Cultural Sustainability: Hakka Traditions and Technologies

Cultural Sustainability: Hakka Traditions and Technologies Field Studies in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong Province, China

ARCG 7070 Independent Study: Topics in Environmental Process and Design Bryan He August, 2017

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Cultural Sustainability: Hakka Traditions and Technologies Field Studies in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong Province, China

ARCG 7070 Independent Study: Topics in Environmental Process and Design Prepared by: Bryan He August, 2017 Faculty of Architecture University of Manitoba

Acknowledgment Advisor Professor Lisa Landrum Study Funding 2017 Bill Allen Scholarship in Architecture 2017 Maxwell Starkman Scholarship in Architecture

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Jiang Xi - Li Yuan Wei (栗圓圍) c.1501

A building that breathes stimulating living culture / architecture in a suffocating era of change A building that breathes the sustainable cycle of living, surviving, and integrating A building that breathes with time

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Hakka 客家 kè jiā guest families/

The Hakka people of China is a subgroup of Hans who can be traced back to 317-589 in the East Jin Dynasty, from the Central Plain regions (黃河江淮流域的漢人) to the southern regions, through five major mass migrations, for over 1700 years up until the beginning of the republic of China in 1912 and on. The majority of the Hakkas are now settled in the mountainous regions of now the provincial borders between Jiangxi (贛), Fujian (閩), and Guangdong (粵), as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas. The relentless pursuit of a utopian vision for families and villages to mass migrate over the treacherous terrain to find peace, and possibilities for the generations that follows is an ideology that is shared amongst the Hakkas. Where and how they settled and lived reveals the physical and spiritual connection between the Hakkas and the land. Through such circumstances a unique Hakka vernacular architecture began to emerge through South Song (1279) and Qing Dynasty (1912), during the Second and Third Migration, and continues to flourish through the Cultural Revolution (1966-1979) of the Republic of China up until contemporary times. Togetherness and unity of families and community across age and time, of life and death, of nature and culture, are evident in the Hakka’s various forms of high density and sustainable dwellings. These Hakka villages and structures, found throughout their migratory regions, have gone through generations of use, development, dereliction, and change. The life cycle of Hakka vernacular architecture is reflective of its cultural values and its geopolitical context of the time. This paper offers some findings and observations during a month long field study in China in the Summer of 2017.

The Hakka is the only Han Chinese group that is named by the language it speaks (Hakka), as opposed to its geographical region (e.g. province, county, or city). The Chinese character of Hakka (客家) is literally translated to “guest families.” The name emphasizes the Hakkas’ view that ancestral roots, guests and families are unlimited to time and geographical origins. For instance, the Hakkas are extremely diligent in keeping the family genealogy records with details going back many generations, and these records are kept in a prominently located sacred ancestral worship space called Ci Tang (祠堂). The name also emphasizes the Hakkas’ desire to preserve and sustain their family entities and identities by having multiple related families living in a single large structure, which promotes connectivity, continuity, and growth.

Over the past 1700 years, the Hakka people has fled social and political unrest, travelling south to the remote regions deep in the mountains, in search for a piece of land that would provide shelter, food, water, and a resting place for the soul. The relentless search for the utopian life is embodied in the literary and symbolic notion of the Hakkas - Guest Family, Becoming of a Guest, A Host to Guests; A collective notion of living, that a guest and host relationship is infinitely interchangeable, with people, nature, and the environment. The paper suggests being Hakka is a philosophical identity rather than a genetic or regional identity. Being Hakka is understanding of hierarchy and order, and grasping of wisdom in life, and working with found conditions that will sustain for generations after. With this, the question becomes: what is a family? what is a village? and what makes a generation?

