beautiful and practical, very much the characteristics of ethnic housing.

Observing the building materials used in the western Hunan footstools, it is found that the local cedar wood is the main material. Fir is one of the endemic and important fast-growing tree species in China, distributed in the area south of the Huaihe River and Qinling Mountains. Fir wood is tall, straight grain, detailed structure, light and soft material, easy to process, not warping and cracking, corrosion and insect resistance, wear-resistant, and has an aromatic odor, the king of the wood is known as China's important construction timber and furniture timber. Because of these advantages of fir wood, it is widely used in Xiangxi hammock building frames, hoardings, railings, floors, doors, windows and carvings, with strong decorative effect.