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Documenting Heritage at Risk: Vernacular Farm Houses in the Eastern

Tibetan Cultural Region

Article  in  Built Heritage · November 2018

DOI: 10.1186/BF03545712

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Documenting Heritage at Risk: Vernacular Farm Houses in the Eastern
Tibetan Cultural Region

Peter Herrle*, and Anna Wozniak

Habitat Unit, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
* Corresponding author: [email protected]

ABSTRACT Tibetan architecture is largely associated with the impressive monastic buildings scattered over the
Tibetan Plateau and the adjoining mountain ranges. While these buildings have long attracted the interest from
travellers and researches, the rural vernacular architecture has been grossly neglected. Accounting for more than 90
percent of the cultural heritage vernacular farmhouses incorporate an immeasurable wealth of traditional knowl-
edge and local craftsmanship that is increasingly threatened by the impacts of modernisation. The article draws
on a research project on vernacular architecture in the Tibetan cultural region and presents four examples of rural
houses in former Kham, that is nowadays spread across Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan provinces and the Xizang (Tibet)
Autonomous Region. The examples show a surprising diversity in terms of style, size, layout, building materials and
structural systems that are perfectly adapted to local climatic and topographic conditions as well as the resources
available in a particular environment. As examples for this diversity the article presents a rammed earth building
in Chatreng, a house in stone masonry from Dabpa, a house in Pome built with timber log walls, and a house from
Gyalrong with a mixed stone/timber construction. The richness of vernacular farmhouse architecture in Kham de-
serves special recognition and support on various levels.

KEYWORDS Tibetan culture, vernacular architecture, farmhouse, diversity, cultural heritage, preservation, Kham

Received July 9, 2018; accepted September 17, 2018.

Introduction and forts and on the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region.

From the early 20th century European visitors, only a few
This article presents four examples taken from a five-year
such as Tafel (1914), Heim (1933) and Imhof (1974) were
research project at the TU Berlin on vernacular farmhous-
fascinated by the uniqueness of vernacular houses in
es in the Himalayan region, the Tibetan Plateau and the
Kham. Only in the late 1990s Ryser published his semi-
mountain ranges forming its borders to the east. The focus
nal book on Tibetan farm houses in Sichuan (Ryser 1999)
of this project was on documenting a species that—except
that illustrates the immense variety in styles and ecological
from few remote areas—is risking extinction. The gener-
backgrounds. The relevant chapters in Paul Oliver’s Ency-
ous support by the German Research Foundation (DFG) clopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World from 1997
allowed for extensive field work1 and desk analysis. tend to be incomplete and are currently under revision
In the context of our research the traditional region of (Oliver 1997)2. Only in recent years Himalayan vernacu-
Kham turned out to be one of the most fascinating parts lar architecture has gained a broader attention by scholars
of the vast area covered by the project, because of its rich (Zurick and Pacheco 2006; Handa 2009).
diversity in terms of geographic and climate conditions as The following article tries to demonstrate the cultural
well as its cultural features. As a result, the valleys of Kham richness of this area by presenting four examples of ver-
display a surprising diversity of architectural styles and nacular farmhouses. There is no claim to contribute to the
traditional construction techniques that are hardly known discussion about necessary action nor to the general de-
to the outside world. Much of the previous research on Ti- bates on vernacular or the anthropological aspects. While
betan architecture has concentrated on monastic buildings these facets of research on vernacular are undoubtedly

86 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 Figure 1 Map of Eastern Tibetan
region showing the locations of
the presented houses. (Source:
the authors, background bap ap-
proved by National Bureau of Sur-
veying and Mapping Geographic
Information, map approval code:
1 GS[2018]4876).

