Cultural Heritage of China: The country of modenisation and tradition
Cultural Heritage of China
Zhusuan:
Tuluo:
History of Tuluo:
Huaiyuan
Building is located in the east of Kanxia Village, Meilin Town, Nanjing County,
Fujian Province. In 2006, it was listed as a national key cultural relic
protection object by the state. When applying for World Cultural Heritage, it
has been officially accepted by the United Nations (Li & Zhang 2018).
The
origin of Huaiyuan Tower has always been debated. According to historical
records: "There were many reasons for the Central Plains at that time, so
the wise doctors of that time used three rivers and five lakes as their home.
Those who climbed to Huiji are like Linjie's Jiyuan, which is also because of
the public" (Sohu News, 2019). It can be seen that due to the frequent
wars in the Central Plains, in order to avoid the wars, the Central Plains
people moved south with their wives, children and clansmen, and built tulou in
Nanjing. Mr. Zeng Wuyue, an expert on tulou research, believes that Fujian
Yuantulou originated in the middle, downstream and surrounding areas of the
Kowloon River. It is said that the tulou is the crystallization of people's
wisdom and culture.
In
1527, in the sixth year of Jiajing's reign in the Ming Dynasty, there was no
record of "Tulou" in the book "Longxi County Chronicles".
However, in the sixth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty, that is, in 1623,
the "Haicheng County Chronicle" recorded the thirty-five years of
Jiajing Bingchen, that is, the Jinshi in 1556, the prefect of Lianzhou,
Guangdong, and a song by Huang Wenhao from Haicheng. The poem "Tulou"
is the earliest poem about tulou that can be found in history. Before this
period, there were no historical records that mentioned "Tulou",
which has both historical time and this proper noun (P ,Chen Qing Dynasty).
From
1621 to 1627, also known as the first year of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Tianding,
a scholar of Longxi, wrote to Shi Bangyao, the prefect of Zhangzhou, that
"the fireworks were dense, and the castles faced each other". It is
not difficult to find that many earthen buildings appeared in the middle and
lower reaches of the Jiulong River at that time. To this day, many places in
the middle and lower reaches of the Jiulong River in Fujian still retain the
tulou built in the Ming Jiajing to the early Qing Dynasty. This is the most
powerful evidence.
© 2010 Xiamen Tourism Net
Reasons for the construction of Tuluo:
Why were tulou built? I believe many people
will be very confused. Tulou first appeared in the lower reaches of the Jiulong
River. Because the Japanese pirates attacked the mainland along the Jiulong
River at that time, the officers and soldiers hurriedly prepared for the
battle, and their own safety could not be guaranteed due to the hasty
preparations. Therefore, people rely on their own wisdom and strength to find
materials in the living environment and build tulou to protect their own safety
and resist the invasion of Japanese pirates. In the Jiajing Bingchen year of
the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates further invaded Zhangzhou. At that time, a
Haicheng man named Huang Wenhao became a jinshi in 1556 (the year following the
thirty-fourth year of Jiajing). In the song "Yong Tulou" written by
him, "Leaning on the mountains for the city, cutting wood for the
soldiers" truly recorded why the tulou was built and the geographical
environment in which the tulou was built. The poem "connect the empty
pavilion and cross the layers" reflects the invasion of Japanese pirates
at that time, and the traditional houses in southern Fujian could no longer
resist. Only by building higher multi-storey pavilions can you protect yourself
and your clan's safety. It is not difficult to find that Huang Wenhao witnessed
the reason and process of the construction of the tulou at that time.
In
the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a book called "Zhangpu
County Chronicle", which clearly pointed out: "The placement of the
earthen fort is mostly due to the misery of the people who spared thieves and
Japanese pirates in the next season. To prevent thieves from harming their
ears.” (RX, Chen 1968) Tulou was not built by accident, but an inevitable product
to prevent the invasion of enemies and bandits.
During
the Qing Dynasty, donations from overseas Chinese and big business families led
to the appearance of many tulou. Up to now, there are still 260 tulou in the
moderate town of Longyan, which is also the place with the most dense tulou in
Fujian Province. The group of tulou stands there, very spectacular.
Huaiyuan
Building was built between 1905 and 1909, during the reign of Emperor Guangxu
of the Qing Dynasty, and was built by overseas Chinese with huge sums of money.
It is a double-ring circular building, the big ring is used for living, and the
small ring is called "Shi Shi Room". It is used as a school, to
worship ancestors, or to hold major events.