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Map of Hakka migration route of my ancestral past (in solid line), and the path of my Hakka field study in Summer 2017 (in dashed line)

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Jiangxi - Bailu Cun (白鷺村) c.1200 - past and present 8

Jiangxi - Tombs and Fields - on the way to Yang Cun, Long Nan County (龍南縣陽村) 9

Fujian - Ta Xia Cun, Nan Jing County (南靖縣塔下村)

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Fujian - Ta Xia Cun, Nan Jing County (南靖縣塔下村)

Fujian - Tian Luo Keng Cun, Nan Jing County (南靖縣田螺坑村)

Fujian - Tian Luo Keng Cun, Nan Jing County (南靖縣田螺坑村)

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The land in the mountainous regions of China along the borders of three southern provinces: Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong is the homeland of the Hakkas. Hakka is a culture that is dependant on the land it dwells, and interwoven with the landscape (topos) that supports the culture to flourish. For the Hakkas, to dwell in the landscape means to transform a natural place (topos) to enable generations of Hakkas to secure the well-being of its people from birth to death, from cradle to grave.

Land 地 dì earth/ ground/ place/

Human relationships with land has enabled a multi-facetted array of cultures to flourish and to sustain.

The geography of the land influences climate and weather; the nutrient of the land enables organisms to survive and thrive; the consistency of the land provides a stable foundation for the rise and fall of civilizations; the inconsistency of the land forces and propels human ingenuity to adapt, invent, and integrate; the resilience of the land capacitates a culture to take root; and the vulnerability of the land reflects the fragility of human nature and challenges the resilience of a culture. The Hakkas have embraced these influences, and by diligently adapting throughout multiple migrations, the Hakkas have sustained their cultural heritage through the continuum of building practices, and a way of life.

The land also bears spiritual significance to the Hakkas. The siting of buildings, the direction of the building entrance, the symbolic naming of building features, and the prominence of art and literature embedded and displayed in the architecture reflects the Hakkas’ philosophical and spiritual celebration of the full cycle of life, of living, of death. With land, Hakka buildings emerge, with stone and earth. These buildings are the Hakkas’ resting place for the soul. In Ci Tangs (Ancestral Hall, 祠堂), centrally placed in the home, the Hakkas can once again re-engage with the collective energy of what is the past yet present.

The siting and organization of Xi Chang Wei (西昌圍, c.1700) is meticulously constructed based on Feng Shui and Ba Gua, a philosophy of understanding the forces, energies, and the cosmos as a whole, developed from one the oldest of Chinese Classics - I Ching (Book of Changes, 易經). Sited at the foot of a steep hill, the organization of Xi Chang Wei is said to resemble a toad - a symbol of wealth and prosperity. The main Ci Tang (Ancestral Hall, 祠堂) is sited at it’s optimal position with three clusters of family units constructed around it, seemingly randomly, but fine tuned, accommodating 7 large families of up to 10 in a single level. Between the family clusters and the thick exterior wall with watchtowers for security, a perculiar and dynamic enclosed outdoor space forms the Skywell (天井) - a fertile place for everyday life, for family gatherings, for domesticated animals, for celebrations and spiritual ceremonies, and for contemplation and growth. Within each living clusters, a version of the Ci Tang and Skywell in the central axis, aligned to the Ying and Yang, offers an intimate relationship to the ancestors and the world.

The definitive position of the Ci Tang reflects its importance and vitality such as the heart of a toad.

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Jiangxi - Xi Chang Wei (西昌圍) c.1700 - Floor Plan and Ba Gua (八卦, the Eight Trigrams of the I Ching)

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The geography of the land influences climate and weather.

The consistency of the land provides a stable foundation for the rise and fall of civilizations.

Fujian - Ta Xia Cun, Zhang Zhou (漳州塔下村) Modified square tulou on stone foundation

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Fujian - Ta Xia Cun, Zhang Zhou (漳州塔下村) Daily life of the villagers by the water stream

Fujian - Ta Xia Cun, Zhang Zhou (漳州塔下村) Flooding of the water stream after a big storm

Fujian - Ta Xia Cun, Zhang Zhou (漳州塔下村) A clean up ritual after the flood

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The inconsistency of the land forces and propels human ingenuity to adapt, invent, and integrate.

