The houses of the Gelao nationality are built in Duoyishu, close to the mountain and the ground, with the characteristics of moisture-proof, adequate lighting and good ventilation. In each historical stage of the development of the Gelao nationality in Wuchuan, with the improvement of economic conditions, its residential forms have also evolved.
1. Ganlan
Ganlan shed is an early architectural residence of the Gelao people. "Wei Shu" contains: the current people "rely on the building blocks of the tree to live on it, which is called' dry fence', and the size of the dry fence depends on the number of their families". Later, the dry fence was moved from the tree to the flat ground, wooden stakes were driven on the ground, and giant wood was laid on the stakes. The roof was herringbone-shaped and covered with thatch or bark. Its original dry shed with tree building blocks is no longer used in residential houses, but mostly used as a temporary residence for guarding crops. Because it is mainly for preventing wild boar, this simple dry shed is also called "wild boar shed".
Second, thousands of stigma stand
Take the tree as the column or pile driving as the column, and the four columns are two high and two low, which are nailed to the cross beam and paved with wooden boards or bamboo pieces to form a roof with water on one side, covered with thatch or fir bark, and surrounded by round bamboo or fine wood or corn stalks and plywood. Because there are hundreds of thin wood, round bamboo and corn stalks, like thousands of stigmas, this kind of residence can also build a herringbone roof on four columns, which is similar to a building in appearance.
Third, the triangular residence
Generally, the triangular residence is backed by a mound or a stone wall, and it is also reliable for large trees, and it can also be suspended on several trees. This kind of house only needs two columns and one beam, and the two columns cross into a triangle, and the beam is dragged back to the place where it leans back at the point where the two columns cross. Therefore, this kind of house is also called the tail-dragging thatched fork house. The main building on the ground of this triangular residential building is composed of three triangles. The two triangles formed by beams, columns and the ground are obliquely connected to form a roof and a wall body. The triangle formed by the two columns is a door for entry and exit and a window for ventilation and lighting. This kind of residential building is no longer used for living, but is mostly used for stacking sundries or making simple toilets. Because the sundries piled up are often used in agricultural production in plant ash, this triangular building is also called "grey factory shed".
Fourth, arched residence
It is easy to move, and it is created on the basis of triangular residence by using the principle of bow. The main building of an arched residence has a rectangular base made of six square timbers, which is shaped like a bed. The superstructure only needs four ductile materials (such as bamboo) to be processed into thin sheets, two of which are used as inner arches to support the building materials of the wall and roof, and two of which are used as outer arches to fix the building materials of the wall and roof. The building materials of the wall and roof are made from local materials, which can be palm leaves, leaves or bamboo. Single arched residence is low in height and small in area, which can not meet the needs of families. After gradual improvement, two arched roofs and walls are formed and folded and assembled. This house is no longer used for home, but only for people who raise ducks on the move, hence the name "duck tent".
v. Wood structure residence
Wood structure residence is divided into five houses, seven houses, nine houses or thirteen houses, and thirteen houses are generally three floors. Wood structure residence has the stability of triangular residence and the characteristics of arched building with ground beam. The roof is mostly drained on both sides in herringbone shape, and the bottom is connected by Sichuan platoon. Bedrooms are set up about two to three feet from the ground, and floors can also be set up about one foot from the ground outside the bedroom.
The main structure of the five-rack house is that three stigmas fall to the ground, and three Sichuan rows are used to connect three stigmas and two melon trees in the upper, middle and lower parts, and one Syzygium persicum is connected in the front and back to form an arrangement. One column is not a house, and two columns are connected into a room by falling eaves, beams and purlins. The number of columns depends on the need.
The structure of seven-story building is similar to that of five-story building, with four columns and three melons, mostly two floors.
The walls and floors of wooden houses are sealed with wooden boards, and the roofs are covered with blue tiles. Generally, there are four rows and three rooms with a hall in the middle, which is about 1.5 meters deeper than the rooms on both sides, forming a hall opening outside, with two doors in the middle and two half-wooden fences outside. No one lives in the hall, which is used to worship ancestors, gods, sacrifices and receive distinguished guests. The left and right rooms are used as bedrooms and kitchens.
Generally, the foundation of a house is more than one foot higher than the surrounding ground, and step eaves with a width of more than two feet are set around the falling eaves. The height inside and outside the house is different, so it is waterproof and moistureproof, ventilated and warm.
The Gelao people are very particular about building houses. First, please ask Mr. Feng Shui to choose a homestead, and then ask Mr. Taoist to choose it as an auspicious day. After that, please invite two masons to start building. The start date of masons and carpenters is also particular, depending on whether it violates the industry taboo. Masons don't come into the field when they avoid soil, and carpenters don't commit luban evil when they commit crimes.
VI. Stone fence
Stone fence is an indispensable part of folk houses, which can not only defend against foreign invasion and prevent the spread of fire, but also reflect family development, local prestige and its economic strength. Longtan Village in Daping Town (formerly known as Huotanya) still retains the stone walls and residential buildings in Ming and Qing Dynasties.