Features of Tuluo:
Tulou
is generally bu:ilt for a very long period of time, ranging from two or three
years to decades, or even several generations of craftsmen. The raw materials
used in the construction of tulou are also very particular, and the use of wood
requires a size of 300-500 cubic meters. The structure of the floor wall is
also very unique. The bottom of the wall is 1.2 meters thick. When it extends
upwards, it slopes slightly inward, showing a trapezoidal shape. This structure
has an extremely strong centripetal force, forming a shape that is thicker at
the bottom and narrower at the top. Under the test of time and the washing of
different degrees of floods, earthquakes and strong winds, it stands firm and
stands firm. No one does not marvel at the wisdom and will of our ancestors.
Another
feature of the tulou is that its structure is very strict and standardized, and
the size of each room is uniform. Most of the tulou have only one entrance and
exit, and there is a patio inside the building that can store food. It can be
seen that the whole structure of the tulou is very strict, and it also plays a
very good role in preventing theft. Because the wall of the tulou is tall and
thick, it can be insulated from heat and cool in summer, and it can prevent
moisture and keep warm in winter.
Structure of the layouts of Tuluo:
Huaiyuan
Building faces south, covers an area of 1384.7 square meters and is 14.5 meters
high.
Walking into Huaiyuan Building, you will be greeted by a gate. The door frame is made of lime powder. There are two blue triangle patterns in the door frame. On the top is a gossip talisman composed of goose soft stones of colorful colors, which is used to ward off evil spirits in the house. Below the gossip is the name of our earth building: Huaiyuan Building. On both sides of the gate, the four characters of "Fu", "Lu, "Shou" and "Quan" written in seal script in turn, revealing the residents' yearning for a better life.
© 2010 Xiamen Tourism Net
The walls of Huaiyuan Building are made of three-height soil and soft stone. The black tile roof of the eaves is designed with eaves two or three meters long, in order to protect the wall from the rain. Due to the unique construction materials and technology of Huaiyuan Building, the exterior walls are still very smooth. Because of the tall wall with black tile roof like a big umbrella, it gives a sense of sacredness and inviolability. It is embedded by the superposition of layers of pebbles and irregular stone flakes, as if it is a magic brush of nature, and it is one with nature. The small windows on the wall are small and delicate, like the eyes of Huaiyuan Building, to appreciate the changes and warmth with the passage of time. There are 4 observation decks on the height of the outer wall, and there are multiple shooting ports on the observation deck. The best position to use to defend against invasion and shoot enemies.
© 2010 Xiamen Tourism Net
There is only one door in Huaiyuan Building. On both sides of the entrance are stone husks for pounding rice, one is silver and the other is gold. What attracts me the most is the drainage method of Huaiyuan Building. There are a total of three water channels from the middle of the building to the gate. There is a tank next to each channel. The sewage discharged from the building reaches the water tank for sedimentation, so that the Huaiyuan Building has never experienced sewage deposition. Several turtles are stocked in the waterway, and the silt and obstructions in the ditch are cleared by the crawling of the turtles. To achieve the effect of smooth drainage.
Walking
into Huaiyuan Building, you will be greeted by a gate. Above the gate is a
gossip drawn by hand. Below the gossip is the name of our earth building:
Huaiyuan Building. On both sides of the gate, the four characters of
"Fu", "Lu, "Shou" and "Quan" are posted in
turn, revealing the good wishes of ancestors to future generations.
When
you walk into the gate, you can see the "Shi Li Ting" in the inner
ring building. The courtyards on both sides of the passage from the gate to the
"Shi Li Ting" are separated by brick walls. There are two side doors
of "Baotian" and "Yushu" on both sides of the corridor. The
Poetry Court is built of bricks and wood, and has three rooms as large as a
beam-lifting Wufeng Tower. The gate reads "Poetry Court", with
couplets on both sides: "Poetry and books teach the son Yi Mouyuan, and the
family heirs Yanqing Chang. "
Passing
through the small courtyard, it is the "Shi Shi Room" standing at the
core of the courtyard. Its horizontal plaque hangs quietly on the hall but
cannot hide its vigorous and powerful handwriting, which reminds me of Liu
Yuxi's "Inscription of the Shabby Room". His longing for the pursuit
of life. There are two pillars next to it, and a pair of couplets is attached
to the pillars. The first couplet reads: "Sitang Yu opened the eyes and
ears of the book for Youguan Jiji Dunshu." It is a place for children and
grandchildren to study, a place to worship ancestors, and a place for clansmen
to organize grand events.
Walking
out of the ancestral hall, looking around, there are wooden stairs to go up.
Each floor is circular in shape, and the corridors are all connected. The
lighting conditions are particularly good. Walking into the third floor, you
can see that each room is equipped with a bed and a small square window.
Although it looks a little small, it is neatly organized and feels very comfortable.
