Guanzhong residential complex. Photographed by Guo Shimeng, a reporter of this newspaper
The typical representative of the Guanzhong people's house - the rebuilt Cui JiaHuai Courtyard. Photographed by Guo Shimeng, a reporter of this newspaper
Traditional residential groups in Dangjia Village, Hancheng (file photo).
Speaking of traditional residential buildings in Guanzhong, people will probably think of the "half of the house" in the "Eight Monsters of Shaanxi". Most of the traditional houses in Guanzhong, Shaanxi Province, are narrow, long, and deep enclosed courtyard layouts, with single-slope roofs on both sides. "Half of the house is covered", which refers to the construction style of single-slope roof.
In 2021, the traditional residential construction techniques in Guanzhong were included in the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects.
From history
Shaanxi is one of the cradles of Chinese national culture. Guanzhong was once the political, economic and cultural center of the zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, and was the core area of the Yellow River civilization and an important area of loess culture. As early as 6,000 years ago, the ancestors began to build here. The ruins of Banpo, Jiangzhai, Yangguanzhai and Zhouyuan all reflect the fact that the ancestors used various tools to build houses.
Guanzhong traditional residential construction technology is an intangible cultural heritage created by the masses in Guanzhong, Shaanxi Province, in the long-term practice of production and life, and the residential style built using this technique has great regional cultural characteristics of Guanzhong and does not lose practicality.
This construction technique continues the traditional style of northern courtyard-style residential architecture, and is improved according to the climate and geographical conditions in Guanzhong, based on the "bold and simple" of the Qin and Han Dynasties, the "majestic and magnificent" of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the "fine and rich" of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The creation method is atmospheric, pay attention to large span, symmetry and regularity, and skillfully use rammed earth to build walls or combine wooden structures with loess walls, so that the layout of the residential buildings is compact and rigorous, the depth is narrow and long, and the atmosphere is magnificent, and finally forms the characteristics of the closed courtyard layout and the half-side cover of the two sides of the box.
Guanzhong traditional houses highlight the comprehensive functions of waterproofing, sand protection, fire prevention, earthquake prevention and so on, which can shade the sun in summer to collect rainwater, and can resist the invasion of wind and sand in winter and spring. Guanzhong folk song "Half of the house is built, saving labor and materials and saving wood." Sheltered from the wind and rain and hardy, it is transported when the winter is warm and the summer is cool" is a good interpretation of the wisdom.
At the same time, the traditional residential construction technicians in Guanzhong are strict, pay attention to traditional cultural elements, highlight the shadow wall, the stone structure of the corner of the house, and the auspicious pattern carving, and give good wishes for a safe residence, avoiding evil spirits, and seeking peace.
The value of guanzhong traditional residential construction techniques is reflected in the following aspects: historical value, the emergence of foundations, beams and roofs in the building activities of the Banpo period in Guanzhong region provides a historical "living specimen" for the study of human architectural civilization; in terms of cultural value, the construction technique embodies the philosophical thought of the "unity of heaven and man" of the Chinese nation and "harmony culture", and the cultural elements such as traditional beliefs, customs, taboos, and etiquette are reflected in many links of the technique; in terms of artistic value, the construction technique pays attention to stone carving, wood carving, brick carving, The creation of shadow walls, eaves corridors, flower windows, etc., has the connotation of cultivating heirlooms and fearing the gods, and continues the aesthetic awareness, cultural accomplishment and value concept of the ancestors in Guanzhong; in terms of scientific value, the construction technique adopts civil brick mixed structure, mortise and tenon frame, strict water supply and drainage system, scientific and reasonable, with comprehensive functions such as wind and sand prevention, fire prevention, anti-theft, and earthquake disaster resistance; contemporary cultural significance and social function, Guanzhong traditional residential construction technology is the concentrated embodiment of Chinese agricultural civilization in residential construction.
At present, the well-preserved representative traditional residential courtyards in Guanzhong include the traditional residences of Dangjia Village, the Tang Family Courtyard, the Cui Family Huai Courtyard, the Lei Family Residence, and the Sun Family Residence.
Still dazzling
The traditional residential buildings in Guanzhong during the Ming and Qing dynasties are the wonders of traditional residential architecture in the mainland, known as the "living fossils" in the history of world architecture, and the most representative is the Dangjia Village, which has been built for more than 700 years.
More than 20 laneways in dangjia village run through each other, with clear primary and secondary points. There are more than 100 courtyards in the village, as well as well-preserved pagodas, ancestral halls, filial piety monuments, housekeeper buildings and other ancient buildings. Among them, the ancestral hall, Wenxing Pavilion, Jie Xiao Monument, Guan Jia Lou, and Biyang Fort have been protected.
Entering the ancient building complex of the courtyard, the first thing that caught the reporter's eye was the "Walking Horse Gate Building" listed on both sides of the laneway. The decoration of each gatehouse is very exquisite, simple and exquisite, next to the horse stone, tied horse stake, tethered horse ring, door pillow are carved in stone, there are lion door piers, drum door piers, lion drum combination of door piers, as well as vertical double body line carved door piers. The brick carvings on both sides of the gatehouse are very rich in content, including qinqi calligraphy and painting, Meilan bamboo chrysanthemum, deer rabbit elephant horse, tiger cow unicorn and geometric patterns, bagua diagrams and so on. More striking is the inscription on the forehead, or wood carving or brick carving, from the content point of view, there are roughly three categories of glorious ancestors, ethics and morality, and ideal pursuit.
Most of the walls inside the gate are brick carvings, and the theme of the picture is diverse, some are "deer crane with spring" and "five blessings (bat) holding shou", and some present a big "fu" or "shou". The brick carvings of the family training in the courtyard are mostly on the gables on both sides of the eaves of the hall, and the content is mostly moral cultivation.