highly important, we gave priority to the physical rather 1. The extensive use of rammed earth for the outer walls
than covering all aspects in a sweeping and superficial way. with an interior timber structure separated from the
No architects have been involved in building and their enveloping walls is a typical arrangement that domi-
builders remained unknown. These buildings have been nates a fairly large area stretching from the Chatreng
built by local craftsmen using local resources. A rich body valley into neighbouring valleys and parts of Yunnan.
of knowledge about materials, techniques and ecological 2. Another ‘type’ of buildings represented by our example
efficiency was handed down from generation to genera- from Dabpa is built of natural stone with an interior
tion despite the political turmoil that characterised this timber structure similar to the houses of Chatreng.
area over hundreds of years. Even today many of these This type shows both the intensive use of timber (that
buildings fit into the local surroundings ‘instead of trying was abundant in this area in the past) and local granitic
to “con quer” nature as we do’ as Bernard Rudofsky (1965), stone for the outer shell. A specific characteristic of the
one of the first to recognise the beauty and sustainability Dabpa region is the skilfully crafted unplastered pat-
of vernacular architecture, noted more than 50 years ago. tern of the masonry created with various sizes of stone.
We follow his definition of the term ‘vernacular’ as put 3. Our third example located in Pome demonstrates a
forward in the preface to his classical book on Architec- building tradition dominated by the use of timber.
ture Without Architects, which ‘attempts to break down Houses of this type are entirely built with wood and
our narrow concepts of the art of building by introducing have timber log walls with structural details known
the unfamiliar world of nonpedigreed architecture. It is from other mountain forest areas in the world. They
so little known that we don’t even have a name for it. For prevail in the forested valleys of the southern fringes
want of a generic label we call it vernacular, anonymous, towards the Indian plains.
spontaneous, indigenous, rural, as the case may be.’ (Ru- 4. Our fourth example located in Gyalrong stands for a
dofsky 1965) load-bearing stone construction with no posts and only
From the sample houses of the above mentioned re- minor timber elements. Given the steep slopes, this
search project we chose four examples located in former area is characterised by the vertical rise of the house
Kham (Herrle and Wozniack 2017) (Figure 1). The selec- structure.
tion is based on the use of particular local building mate- The ‘types’ mentioned above show an impressive di-
rials and structural criteria only. The underlying assump- versity in terms of size and orientation. The areas where
tion is that building materials and structural systems of those types prevail do not have strict boundaries and tend
houses mirror local characteristics such as climate and to overlap.
the availability of resources and can be an indicator even It may be worth mentioning that, following the focus
for certain local cultural traditions. The four chosen types of our research project providing the material for our
present the following characteristics : examples, there is a limitation on areas with a Buddhist