Guangdong - RenHouWen GongCi, Mei County (梅縣仁厚溫公祠) c.1490 Huatai 化胎 - Semi-circular sloping courtyard behind Ci Tang A typical feature of Weilong Wu 圍攏屋 typology in Guangdong

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Guangdong - RenHouWen GongCi, Mei County (梅縣仁厚溫公祠) c.1490 Rainwater being collected

Guangdong - RenHouWen GongCi, Mei County (梅縣仁厚溫公祠) c.1490 Rainwater is directed through an elabrate network of trenches to the half-moon-shaped pond 月池 at the front of the house - a water source for everyday living, irrigation, fish farming, air conditioning, and firefighting.

Guangdong - RenHouWen GongCi, Mei County (梅縣仁厚溫公祠) c.1490 Trench and steps detail

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The inconsistency of the land forces and propels human ingenuity to adapt, invent, and integrate.

Guangdong - Ji Shan Lou, Qiao Xi Cun (橋西村繼善樓) c.1914 Skywell with connection to the inside and outside

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Guangdong - Ji Shan Lou, Qiao Xi Cun (橋西村繼善樓) c.1914 Looking down from the skywell - contemporary design and choice of material

Jiangxi - Guangxi Xin Wei, Guanxi Cun (龍南關西新圍) c.1798 Water well and drainage trench detail in courtyard

Jiangxi - Bailu Cun (白鷺村) c.1200 Water well and drainage trench detail in public street

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The resilience of the land capacitates a culture to take root.

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Fu Jian - Ma Shan Cun, Nan Jing County (南靖縣馬山村) - The Land, Agriculture, and Civilization

Fu Jian - Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村宋興樓) c.1737 - The Well and the Source of life

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The vulnerability of the land reflects the fragility of human nature and challenges the resilience of a culture.

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 - Of Stone and Earth

Constructed Landscape

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Ancestral Hall 祠堂 cí táng spiritual/ worship/ religion/ cosmos/

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368

Poetic Couplet 對聯 duì lián poetry/ knowledge/ tradition/ culture/

Fu Jian - Circular Tu Lou, Shi Qiao Cun (石橋村圓土樓)

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Vernacular architecture represents the collective wisdom of a culture, it is a reflection of the culture’s beliefs, rituals, and traditions, and it is a projection of the culture’s utopian world view that is passed on for generations that follows. Vernacular architecture reveals a culture’s understanding and interpretation of its geographical and political context through siting considerations, orientation and relationship to the cosmos, the land, and its neighbors, growth and development patterns, evolving typologies, and adaptive reuse potentials in contemporary times. Vernacular architecture also demonstrates a culture’s understanding of the available materials and building methods and technologies in a systematic manner.

In Architecture Without Architects, Bernard Rudofsky noted “Vernacular architecture does not go through fashion cycles. It is nearly immutable, indeed, unimprovable, since it serves its purpose to perfection.” Hakka vernacular architecture is such a case that has been perfected and sustained for hundreds of years.

Skywell 天井 tiān jǐng sky/ heaven/ well/

The architectural forms of Hakka settlements have evolved from the early enclosed and clustered multistorey walled complexes equipped with watchtowers found in Jiangxi and Fujian Province with the need for defense, to the later less enclosed and more dispersed single story villages found in Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This demonstrates that the Hakkas had successfully integrated with other local cultural groups, and perfected a typology that allowed families living together as a community. Besides form, Hakka architecture also employs many sustainable practices. Hakka builders have consistently utilized local materials for construction. For example, the main materials in Hakka buildings are mud bricks and rammed earth walls from local soil, clay tiles fired in nearby makeshift sites where suitable clay is in abundance, and wooden components using the rot and moisture tolerant wood of Chinese Fir (杉木, Cunninghamia Lanceolata), native to the surrounding forests. The Hakkas relies mainly on natural day light and ventilation through large open air Skywells (天井), which also function as rainwater collectors. Furthermore, the skywells support social and technical functions in the adjoining ancestral halls, living spaces, bathrooms, open and enclosed kitchens, and dining places. It also serve as symbolic connections to the heavenly sky and starry night where Hakka ancestors are believed to live.