Standing on the corridor on the third floor and looking up at the sky, you can
see that the roof is in a beautiful arc, blending with the blue sky and the
mountains.
In-depth meanings of Tuluo:
The meaning of the name "Huaiyuan Building" is not only that the owner is from a place with the word "Huai" in Henan, it is mainly to express the yearning for relatives, and to warn the descendants to have a strong will and lofty aspirations.
Browsing the Huaiyuan Building, from the architectural style of the exterior and the construction materials, it all reflects the hardships and wisdom of the ancestors. Tulou symbolizes the crystallization of the wisdom of ancestors. From some couplets in Huaiyuan Building, you can not only feel the strong cultural heritage, but also feel the good wishes of our ancestors to our descendants. We are warned to respect nature, protect nature, study hard, and live hard, so that we can have a peaceful and happy living environment. At the same time, it also tells us to treat people with courtesy, honor elders and so on. These all reveal the ardent expectations of my grandparents and the long-cherished wish of a young man to become self-improvement. From the curved eaves, you can see not only the blue sky and white clouds, but also the distant mountains. The entire tulou is facing north and south.
Qiang New Year Festival:
China has rich and
diverse intangible cultural heritage, as the country participates actively in
international events and its contributions to safeguard of the intangible
cultural heritage of humanity. One of the intangible heritage which inspires me
to verify and research is Qiang New Year festival in 2009.
Qiang New Year
Festival is held on the first day of the tenth lunar month, which is an
occasion for Qiang people of China’s Sichuan Province to worship prosperity,
reclaim harmony and respectful relationship with nature, promote social and
family harmony. During the celebration, goats are sacrificed in the ritual to
the mountain, in which the ritual is performed under a shibi (priest). At the
end of the day the heads of families control over family worship during which
sacrifices and offerings are made. Participation in the festival has declined
in Qiang heritage due to the impact of outside cultures and migration, however
2008 Sichuan earthquake destroyed many Qiang villages which put the New Year
Festival at high risk.
Ever since the
catastrophe took place in 2008, Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Centre
(CHP) launched a project to help a Qiang village named A’er to preserve its
intangible cultural heritage, as the people who wanted to save their cultural
heritage despite the damage had done with the population and destroyed
monuments. A booklet ‘The A’er Archive’ then produced with explicitly
maintained copyright as this contains A’er village record.
According to the
research, Qiang people is the oldest ethnic group in southwest China. Qiang
people developed their rich culture into folk art. Qiang people believe in
polytheism. Polytheism defines belief in or worship of more than one God. As a
form of folk art, Qiang people’s paper cutting plays an important role in the
development of religion and culture in order for them to adapt to the realistic
world, which is one of the characteristics I may point out. Paper-cutting is a
hand-made skill which is commonly seen widely in Asian countries such as
Malaysia, Singapore. There are two methods during paper cut: scissor cuttings
and knife cuttings. Qiang-style-paper-cutting provides unique aesthetic taste
and spiritual pursuits and reflects their life, emotions and ideals. Not just
serving religious purposes, they’re used as decorations for deity niches and
sacrificial ceremonies such as “Mountain Sacrifice Ceremony” and “Qiang New
Year”.
Dragon Boat Festival:
1) Kalaiyarasie a/p pandian
2) Liu YingYing
3) Ng Yean Ting
4) Seow Yi Xuan
5) Thirka Thrisnee a/p raja
References:
Zeng, W. Y. (2011). A Study on the Origin and History of Tulou.
Li, W. X., Zhang, J. C. (2018). Tencent Damin.com.
https://fj.qq.com/a/20180819/025469_all.htm
Sohu News (2019). Why
are Hakka people called Hakka? Where do they come from?
https://www.sohu.com/a/352578752_118889
Chen, R. X. (1968). Zhangpu County Chronicle
Luo, X. F. (2012).
China & the World Cultural Exchange, Beijing.
https://www.proquest.com/openview/ff4edb92c8c4070e8c555044b90241e3/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1316363
Wang, Y. X,
Lyndel, V. P. (2015). cultural revitalisation after catastrophe: the Qiang
culture in A’er
https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2015.1074933
Unesco Intangible heritage. (2013). Qiang
New Year Festival.
https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/qiang-new-year-festival-00305
China Highlight. (2022).
https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/dragon-boat-festival.htm
I find Chinese architecture interesting as it reflects many of the Chinese dynasty that ever existed in China. It is so weird to see a circular building like Tuluo exist since Ming Dynasty but overall very unique to see this building stand against the Wokou Pirates. It felt like I'm reading an article about Tuluo instead of China.
ReplyDeleteoverall nice article
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