Wa Traditional Dwellings: Four-walled Landing Houses

People who may have been to Wa people will think when they see the houses where Wa people live, isn't China well-off in an all-round way? Why do Wa people still live in such a humble house? In fact, this is the cultural heritage of the Wa people. Due to the influence of the climate in the Wa people's living area, Wa people usually build houses in the form of four-walled floor-standing houses.

Then, come with me to see the Wa culture!

Wa people live in a subtropical climate, surrounded by mountains and rivers along the Lancang River, with abundant rainfall and high humidity. Half a day is surrounded by clouds every year, and the building is completely waterproof and moisture-proof, which is very distinctive. More than 600 years ago, the ancestors of Wa people migrated and lived here.

Wa folk houses, which are greatly influenced by Han nationality, are generally straw houses with four walls on the ground, straw houses with earth walls and individual tile houses. However, the structure and shape of houses in most Wa areas are similar to those of the Dai people, and the building materials are all bamboo and thatch. Branches are reserved at the top of the wooden column to support the beam, which supports some fine bamboo and then covers it with thatch to build an overhead bamboo building.

The materials are basically ready-made, and the lush thatch in Awa Mountain is more vital than any plant. In August, Wa people will take time to cut thatch on the mountain, make a nest, pile it up, dry it on their backs and go home. When winter comes, they will put these newly cut thatchs on the roof to replace those rotten thatchs. Cut down a tree casually, you can make a pillar or beam, or even peel some vines without a nail, and you can make a room strong.

Wa people's houses are usually built on the gentle tops of mountains. Houses are built according to the mountain, distributed randomly, and have no consistent orientation. The thorn bush formed by natural growth for many years has become the wall of the village. There is a bamboo-wood entrance at the entrance of the village, and some ox heads are hung, which is said to have the function of exorcising ghosts.

The real traditional houses of the Wa nationality are "four-walled floor-to-ceiling houses", that is, three long-forked logs are used as column beams and straight thin wooden strips are used as rafters. The rafters are covered with pre-made thatched rows, which are bound and fixed with rattan. Four walls are made of bamboo strips, and a door opens to the east. The slope from the roof to the eaves is large, and the eaves are less than 1 m from the ground. The wall is almost visible, and the lighting depends on the tiger window (skylight on the roof), and a small balcony is set up. Locals call it "chickens build houses". The advantage of this kind of room is that it keeps warm and is less affected by the wind in winter. Because the thatch angle of the roof is steep, it will not be easily blown away by the wind, and it will not cause water accumulation in case of heavy rain. If the wind doesn't enter the house, it will be safer to use fire in the fireplace, otherwise the fireplace that doesn't go out every night may become a hidden danger in the Wa village.