In addition to the technological ingenuity sustainable architectural practices hinge on, symbolic considerations, such as the Skywells, in sustainable practices evoke the fundamental values of being able to “sustain”, and further support the need for social well-being and cultural traditions and rituals of the inhabitants. For instance, during festivals and events, the notion of “guest families” is especially apparent: large groups of families and relatives would be socializing under the skywells between dwellings; elaborate banquets would be served in any open spaces available in the village including the streets, forecourts, courtyards, as well as in Ci Tangs. With the need to entertain large parties, Hakka culture has also evolved around food. For example, large wood-fire communal kitchens are common where extended family members would take part in preparing food together.

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Sketch of a typical wooden stair in Fujian Tulou Fu Jian - Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村宋興樓) c.1737

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Wei Wu 圍屋 wéi wū enclosure/ surround/ edge/ measurement/ house/ home/ shelter/

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Typology: Wei Wu 圍屋

Typology: Wei Long Wu 圍攏屋

Jiang Xi Guang Dong

Guang Dong

Figure Source Wu, Qing Zhou 吳慶洲. Zhongguo Kejia Jianzhu Wenhua 中國客家建築文化 (Hakka Architecture and Culture in China). Wuhan: Hubei Education Publishing House 湖北教育出版社, 2008

Tu Lou 土樓 tǔ lóu earth/ soil/ mud/ building/ multi-storey/ structure/ Typology: Square Tu Lou 方土樓

Typology: Circular Tu Lou 圓土樓

Fu Jian Jiang Xi Guang Dong

Fu Jian Guang Dong

Figure Source Wu, Qing Zhou 吳慶洲. Zhongguo Kejia Jianzhu Wenhua 中國客家建築文化 (Hakka Architecture and Culture in China). Wuhan: Hubei Education Publishing House 湖北教育出版社, 2008

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Fu Jian - Xi Yuan Traditional Private Institution, Nan Jing County (南靖西園私塾) c.1700 The Sublime Ruin - Waterfall, Knowlege, and Pond

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Cunninghamia Lanceolata 杉木 shā mù chinese fir/

Xi Yuan Cun, Fu Jian - The Moutain and the Drying Log

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Fu Jian - Qing Pu Construction Site, Da Ba Cun (大壩村青普項目) 2017 A membership only high-end resort in the making - preservation? exploitation?

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Fu Jian - Qing Pu Construction Site, Da Ba Cun (大壩村青普項目) 2017 A membership only high-end resort in the making - preservation? exploitation?

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Fu Jian - Qing Pu Construction Site, Da Ba Cun (大壩村青普項目) 2017 A membership only high-end resort in the making - preservation and restoration in traditional labour intensive methods and techniques Rammed earth wall construction

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Fu Jian - Qing Pu Construction Site, Da Ba Cun (大壩村青普項目) 2017 A membership only high-end resort in the making - preservation and restoration in traditional labour intensive methods and techniques Rammed earth wall construction

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Fu Jian - Wen Chang Lou, Tian Luo Keng Cun (田螺坑土樓群 文昌樓) c.1966 Elliptical Courtyard with daily and commercial activities at ground level

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Fu Jian - Yu De Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村裕德樓) c.

Integrating with a half collapsed building - the remaining exterior wall is preserved and a single storey is reconstructed in front

Fu Jian - Circular Tu Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村圓土樓) c.

Interior view of an “unremarkable” Tu Lou - A home without commercialization

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 - The Living Room and the Ci Tang

Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 - The Living Room and the Skywell

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Fu Jian - Zhen Yuan Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村振源樓) c. - The Living Room and the Restaurant

Fu Jian - Ji Xing Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村積興樓) c.1743 - The Living Room and the Tea House

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Fu Jian - Shun Chang Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村順昌樓) c. - The Living Room and the Kitchen

Fu Jian - Nan Qing Lou, Mei Lin Cun (梅林村南慶樓) c.1680 - The Living Room and the Santurary

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Fu Jian - Circular Tu Lou, Shi Qiao Cun (石橋村圓土樓) c. - The Skywell and the Contemporary Kitchen