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 87

tradition. Among other aspects, this has a significant fragmentation rooted in history and geography is mir-
impact on the layout of floors (each house has a separate rored in the contemporary cultural landscape and the
richly decorated sacred room), certain structural details existence of several Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures and
(such as the special lintel construction) and shows certain Tibetan Autonomous Counties.
decorative elements (particularly around the windows) Unlike other geographic parts greater of the Himala-
that, although varying in shape and colour, express a sense yan region or the Tibetan Plateau, climatic conditions in
of belonging to greater cultural-religious group. These and Kham cannot be generalised. Cum grano salis one can say
other elements such as prayer flags, chorten and shrines that in most parts of Kham the climate is comparatively
for the spirits are expressions of a cultural background mild when compared to Central Tibetan Plateau. Humid
shared by the inhabitants of the four houses shown below monsoon winds sweep through the river gorges of south-
as examples. ern Kham reaching places such as Chatreng, Gyalrong and
even Dabpa. Even areas with an altitude higher than 3,000
Diversity in Kham m such as Pome enjoy temperatures well above the freez-
ing point throughout the year and allow for rainwater-
As a political or administrative unit, Kham is no longer
based agriculture.
existing. From the 13 th until the 19 th century Tibetan
Given the diverse geographic, climatic and ethnic pat-
sources have mentioned Kham together with Amdo as
terns, no standard settlement pattern can be identified in
Dokham, a term denoting the region beyond the central
this region. In most villages houses are spread or loosely
provinces of Ü and Tsang. Historically, Kham included
clustered amidst the cultivated land. Dense settlements
areas around the headwaters of the rivers Yangtze (tib. Dri
around monasteries accommodating traders, craftsmen
Chu), Mekong (tib. Dza Chu), Salween (tib. Gyalmo Ngul
and other lay people are a rather an exception.
Chu) and the Yellow River (tib. Ma Chu). Nowadays it is
As an outstanding landmark the rural settlements in
spread among the Chinese provinces of Yunnan, Qinghai,
eastern Kham (e.g. in Minya and Gyalrong) show star- or
Sichuan and the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region. The
cross-shaped stone towers. They are either directly con-
area includes contrasting topographic features ranging
nected to the individual house or rise separately in the cul-
from the rugged terrain with deep gorges cut into soar-
tivated land surrounding the houses. Most of them have
ing mountain ranges (culminating at 7,782-metre altitude
been dated from 10th to the 13th century. It is assumed that
with the Namche Barwa) in the south to the gently rolling
they served protective purposes during times of frequent
grasslands in the northwest.
invasions and battles between local chiefdoms.
In addition, geographical and climatic conditions
differ from valley to valley and so do traditions, build-
ing styles and materials. In the words of Rolf Alfred Stein Example 1: Farmhouse in Chatreng
(1972, 22), renowned early Tibetologist, ‘… there can be The cultural region of Chatreng is located at the fringe
no generalizing. The lie of the valley and the folds of the of the Tibetan Plateau in the south of the Hengduan
mountain ranges, as well as the particular latitude and al- Mountain System in the far south-west of Sichuan Prov-
titude of a place, give rise to a host of micro-climates with ince near the border to Yunnan Province. The cultural
a vast diversity of local conditions. “Every ten li (i.e. every region is largely consistent with the present day admin-
three miles) heaven is different”, according to the maxim istrative region of Xiangcheng County. Chatreng is situ-
reported by an 18th-century traveller.’3 In the easternmost ated at an altitude of 2,800 to 3,500 m with the mountain
parts of Kham, the people of Gyalrong have maintained ranges dropping towards the south. Due to the decrease of
their identity and traditions including their own language. altitude the climate here is relatively mild and the region
The diversity typical for the whole of Kham appears most receives a lot more rainfall than the plateau resulting in
pronounced in Gyalrong where the design of houses, the an increased vegetation coverage that even includes some
elaboration of details and decoration vary from one village evergreen oak forests. The annual average temperature
to another even at short distances. is around 10°C, while the annual average precipitation is
Geographic fragmentation is considered the main close to 500 mm.
reason why following the fall of the Central Tibetan Yar- The region is characterised by white farmhouses scat-
lung Dynasty in the mid 9th century Kham was subject to tered within a green landscape. The whitewashed rammed
countless rivalries between small kingdoms, chiefdoms earth houses of the villages form a strong contrast to the
and tribal territories over the centuries. Even today the surrounding green fields and vegetated mountain slopes.

88 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 2

Figure 2 Village in the region of

Chatreng (Source: the authors).
Figure 3 View of farmhouse in
Chatreng from the south-east
3 (Source: the author).

White, monolithic, cube-like farmhouses are the specific The example presented here, is typical for a building
architectural characteristic of Chatreng. The external walls style and method practiced in the past decades. Inhabited
of the rammed earth buildings are built directly on site by three generations it was estimated by its residents to be
using the local loam. They are constructed by tamping about 90 years old. The house presents several architec-
a soil mixture inside a wooden formwork. The tamping tural features that are no longer common for newly built
was traditionally done by hand using long wooden ram- houses (Figure 3).
mers with various ends, designed for different purposes. This house is situated at an altitude of 3,370 m in the
Though the walls are built entirely with loam they do not village of Seragung, that lies on the terraced and cultivated
feature a frieze or any element designed to protect their riverbank of the Schu River (Shuoyi He) at the northern
tops from the intrusion of rainwater. This uncommon outskirt of the region’s main town, now named Xiangbala.
feature hints at a specific material property of the locally The settlement of Seragung has a nucleus with narrow
available clay (Figure 2). footpaths winding through the dense cluster of houses

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 89

 4

Figure 4 Site plan of the house in

Chatreng (Source: the authors).
Figure 5 Isometric view of farm-
house in Chatreng from the south-
5 east (Source: the authors).

surrounded by walled-in yards. In 2012 the village con- Following the region’s most common and widespread
sisted of about 45 houses. The village features an old 20 construction method the main shell of the building con-
m high rammed earth tower in its midst which obviously sists of rammed earth walls, covered with a flat earth
once served defensive purposes. Similar towers are fre- roof. The battered rammed earth walls have a thickness
quently found in other villages of the Chatreng valley. The of 80 cm at their base and recline to about 50 cm at the
villagers cultivate barley and wheat on the fields outside top. The house is comparatively large with a gross floor
of the village, keep pigs in their yards and herd goats in area of 465 m2. The building is three levels high, with one
the nearby mountains. Some families grow vegetables for room exceeding the overall height, due to varying ceiling
subsistence within their yards. Seasonal cash income of heights. A large part of the third level is made up of an
significant economic importance is generated by the col- open terrace. Parts of the terrace and roof are sealed with
lection of caterpillar fungus and the Matsutake mushroom Arga, a special mineral that is well-known over the entire
that is exported mostly to Japan, where it is prized as a Himalaya for its capacity to improve the water resistance
delicacy (Figure 4–7). of an earth roof. The massive walls have a few irregular

