Local-Style Dwellings House of Wa Ethnic Groups in Yunnan

Bai Yan

Yunnan Ethnic Culture Audio amp; Video Publishing House

February 2020

138.00 （CNY）

Wa people are mainly concentrated on the southwestern border of Yunnan province in China. They live in the Awa mountain area of the southern part of the Nujiang River Mountains， east of the Nujiang River and west of the Lancang River. They also live in the Shan State of northern Myanmar. In addition， there are some Wa people in Thailand， Laos， and other Southeast Asian countries. According to the Sixth Population Census in 2021， the total population of Wa people in China is more than 390，000.

There are many explanations for the self-proclaimed name of the Wa people. One is “the man who grows upland rice on the mountain，” and the other is “the man who lives in a house with wooden doors.” It was recorded in the rock paintings of Cangyuan in the Neolithic Age more than 3，000 years ago. Generally speaking， the interior space of Wa dwellings is divided into three different areas. One is the master’s area，" a Chinese fireplace with seats where people can rest. Another one is the guest’s area， with a Chinese fireplace. The last one is the so-called ghost or dead people’s room， where people do not light a fire. If someone passes away， his body will be put there and then buried. There is a strict distinction between the doors of the dead and the doors of the living.

There are three most sacred things in the Wa family. The first is the Chinese fireplace， and the second is the triangular iron frame used to support cooking pots in the fireplace. The last is “Kangba，” a wooden frame of one square meter hung above the fireplace and paved with bamboo fences. It is mainly used for drying grain and other food.

Wengding village in Cangyuan Wa autonomous county， Yunnan province， is a Wa village with a history of more than 400 years. There are more than 100 households in this village. “Wengding” has the meaning of cloud-covering and mist-shrouding. Located in the valley and surrounded by mountains， the Wengding village has had little contact with the outside world since ancient times. At present， it is the most well-preserved original Wa village in China. The traditional stilt-style architecture of the Wa people has been protected to the greatest extent here.

The Wa dwellings in Wengding village are not like those of some ethnic groups， which divide houses into child-mother houses and public houses. However， the younger generation separated from the family tends to build new dwellings smaller than their parents’ houses. And the small-sized wooden palm buildings in Wengding village are derived from here.

The low-hanging circular arc roofs and eaves with thick thatch play a good role in keeping warm in winter and cool in summer. This enables the Wa people， who have lived in mountain areas for generations， to spend their winter and summer safely. Thus， we not only appreciate the old Wengding village， but also comprehend the wisdom of the architectural design of the ethnic dwellings in the high chilly mountainous areas.

As one of the representations of national material culture， national residential buildings fully reflect the local people’s living customs. The overall tribal scale， structure， and composition of Wengding village， as well as the independent form of architecture in the tribe， can profoundly reflect the rich connotation of Wa culture and show the creativity and wisdom of the Wa people.

The whole Wengding village is built in conformity with the terrain， and its layout is well arranged. The religious activity sites， such as the sacred forests and the place for slaughtering cattle， are all set based on the primitive religious beliefs of the Wa people. Other buildings， such as the village gate， the village heart， the housing， the barn， and the wooden drum room， are arranged clearly and orderly. These two components constitute the simple， primitive， and mysterious living environment of Wengding village.

The Wa people live on the mountainside. Above them are their forests and water sources， and below them are some fields. They live in the middle. They often plant a lot of bamboo in the areas because bamboos play a vital role in their buildings and daily life. The sacred forest above the Wa village is the holiest， inviolable place. Cutting down trees， hunting， grazing， and unauthorized use of trees and grass in the sacred forest is strictly prohibited.

The worship culture of the sacred forest originated from the Wa people’s worship of nature. The Creative Myth Si Gang Li has described that the Wa people came from Sigang （cliff cave） and didn’t know where to live. Mowei said to Yanwa， “Where there are big banyan trees， where you can live.” Therefore， the Wa people regard the big banyan tree as the holy tree where the gods live.

In the evolutionary process of the Wa culture， the Wa people teach their children the traditional national culture and convey moral concepts and national emotions to the younger generations around their houses. At the same time， the education of production and life knowledge and the dissemination of labor skills are also being carried out there.

Weng Ding village in the local-style Wa dwellings was listed as “the last primitive tribe in China” by National Geographic magazine in 2006. It has a history of 400 years. Now， it has been completely burned down.

The Wa dwelling shows traces of ancient people’s nest houses. It is also the “l(fā)iving fossil” of residential buildings and reflects the rich cultural connotation of the Wa people. It shows the unique cultural psychology structure of the Wa people in varying degrees， including religious beliefs， philosophical ideas， aesthetic pursuit， reproductive worship， etc.

To build a house， firstly， we need to check the owner’s date of birth and the eight characters of a horoscope to see whether it is suitable to build the house this year. He should avoid the day of his ancestors’ or parents’ death. Then he must ask the villagers to cut trees and prepare building materials. Furthermore， it is said that dwellings should be built in one day.

The Wa dwellings are objective and specific objects. The partial link extended by them， and the building communities formed by them are the medium for inheriting the Wa culture. It is this medium that inherits the excellent culture and great national spirit of the Wa people.

Nowadays， with its unique form of representation and profound concept of culture， modern Wa dwellings have significantly contributed to the development of Wa culture.