Fu Jian - Zhen Yuan Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村振源樓) c. - The Ci Tang, The Skywell, and the Kitchen

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Fu Jian - Shun Chang Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村順昌樓) c. - The Skywell, The Kitchen, and theWedding Banquet

Fu Jian - Circular Tu Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村圓土樓) c. - The Skywell, The Dining Room, and the Funeral

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Jiang Xi - Li Yuan Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣栗園圍) c.1501 - A whimsical maintenance

Jiang Xi - Li Yuan Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣栗園圍) c.1980s - A new house attached to the old just outside the original enclosure wall

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Jiang Xi - Li Yuan Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣栗園圍) c.1980s A Traditional Hakka Kitchen - wood fire, big deep wok 50

Jiang Xi - Li Yuan Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣栗園圍) c.1980s Concrete and traditional masonry stone wall

Jiang Xi - Li Yuan Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣栗園圍) c.1980s The wife is enjoying Beijing Opera on television, while the husband is working on the whimsical maintenance project

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Le Guan 樂觀 lè guān confident/ optimistic/ positive/ hopeful/

Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 Ms. Lai picked some vegetable from her garden and invited me for lunch

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Bao Shou 保守 báo shǒu safeguard/ conserve/ concervatism/ stubborn/ enlightened/

Jiang Xi - Guang Yu Tang, Yang Cun (楊村光裕堂) c.

At the age of 95, Ms. Lai has never left the Yang Cun Village

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Gai Bian 改變 gǎi biàn correct/ change/ force/ energy/

Guang Dong - Bai Shan Cun, Tai He Zhen (太和鎮白山村) My transformed Hakka homeland in Guangzhou, seen from my Grandmother’s grave on the hill

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Gai Bian 改變 gǎi biàn correct/ change/ force/ energy/

Guang Dong - Cai Wu Wei, Shen Zhen (深圳蔡屋圍) A village in a city, what’s next?

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Fu Hao 符號 fú hào tag/ flag/ symbol/ resemble/

Guang Dong - Hakka Park Scenic Spot, Mei Zhou (梅州客天下景區) A Resort, A Hakka Disney World

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Fu Hao 符號 fú hào tag/ flag/ symbol/ resemble/

Fu Jian - Nan Jing County, Zhang Zhou (漳州南靖縣) A Resort, An Unrealised Dream

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Xiang Zheng 象徵 xiàng zhēng similarity/ sign/ symbolic/ semiotic/ symtomatic/

Jiang Xi - New Ci Tang, Long Nan County (新祠堂) The Corinthian Columns and the New Ci Tang

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Xiang Zheng 象徵 xiàng zhēng similarity/ sign/ symbolic/ semiotic/ symtomatic/

Jiang Xi - New House, Long Nan County (新樓房) The Corinthian Columns and the New House

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Li Xiang Xiang 理想鄉 lí xiǎng xiāng utopia/

Jiang Xi - Li Yuan Wei (栗圓圍) c.1501 In Utopia

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Wei Lai 未來 wèi lái yet/ to come/ future/

Fu Jian - Qing Pu Construction Site, Da Ba Cun (大壩村青普項目) 2017 Yet to Come

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The following case studies inform how the architecture of these Hakka “guest families” can help reinvent forms of sustainable social housing in the contemporary context, to reinforce the idea of connectedness, communities, and social well-being.

Developed on the foundation of the land, the ideologies of the Hakka Culture, and the worship of ancestral and celestial energy, the Hakka buildings demonstrate nuanced relationships that these vernacular typologies are able to establish within the contemporary society, reflecting the past, working with the present, and preparing for the future. The beauty of vernacularism is its power to permeate, evolve, and transform - a living, breathing body of knowledge, to be discovered and rediscovered.

