Home is a place that many migrant workers can only reach in their dreams. Home is not just a building, but a small place where you can see the warmth and coldness. In ancient times, a house was just a cave, but now people pay more attention to the structure of the house. So, do you want to know about the architectural characteristics of Dongxiang people?
Hired labor
The Dongxiang people call their homes Siheyuan, which means Siheyuan. Most of the houses in the village are built on the hills. There is a wall more than ten feet high outside the house. Inside is an open space. Some houses are built on four sides, some are built on three sides, some double-sided houses are folded horizontally to the west during the Southern Dynasty, facing the sun, and some houses are built in only one row, most of which are double-sided houses with civil structures. With the exception of doors, windows and purlin rafters, these buildings were constructed of clay.
When the Dongxiang people build their houses, they generally do not pay attention to Feng Shui. But due to the influence of the Han people, the beams were wrapped in red cloth when the tree was erected. When building a house or building a house, in addition to a few carpenters, neighbors, relatives and friends of the family will help build walls and build the house. Then when building the house and the beams, the housewives took out red cloth, gold and silver jewelry and other things, wrapped them on the beams, and tied them with bundles of loose linen. I didn't understand it for a long time after that, so I let go.
The guest's upper room usually faces south and has three rooms, about eight or nine feet long, one light and two dark. The facilities in the upstairs room are better than those in other rooms. This is housing for seniors, often occupied by grandparents. For those who come from wealthy families, if their elders pass away, they usually clean the house and receive distinguished guests.
Except for the old man who lives in the upper room, other family members all live under the name "Qiao". This "Qiao" is simpler than the previous one, with mostly two rooms. If there is a large population, "Qiao" will use mud kangs to separate single rooms. Dongxiang is a mountainous area in northwest China. Kang is hot all year round. Yao Kang Cave is located outside the house. The fuel is mainly the dung of cattle, sheep and donkeys. Some of them also use clean grass clippings and dead leaves as fuel for the kang.
It is located in the corner where the upper room of the kitchen connects to Jorge, separate from the house. In addition to cooking, the kitchen is often used as a bathroom. Cattle and sheep pens and toilets are mostly built in the corners of the entrance. Some are placed in small stone gardens enclosed by low sheep walls, far away from the bedrooms where people live daily. The toilet is at the back of the house. Three walls form an open pit, which is then covered with clay. Some people build another hut to serve as a toilet.
The Dongxiang people now mainly live in mud houses and tile-roofed houses. In recent years, many buildings have been built in Dongxiang area. Few people now live in the original caves. They are mainly used in livestock pens, feed sheds, water houses, potato pits or farm implement storage.
The layout of tile houses and earth houses is the same. They are all one house and one yard. Double wooden doors are set on the east or west side. The door is inlaid with copper rings and other metal ornaments. The main room faces south. The east and west wings contain furnished rooms. There are also corners built on both sides of the main house. The kitchen is located in the northeast corner. The house in the north is the main house, which is locally called the upper house or the big house. The building is stately, with its foundations elevated above the courtyard and other houses. The roof has ridges and tiles. The facade is made of brick and wood. The corridors are wide and the eaves are beautifully carved. The main house has one door, two windows and three rooms, that is, the door is in the middle and the windows are on both sides of the door.
The red boxes and picture cabinets in the room are dazzling, and Arabic couplets are hung on the walls. There is always a "soup bottle" on the steps under the eaves, where you can wash your hands and face at any time, which is economical and clean. The houses on the east and west are for the younger generations, and the house on the south is for livestock and feed. Dongxiang people believe that all aspects of the family are balanced, financial resources are strong, children and grandchildren are prosperous, and the family is prosperous. The kitchen is self-contained, with a stove and large plates, making it easy to cook mainly pasta.
Mosque
There are two religious buildings in Dongxiang: the mosque and Gongbei. Mosques are usually built in densely populated towns or villages, or among villagers' houses. Building mosques in densely populated areas is not only beneficial to nearby religious activities. It is also conducive to regular observation and evokes sacred religious feelings. At the same time, it shows that the mosque is the center of people's social life. The layout of a mosque is generally "three halls in one", that is, there is a prayer hall in the middle, and a water hall and a prayer hall on both sides.
Among them, the church has a higher foundation and needs to be strengthened. Opposite the gate, there is a minaret reaching into the sky, calling people to come and worship.
The hall has two types of exterior architecture. One is a garden vault. A small spire rises from the vault of the garden, with a crescent moon above it, and a high, stately central dome with a crescent moon. The garden vault gives a solemn feeling, while the crescent moon with a small spire gives a rising momentum.
The other is the traditional Chinese palace architecture, which shows the majesty of combining religion and politics. The interior of the hall is simple and plain, without sculptures or paintings. It symbolizes Islam's religion of not worshiping idols but only worshiping God. In order to facilitate worshiping the west, the main hall is arranged from west to east.
Gongbei
Gongbei is the mausoleum built by the old Dongxiang sect for its leader. It is also the place where the leaders of various sects preach. More than ten generations of leaders are buried in Zhang's official residence in Gongbei. The tombs are rectangular brick arches, two feet wide and four feet long. The lower part is round, and the back of the tomb is full of bitterness and humility. The cigarette smoke in Gongbei is slow, solemn and mysterious.
There are also some archways built in high mountains and deep valleys, most of which are pavilions with several bungalows. These places are believed to be places where people "lyed" and displayed "karat tables".
Gongbei is the building name of the mausoleum of Islamic sages in China. Arabic transliteration, the original meaning is an arched building or domed tomb pavilion. Central Asia, Persia and China's Xinjiang are called Magyars, which means saints and tombs of saints. Initially, Islamic architecture was very popular in Arabia, Persia, and Central Asia. The latter refers to the dome-shaped building called Gombe that the Sufis built on the tombs of their chiefs, sons and saints for people to pay their respects.