In ancient times, the building of stone fences, especially the orientation of facing the door, in Mr. Feng Shui's view, whether it is the eight-character facing door, the ear door, the straight door, etc., whether it is a single family, three or five families, or even a cottage facing the door, is completely related to the fate of people. Even if it is nailing the door, counting the doors, and even opening the threshold, there is a certain saying. The boundary of the stone fence, the location of the gate and the place where feng shui trees are planted are all related to the future family life. Today, it seems that Mr. Feng Shui's plan is to plan a reasonable living environment, which is an "aesthetic principle".
With the popularization of science and culture, the housing concept and form of the Gelao people have also changed, and the wooden building houses are kept in use and rarely built. In places with convenient transportation, some wooden houses are converted into brick-wood structures, some new cement brick bungalows are built, and the economically affluent people build brick-concrete buildings with one floor and one bottom or multiple floors and one bottom, with ceramic tiles, aluminum alloy glass windows and security doors.
Characteristics of Folk Houses of Gelao Nationality
Gelao Nationality is one of the oldest nationalities in Guizhou Plateau, which originated from a branch of ancient Liao people and was called "Jiuliao", "Geliao" and "Geliao" in history. Since Ming and Qing Dynasties, there have been other names, such as Mugelao, Shuigelao, Huagelao, Honggelao and Pihuggelao. Gelao language belongs to Sino-Tibetan language family. Gelao language can be divided into four dialects: Draft, Aoou, Haoou and Duoluo. Gelao people have no writing, and they used Chinese very early. There are many branches of Gelao nationality, and their residences are scattered. Now the population of Gelao is 559,41, which is spread all over the province. Due to the influence of geography and other ethnic groups, the houses of Gelao people vary greatly from place to place. Most of the Gelao people live in mountainous areas. In the past, there was a folk proverb: "Mountain Miao, water Dong family, Gelao people live in a rock corner." Gelao compatriots adjust measures to local conditions, build houses with stones, lay the foundation with stones, and cover the roof with stone masonry boards. But the interior is a wooden diaojiao building.
The houses of the Gelao people living in Pingba, Anshun, Puding and Liuzhi areas are similar to those of the nearby Buyi and Han people. "Tunbao people" like to build stone towers, which are easy to defend but difficult to attack and have good defensive functions, and have a great influence on local Gelao folk houses.
The houses of the Gelao people who live in Qianxi, Dafang, Bijie, Zhijin and other places are wooden structures, but they are not diaojiao buildings. In the past, the roofs were mostly covered with thatch, and the walls were rammed with sand, which is related to the economic conditions and the needs of keeping warm and preventing hail in the alpine mountainous areas. Maoping houses were built in a very thick and neat way, with exquisite roof and eaves, and the ends under the eaves were carefully woven with ribbon knots of different shapes, just like covered tiles. In this area, there is less wood, usually there are only two wooden frames in the open room, and the second two are earth walls.
The Gelao compatriots living in Zunyi, Renhuai, Daozhen and Wuchuan have better natural conditions. The back of the house is lush with bamboo and wood, the roof is covered with small tiles, and the four walls are firmly equipped with wooden boards. If it is an adobe wall, rammed earth wall, or a wall or fence, it is painted with white ash, which is refreshing and lively.
The Gelao people who live in Shiqian, Sinan, Cengong and Shibing are fond of building the gable-type upturned corner building. In the rural areas around Shiqian Huaqiao, the eaves of small buildings are upturned, and the bamboo and wood are set off, which is beautiful and charming. These Gelao dwellings are not too big, but the eaves are deep, and the space under the eaves becomes an open warehouse. During the autumn harvest season, every household is covered with golden corn and red peppers, which is a harvest scene. The plane of the residential building is curved, with four rooms in the main room and a swallow mouth in the open room. A wing is built on one side of the main house, and the cornices are small and exquisite. The wing rooms are all two rooms, and most of them are hanging feet. The bottom room closes the animals, piles firewood and puts farm tools. The upstairs ring is dried by a straight fence, and clothes are dried under the eaves. The cornice is not only beautiful, but also plays an important role in increasing indoor lighting and outdoor use space. The cornice board of this kind of upturned corner building is painted with lime, which is particularly eye-catching. On holidays, doors, windows and columns are pasted with couplets, which makes the atmosphere more warm.
The Gelao nationality is the oldest nationality in Guizhou Plateau, and some people think it is the descendant of Gu Yelang. Its branches are many, and its residence is extremely scattered, all over the province. Influenced by the geographical environment and other ethnic groups, the houses of Gelao people vary greatly from place to place. Most of the Gelao people live in mountainous areas. As the folk saying goes, "Mountain Miao, water Zhong Jia, Gelao live in a corner of the rock." Gelao compatriots adjust measures to local conditions, build houses with stones, lay the foundation with stones, build walls with stones, and cover the roof with slate. But the interior is a wooden diaojiao building.