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Jiangxi - Yan Yi Wei (燕翼圍)c.1650

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Fujian - Yu Chang Lou (裕昌樓) c.1368

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Jiangxi - Xi Xin Wei (關西新圍)c.1798

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Fujian - Song Xing Lou (松興樓守望客棧) c.1737 renovation 2016

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Map of Hakka migration route of my ancestral past (in solid line), and the path of my Hakka field study in Summer 2017 (in dashed line)

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Location Yang Cun, Long Nan County, Jiang Xi Province (江西省龍南縣陽村) Typology Wei Wu (圍屋) YanYi Wei 燕翼圍 yàn yì wéi swallow/ wing/ enclosure/ c.1650 Ming to Qing Dynasty

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Building Material Stone foundation, mud bricks, clay tile roof, Chinese Fir wood, metal plated wooden doors Dimensions 4 storeys 35.73m (w) x 44.92m (l) x 13.74m (h) 34 rooms/level x 3 levels = 102 rooms 1 level interconnected rooms for defense and war Clan Lai 賴 Notable Features - Robust Defense System and Strategies - Dedicated war zone on Level 4 - interconnected hallways with wooden shutters for ease of communication, and elaborate gun-ports for defense - Single entrance with three layers of doors

Building section of Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 through Entrance, Skywell, and Ci Tang

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Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 One of the three wells is located outside of the walls

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Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 The all-time residents of the Lai Clan at the building entrance

Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 Ms. Lai preparing lunch and invited me to share a meal together

Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 Ms. Lai’s “illegal” kitchen drenched in the Sun and the living space outside of her bedroom

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Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 Detail of the thick door three-layered door, serving as a single entry and exit point of the building

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Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 A personal shrine affixed to the door frame

Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 Furniture enough for a large party

Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 A simple Ci Tang for ancestral worship

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Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 Stair landing with two watering holes above building entrance (for fire fighting) and ladder leading up to the war zone level

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Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 Cantilivered exterior interconnected hallways in mortise and tenon wood frame construction

Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 The gridded organization of the shutter placements provide maximum sight lines for communication during a defense effort

Jiang Xi - Yan Yi Wei, Yang Cun (楊村燕翼圍) c.1650 View out of a multi-angled gun-port

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Location Da Ba Cun, Nan Jing County, Fu Jian Province (福建省南靖大壩村) Yu Chang Lou 裕昌樓 yù chāng lóu abundance/ prosperous/ building/ c.1368 Yuan to Ming Dynasty

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Typology Circular Tu Lou (圓土樓) Building Material Stone foundation, rammed earth wall, clay tile roof, Chinese Fir wood interiors Dimensions 5 storeys 54.00m (d) x 18.20m (h) 54 rooms/level x 5 levels = 270 rooms Clan Liu, Luo, Zhang, Tang, Fan 劉, 羅, 張, 唐, 范 Notable Features - A co-op housing for five Clans - One of the oldest Circular Tu Lou in Nan Jing County - Slanted wooden columns up to 15 degrees - 50 kitchens on ground level with individual shallow wells - Attic space provides storage for coffins

Interior elevation showing the slanted wooden columns of a typical section of Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Ci Tang, the sacred space for the Hakka, occupies a prominant and central location in Hakka buildings

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Ci Tang and the connection to the sky

Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Connection to the sky through the large opening of the Skywell

Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Today, where 50 kitchens used to be serving the 5 Clans living in the building have become gift shops

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 A network of drainage trench in front of the Ci Tang

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 The slanted columns seen from the Skywell of the Ci Tang

Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Exterior view of the building

Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Detail of a kitchen vent

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Interior view from ground level

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Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Interior view from ground level

Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Interior view from level three

Fu Jian - Yu Chang Lou, Da Ba Cun (大壩村裕昌樓) c.1368 Interior view from level three

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Location Xin Wei Cun, Long Nan County, Jiang Xi Province (江西省龍南縣新圍村) Typology Wei Wu (圍屋) - Three Halls and Six Units 三進六開 Guan Xi Xin Wei 關西新圍 guān xī xīn wéi new/ improved/ grand/ c.1798 Qing Dynasty

