Author: Editorial Department of China Ancient Town Tour
Publisher: Shaanxi Normal University Press
Publication time: June 1, 2009
Overview of Ancient Towns in Sichuan
As a territory of ancient Shu, Sichuan has a vast territory and a long history and culture. At the same time, it has always been a region with relatively developed natural economy and small handicrafts, and traditional market trade has contributed to the prosperity and development of the town. According to historical records, large-scale town construction activities had already taken place in Sichuan during the Yin and Shang dynasties, spanning thousands of years and leaving countless crystallization of wisdom and sweat in ancient towns in Sichuan. Don't forget to share your experience!
Most ancient towns in Sichuan have a long history, but the existing visible styles of these towns were gradually formed after the "Hubei and Guangxi filling Sichuan" in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The towns and villages are the living and breeding spaces for the Sichuan people, and their construction pattern fully reflects the primitive survival status of the Shu region. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
There are four architectural features of ancient towns in Sichuan:
Firstly, the terrain within Sichuan is complex, and the construction of towns and villages is closely integrated with the environment. They are located near mountains and rivers, tailored to local conditions, and resemble natural scenery. Like Jianwei Luo Town, towering on a mountain ridge, resembling a dry boat; Zizhong Tiefo Town is built on a slope, with a simple and elegant style; Shuangliu Huanglong Creek is laid out along the confluence of two rivers, with a quaint and beautiful appearance. Don't forget to share your experience!
The confluence of the two rivers of Huanglongxi
Anshun Chang Stone Built Residential Buildings
Secondly, due to the diverse landforms in Sichuan, where flat plains are mostly bamboo and wood, shallow hills are mostly shale, and riverbanks are mostly sandstone, the materials used in its construction are also locally sourced. In the northeast of Sichuan, there are many sand walls along the Jialing River; Some areas in southwestern Sichuan rely on the Yangtze River and build walls with pebbles; There are many bamboo species in southern Sichuan, and bamboo has become a common building material used in the construction of residential buildings. It contains the ingenious ideas of skilled craftsmen. What do you think about this?
Huanglongxi Ancient Town, with a distant view of the main hall of Gulong Temple.
Thirdly, the formation of market towns in Sichuan was initially spontaneous. After reaching a certain scale, local wealthy gentry and tycoons would come forward to build them uniformly, forming a strong atmosphere of feudalism and religion. Many market towns had three palaces and eight temples, and prosperous towns such as Lizhuang and Huanglongxi even had grand layouts of nine palaces and eight temples. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Fourthly, according to historical records, there are almost no indigenous people in Sichuan, and most of them are foreign immigrants. A typical example is the "Huguang Filling Sichuan" in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Most immigrants choose a place as their settlement, preserving their hometown customs and sounds, and building distinctive local guilds, such as the ancient town of Luodai. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Luodai Guangdong Guild Hall
The most representative of the ancient town's style is its residential architectureThe residential buildings in ancient towns in Sichuan have diversified forms influenced by geographical environment, climate, and folk customsThe buildings in the plain and river valley tend to be light and elegant. arch of wooden architecture cornices, carved beams and painted rafters, taking the street as the city, surrounded by mountains and waters, not only have the atmosphere of the market, but also lose the pastoral charm. The mountains and shallow hills are undulating and arranged in rows, with a strong sense of rhythm. In the architectural layout of residential buildings, there are various types such as ganlan style (such as Huanglongxi Town), diaolou style (such as Taoping), and diaofang style (such as Danba). Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The ancient towns with a long history and diverse styles are the most typical, vivid, and intuitive portrayal of Sichuan's local culture, possessing profound cultural, tourism, and economic value. However, due to its location in the west and relative isolation, its buildings are mostly made of soil and wood materials, and there are very few ancient towns that can withstand the erosion and wind and rain damage of a hundred years. In addition, the inadequate protection by future generations of residents, human destruction, and natural disasters have led to the rapid decline and disappearance of ancient towns in Sichuan. The so-called modern civilization is threatening the traditional culture of the ancient town step by step. More and more reinforced concrete houses in some ancient towns make those carved beams and painted rafters gradually become a dusty history, which is a pity! Don't forget to share your experience!
Distribution Map of Ancient Towns in Sichuan
The residential style of ancient towns in Sichuan
Sichuan is a land with numerous ethnic groups. Due to differences in natural environment, geographical features, climate conditions, religious beliefs, and customs, residents from different regions have different styles reflected in their architectural forms. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Tibetan, Qiang, Tujia, Miao and other architectures all have their own characteristics. Even in the Han area, due to the vast territory of Sichuan, since the early Qing Dynasty, "Huguang has filled Sichuan", there have been many immigrants. Some folk houses have the characteristics of low eaves and thick walls of northern folk houses, or both the architectural characteristics of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Don't forget to share your experience!
Typical Siheyuan Residential Complex in Sichuan Province
A unique home tailored to local conditions
In the long history of Sichuan, it has absorbed the essence of culture and art from all over the country, combined with its own development and evolution, derived different humanistic connotations from all over the country, and residential buildings are particularly prominent. Sichuan residential buildings are mainly influenced by two aspects: geographical environment and climate, and folk customs. Through the accumulation of experience and skills throughout history, the strong Sichuan characteristics are reflected in residential architecture. Residential buildings are also divided into three types: dry railing style, watchtower style, and watchtower style. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Dry railing wooden structure building
The dry railing architectural form has a long history, in ancient times it referred to a wooden attic with tree trunks as railings. Building blocks on top of trees is called a ganlan. In ancient ganlan architecture, a platform was constructed on the lower level using many pieces of wood, and houses were built on top of it. The common drywall style building nowadays is actually a through bucket structure, which only elevates the ground floor. This architectural form is distributed throughout Sichuan and is commonly found in mountainous towns in Sichuan and Chongqing. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Liujiang Suspension Tower
Watchtower style architecture
Diaolou is mainly distributed in the Qiang ethnic settlement areas in the Minjiang River Basin. It was created by the Qiang people taking advantage of the abundant rocks in the Minshan Mountains and adapting to local conditions. Today, the Qiang and some Tibetan ethnic groups in Aba Prefecture still retain this type of residential architecture rich in ethnic characteristics. Don't forget to share your experience!
Taoping Qiang Village Watchtower Residential Buildings
Watchtower style architecture
Watchtower style architecture is a traditional residential building of the Tibetan people, which is commonly used by the Tibetan people as a building form. It is mostly used by single households, with three to four floors. The watchtower has a square plan and is built with scattered stones or soil walls. The exterior walls are more solid and less virtual, resembling watchtowers, hence the name Watchtower. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Danba Thousand Watchtowers Country
Danba Watchtower Residence