The Wenxingge Feng Shui Pagoda in the southeast of the village is like a mast straight into the sky, and there is a tenacity in the uprightness. The brick carvings on the appearance of each floor seem to pin their hopes on the ideal of "self-cultivation and family governance" of the dangjia villagers.
These ancient buildings are a fusion of literature and aesthetics, condensing a potential rural cultural force and the achievements of civilization created by working people in architectural decoration. The ancient architecture of Dangjia Village as a whole is a historical witness to the survival of multiple ethnic groups and the integration of cultural exchanges in the Guanzhong region of northern China for hundreds of years.
The ancient architecture of Dangjia Village is still dazzling after hundreds of years, in addition to the superior natural conditions of the village, but also because of the attention paid to protection by governments at all levels and the people. For nearly half a century, the houses here have basically not been demolished or renovated, retaining the original architectural form, and are the largest, oldest and most complete preserved ancient village in our province.
Professor Charles of the Royal Architectural Society of the United Kingdom believes: "The oriental architectural culture is in China, and the Chinese residential architectural culture is in Hancheng. ”
Leave the context of the times
Guanzhong's traditional residential construction skills are the treasures of the Chinese nation, but this treasure is facing the dilemma of gradually disappearing into the tide of the rise of modern architecture. Therefore, the enthusiastic people who are committed to the inheritance of traditional residential building skills in Guanzhong, represented by Wang Yongchao and Wang Shunli, with the support of government departments, spontaneously undertake the collection, protection and display of traditional residential buildings in Guanzhong, as well as the excavation, sorting, inheritance and application of traditional residential building techniques in Guanzhong.
"We have adopted the 'rescue' of the traditional ancient houses in Guanzhong, especially the centralized protection of some ancient houses in the Weibei area through the overall relocation." Wang Shunli, the inheritor of traditional residential construction skills in Guanzhong and involved in the relocation work that year, introduced that in the process of relocation and reconstruction, they measured, recorded and photographed each ancient house, carefully studied the internal and external structure of the house, and carefully dismantled it gradually to ensure that it could be restored to its original state during the restoration.
At the end of 2012, the application for the traditional residential construction skills in Guanzhong was launched. In 2013, after the review of the expert committee, the traditional residential construction skills in Guanzhong were successfully selected into the fourth batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage list as a traditional skill project. On June 10 last year, the project was successfully selected into the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects. The expert review committee believes that the traditional residential construction skills in Guanzhong are the traditional handicrafts inherited from generation to generation in the Guanzhong area, with rich cultural connotations, and are typical representatives of the traditional residential architectural skills in the mainland.
In the process of protecting, excavating, researching, displaying and inheriting the traditional residential construction skills in Guanzhong, our province put forward the loud slogan of "protecting the Yanhuang root vein, guarding the spiritual homeland, inheriting folk art, and developing cultural undertakings", and implemented it in accordance with the five steps of "rescue and protection, rational use; inheritance and development, training of talents; improvement of skills and expansion of influence; display of achievements, promotion of skills; standardization of standards, and improvement of connotation".
The inheritance and development of traditional residential communities and construction techniques in Guanzhong have attracted the attention of experts and relevant institutions at home and abroad. Zhang Jinqiu, a master architect and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said: "Guanzhong residential architecture is a history and a record of the life history of the people in the region. Wolfgang Meissenheim, a German national treasure architectural design master and the founder of Modern German Architectural Theory, said: "The existence of such an excellent building is a great contribution to the development of world architecture!" It's not just Chinese. After visiting the Guanzhong residential buildings, teachers and students of the Department of Architecture and Design of Taylor University in Malaysia sighed: "The Guanzhong residential buildings show the infinite charm of Chinese architectural art and the profundity of Chinese culture, reflecting the regional culture and exquisite craftsmanship. ”
Form an industrial chain
The inheritance and development of traditional residential building skills in Guanzhong has played a huge driving role in the regional building materials production industry. At present, the market demand for all kinds of brick carvings, stone, wood and other materials required for construction has increased greatly, and the development channels for architecture students have also been broadened. Teachers majoring in design or art in many colleges and universities across the country have chosen to lead students to Dangjia Village and other places to carry out extracurricular teaching, and have cultivated a large number of professional skills talents.
After the traditional residential construction skills in Guanzhong became an intangible cultural heritage project, more and more people chose to build houses into traditional residential styles, and the employment opportunities of the vast number of rural construction craftsmen also increased, and the bricklayers and carpenters with exquisite skills became "fragrant food".
Chengcheng County Good Luck Ancient Construction Cultural Industrial Park is a traditional residential construction technology in Guanzhong Weibei transmission base, set ancient construction research, material production, construction and other integration, including stone, wood, ancient construction "three eagles" and other more than 20 Guanzhong residential construction components workshops and studios, forming a relatively stable industrial chain.
Nowadays, whether it is in the construction or repair of projects such as Weibei Folk Customs Museum, Dalibei Beimazhe Folk Residence, Hancheng Old Street, Chunhua Mud River Valley Museum Town, Jingyang An Wubao Wujia Compound, or in the maintenance and repair of traditional residential buildings such as the traditional residential houses in Hancheng Dangjia Village, the ancient residences in Lingquan Village in Heyang County, and the Tang family courtyard houses in Xunyi County, Xianyang City, or in the restoration and protection of various historical and cultural towns and villages, we can see the busy figure of trained folk craftsmen.
Inherit the context and retain nostalgia. In the implementation of the protection and utilization of the ancient villages and intangible cultural heritage blocks in the Guanzhong area, through the combination with real life, the traditional residential construction skills in Guanzhong are being vividly inherited, and they are entering a new era in a way that is passed on from generation to generation and without end.
Journalist Mao Mao