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Building Material Stone foundation, rammed earth exterior wall, clay/mud brick interiors, clay tile roof, Chinese Fir wood interiors, stone floor, elaborate wood carving and painting Dimensions 3 storeys 83.10m (w) x 91.66m (l) x 15.00m (h) 124 rooms for 24 families Clan Xu 徐 Notable Features - Floor plan combines the Classical Chinese Imperial Palace order and the Hakka living arrangement - Modulised living units - Four watchtowers and a moat as defense - Private Theatre Stage - Several gardens and a private library outside of the Wei Wu

Floor plan of Guang Xi Xin Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣關西新圍) c.1798

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Jiang Xi - Guang Xi Xin Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣關西新圍) c.1798 View of main courtyard in front of Ci Tang

Jiang Xi - Guang Xi Xin Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣關西新圍) c.1798 View of Ci Tang Entrance - adorned with poetic couplet inscribed on the columns, and intricate wood carvings in the ceiling

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Jiang Xi - Guang Xi Xin Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣關西新圍) c.1798 Connection to nature from a Skywell - the moment in time

Jiang Xi - Guang Xi Xin Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣關西新圍) c.1798 Courtyard view of a modulised living unit showing entrance to the living room and the skywell with a large water collector

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Jiang Xi - Guang Xi Xin Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣關西新圍) c.1798 View of the Easter internal street - from South to North

Jiang Xi - Guang Xi Xin Wei, Long Nan County (龍南縣關西新圍) c.1798 View of the Western internal street - from North to South with three modular family units alongside

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Location Ta Xia Cun, Nan Jing County, Fu Jian Province (福建省南靖縣塔下村) Typology Square Tu Lou (方土樓) Song Xing Lou/ Shou Wang Inn 松興樓／ 守望客棧 sòng xìng lóu shŏu wàng kè zhàn prevail/ prosper/ watchful/ stay/ c.1737 renovation 2016 Qing Dynasty

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Building Material Stone foundation, rammed earth exterior walls, clay tile roof, mud brick interior walls, Chinese Fir wood interiors Dimensions 2 storeys + attic 15.53m (w) x 15.76m (l) 15 rooms/level x 2 levels = 30 rooms 2 rooms in attic Clan Zhang 張 Notable Features - A warm and friendly accommodation converted from a typical square tu lou, with attention and effort to preserve original details and atmosphere - The owner of the Inn is a local hedonist on a twenty-year lease with the Zhang Clan at very low rent (practically free) - In exchange, the owner of the Inn agrees to maintain the building and shall give permission to the Zhang Clan to use the Ci Tang and Skywell for family ceremonies - Any renovation proposal of the building need to respect the Fung Shui of the original house; the Zhang Clan has the authority to accept or reject a given proposal

Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 A plan sketch on the leasing contract which identifies Public places labeled (公家)

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Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Daytime interior view of the Skywell, the entrance, the living space, and a convereted bathroom above

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Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Daytime interior view of the Skywell, the tea room in the position of the Ci Tang, and the storage room above. The Ci Tang is still used for family events and ceremonies of the Zhang Clan as required

Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Nighttime interior view of the Skywell, the entrance, and the living space with minimal lighting

Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Nighttime interior view of the Skywell, the tea room, and the reflection from the rain

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Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Interior view of the cantilivered wooden corridor - optimal place for hanging clothes dry

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Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 A documentary film crew capturing the cosmic experiences in the Hakka tulou

Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Always a breath of fresh air

Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Everything well oriented

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Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Exterior view of the raised entry patio - almost at the flood line 94

Nighttime jamming session in the neighbour’s house

A well considered restaurant/bar in Ta Xia Cun operated by a generous and knowledgable young couple near the Inn

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Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Interior view of the wooden stair leading up to my room in the attic 96

Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 Light is bounced off to the wooden wall partition from a transparent roof tile - a simple skylight

Fu Jian -Song Xing Lou, Ta Xia Cun (塔下村松興樓) c.1737 r.2016 A building that breathes, with time 97

English References Friedman, Yona. Architecture With The People, By The People, For The People. New York: Actar, 2011 Heidegger, Martin. “Building, Dwelling, Thinking,” in Poetry, Language, Thought. Translated by Albert Hofstadter. New York: Harper Colophon Books, 1971 Knapp, Ronald G., Kai-Yin Lo. House, Home, Family: Living and Being Chinese. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, New York: China Institute in America, 2005.