The houses of Gelao villagers living in Pingba, Anshun, Puding and Liuzhi Qianzhong are similar to those of nearby Buyi and Han "Tunbao people". "Tunbao people" like to build stone towers, which are easy to defend but difficult to attack, and have a great influence on the local houses of the Gelao people.
The houses of the Gelao compatriots living in Qianxi, Dafang, Bijie and northwest Zhijin Guizhou are wooden structures, but they are not diaojiao buildings. Most of them are covered with thatch and rammed with sand, which is related to the economic conditions and the special needs of high and cold mountainous areas in order to keep warm and prevent hail. On the thatched roof, the thatched roof is particularly thick and tidy, and the roof and eaves are very particular. The ends under the eaves are carefully woven with ribbon knots of different shapes, which are like the cornices of tiled roofs, and have a good artistic decoration effect, and are known as "poor women skillfully comb their hair".
The Gelao compatriots living in Shiqian, Sinan, Cengong and Shibingqian are fond of building the "upturned corner building". The countryside around huaqiao town, Shiqian County is beautiful and charming, with small buildings, upturned cornices and bamboo trees. These Gelao folk houses are not too big, but the eaves are far-reaching, and the space under the eaves becomes an open warehouse. The plane of residential buildings is in the shape of a curved ruler. There are four rooms in the main room, and there is a "swallow mouth" in the bright room. On the side of the main house, a wing is built, and the cornices are upturned, which is small and exquisite. The wing rooms are all two floors, and most of them are diaojiao buildings. On the ground floor, animals are shut down, firewood is piled up, and farm tools are put. Upstairs is surrounded by a "straight railing" to dry clothes under the eaves. The cornice is not only beautiful, but also plays an important role in increasing indoor lighting and outdoor use space.
The Gelao compatriots living in Zunyi, Renhuai, Daozhen, Wuchuan and northern Guizhou have better natural conditions. The front and back of the house are lush with bamboo and wood, the roof is covered with small blue tiles, and the four walls are equipped with wooden boards. If it's an adobe wall, rammed earth wall, bamboo wall or hedge wall, it's refreshing and lively to paint it with white ash. The "Longtan Village Ancient Architecture Complex" with a long history and exquisite craftsmanship was recommended by the Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau to National Cultural Heritage Administration as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Wuchuan Gelao and Miao Autonomous County, located in the northeast of Guizhou, has a very long history. Wuchuan County was established as early as the Northern Song Dynasty. Longtan Village is located in the northeast of Dujuan Town, the county seat, and is under the jurisdiction of Daping Town. It is named after the "Longtan" in front of the village. The main features of Gelao folk houses in Longtan Village are highlighted in architectural layout and stone and wood decoration. The overall layout is messy, seems to have no echo with each other, and lacks a unified sitting direction, which is caused by the terrain. Longtan area is a karst landform, which is called "rock corners" by local people. Building a house in a rocky corner can only be done according to local conditions, and it is difficult to sit in a unified way. But as far as one household is concerned, it is still relatively regular. Generally, it is a positive hatchback, with a stone courtyard dam in the middle and a masonry wall outside, forming a closed quadrangle. The stone walls of quadrangles are mostly built with rubble or square stones. The former has many techniques, such as flat masonry, oblique masonry and random masonry. In the oblique masonry, there are two layers of reverse masonry, forming a "grain of wheat", also known as "fish bone" locally. Ears of wheat and fishbones, both mascots, have always been favored.
The houses with stone walls must be built with "Chaomen". "Chaomen" usually consists of a wooden hanging door and a stone splayed wall. Door hairpin or carved pumpkin, or carved longevity, meaning more children and more happiness. The water ripples carved by Lian Ying are meant to prevent fire, which is similar to the "peach symbol" carved by other nationalities. The main rooms are mostly four rooms and three rooms. The most striking thing is that the doors and windows are richly carved. There are six doors and windows in the Ming Dynasty, which means "complete" and "complete". There are also six doors and windows, but only four windows are carved. Many people open their doors in the second time, and the upper part of the door is decorated with a circular hanging, which is called the "Moon Gate".
The wooden doors and windows of the Gelao people's houses in Longtan Village are decorated with auspicious patterns with different shapes, such as ploughing and reading fishing firewood, two dragons grabbing treasures, double phoenix rising in the morning, wild deer containing wisdom and so on. What is particularly interesting is that many auspicious patterns are combined to produce special effects. If a single fish looks like a fish, it is combined into a bat; Looking at pumpkins alone, they are combined into lotus flowers; Single looks like two peaches, combined into two fish; Looking at it alone, it is a happy word, and the combination is "two dragons rob the treasure" and so on. There is also a unique feature, that is, not only the "waist door" is installed at the main gate of the Ming Dynasty, but also the "waist door" is installed at the second door. All the "waist doors" are hollowed out, but almost none of the patterns are the same, which fully reflects their original spirit.
In the upper part of the bright room, more basketry is installed to dismantle the wall, and lime is painted outside to write Kyrgyz. Some people even carve and draw auspicious language and patterns on beams, which is really called "carving beams and painting buildings". This is rare in Guizhou.