Leatherbarrow, David. Architecture Oriented Otherwise. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2009, especially chp. 1 “Breathing Walls.”

Leong, Sow-Theng. Migration and Ethnicity in Chinese History: Hakkas, Pengmin, and Their Neighbors. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1997 Liang, Ssu-Ch’eng. A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1984 Maxwell, Robert. Sweet Disorder and the Carefully Careless: Theory and Criticism in Architecture. New York: Princeton Papers on Architecture, 1997.

Mellin, Robert. Tilting: House Launching, Slide Hauling, Potato Trenching, and Other Tales from a Newfoundland Fishing Village. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

Nieuwenhuys, Constant. “New Babylon,” Exhibition Catalogue. The Hague: Haags Gemeetenmuseum, 1974 Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. West Sussex: Wiley, 2012 Pérez-Gómez, Alberto. “Architecture as Mimetic Techno-poiesis,” Bauen und Wohnen, ed. Führ. Münster/New York: Waxmann, 2000.

Pérez-Gómez, Alberto. Attunement Architectural Meaning After the Crisis of Modern Science. Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2016.

Rudofsky, Bernard. Architecture Without Architects. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1964.

Shepheard, Paul. What Is Architecture? An Essay on Landscapes, Buildings, and Machines. Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1994.

Zumthor, Peter. Thinking Architecture. Basel: Birkauser, 2006.

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Chinese References Huang, Han Min 黃漢民. Fujian Tulou: Zhongguo Chuantong Minju de Guibao 福建土樓:中國傳統民居的瑰寶 (Fujian Tulou: A Jewel of China’s Traditional Residential Architecture). Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company 生活.讀書.新知三聯書店, 2009 Lu, Yuan Ding 陸元鼎. Zhongguo Kejia Minju yu Wenhua 中國客家民居與文化 (Hakka Residence and Culture in China)Guangzhou: South China University of Technology Publishing House 華南理工大學出版社, 2001 Luo, Jiting 駱吉婷. “Space, Gender and Social Change: A Case Study of Hakka Settlement in Meizhou, Guangdong.” Master of Philosophy in Anthropology Thesis, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012 Luo, Xiang Lin 羅香林, Kejia Yanjiu Taolun 客家研究導論 (Hakka Research Studies). Guangzhou: Xishan Shu Zang Publishing House 希山書藏出版社, 1933 Pan, An 潘安. Kejia Minxi yu Kejia Juju Jianzhu 客家民系與客家聚居建築 (Hakka People and Architecture of Hakka Settlements).

Beijing: China Construction Industry Publishing House 中國建築工業出版社, 1998 Wan, You Nan 萬幼楠. Gannan Chuantong Jiangzhu yu Wenhua 贛南傳統建築與文化 (South Gan Traditional Building and Culture).

Nanchang: Jiangxi People’s Publishing House 江西人民出版社, 2013 Wang, Shu 王澍. Zao FangZi 造房子(Making Houses). Changsha: Hunan Arts Press 湖南美術出版社, 2016 Wu, Qing Zhou 吳慶洲. Zhongguo Kejia Jianzhu Wenhua 中國客家建築文化 (Hakka Architecture and Culture in China). Wuhan: Hubei Education Publishing House 湖北教育出版社, 2008 Yu, Zhi 余志. Kedu Jiayuan 客都家園 (The Homeland of Hakkas). Hongkong: The Commercial Press International Co. Ltd. 商務印書館 國際有限公司, 2011

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三子乾達萬仕祥 國兆榮化富貴昌 宗功偉績千秋勝 家聲祖德永傳芳 sān zǐ gān dá wàn shì xiáng guó zhào róng huá fù gùi chāng zōng gōng wěi jì qiān qiū shèng jiā shēng zǔ dé yǒng chuán fāng

Fu Jian - Nan Qing Lou, Mei Lin Cun (梅林村南慶樓) c.1680