90 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 0 1 2 4m
6

Figure 6 East elevation of farm-

house in Chatreng (Source: the
authors).
Figure 7 Section through sacred
0 1 2 4m room of farmhouse in Chatreng
7 (Source: the authors).

openings that are adorned with delicate, handmaid timber on the first floor, located in the north-eastern corner,
grid windows. The delicate timber grid windows feature serves as sleeping room for several family members and
complex patterns composed of many fine elements, and for storing personal belongings and textiles, such as blan-
their craftsmanship demonstrate the high level of tradi- kets and cloths. This room has a small window towards
tional carpentry feature in this region. The interior post the east and is additionally ventilated by a traditional
and lintel structure is laid out in a regular grid, with the timber skylight. The most outstanding room on this floor
dimensions of 2.80 m x 2.80 m, filling the entire space en- and the entire house is the spacious sacred room with four
closed by the earth walls. Surprisingly, the main beams of interior posts and an increased ceiling height. The room is
the timber structure are not connected to the walls. The richly painted and decorated. All the rooms are connected
interior space is arranged and divided by light timber par- to a central hall that holds the two flights of steep timber
tition walls set within the post grid (Figure 8–11). stairs that provide access to all three floors. The terrace
The ground floor space of the house is mostly undivid- is used for food processing, drying and storing harvested
ed and is typically used a stable and for storage, whereas crops and (nowadays less frequently) for ceremonial pur-
the first floor serves as the family’s main living space hold- poses. Over time two additional sleeping rooms were
ing a multitude of rooms of different sizes, each designed constructed under the roofed part of the terrace. The roof
for a different purpose. The entire first floor has a wooden holds several elements that the family regards as protec-
flooring laid out with thick timber planks. The family’s tors keeping negative influences off the house, such as an
kitchen and main living room is oriented toward the east offering stove that is used for burning incense, prayer flags
and has three significant window openings. A low tradi- and white stones set on each corner. Other elements ap-
tional earthen stove, ventilated by an in-built chimney in plied for protective purposes are the white stripes on the
the wall, is used for cooking and heating. The largest room outer walls that are distinctive for the region’s building

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 91

 1.5

1.4
0.3

0.4 1.7

1.3

0.2 0.1 1.2

1.1 1.8

0.5

0 1 2 4m 8 0 1 2 4m 9

0.1 Cow and horse stable 0.5 Storage for tools and metal 1.1 Kitchen and living room 1.5 Former tower entrance
0.2 Storage for dried leaves equipment 1.2 Sleeping room 1.6 Central hall connecting all levels
0.3 Storage for dried grass 1.3 Storage 1.7 Toilet and washing area
0.4 Toilet composting chamber 1.4 Sacred room 1.8 Sleeping room

Figure 8 Ground floor plan of farmhouse in Chatreng (Source: the authors). Figure 9 First floor plan of farmhouse in Chatreng (Source: the authors).

3.1
2.3

2.1

2.2
2.4

0 1 2 4m 10 0 1 2 4m 11

2.1 Terrace. 2.3 Sleeping room. 3.1 Sleeping room for monks.
2.2 Wind door. Area for beating grain. 2.4 Sleeping room.

Figure 10 Second floor plan of farmhouse in Chatreng (Source: the authors). Figure 11 Third floor plan of farmhouse in Chatreng (Source: the authors).

92 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 12
Figure 12 Details of the window of farmhouse in Chatreng (Source: the authors).

13
Figure 13 Interior of central hall of farmhouse in Chatreng (Source: the author).

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 93

 14

Figure 15 View of the house from

the south (Source: the author).
Figure 14 Sumdu Village in the
region of Dabpa (Source: the
15 author).

style of the past. The irregular stripes are applied by pour- sacred mountain peaks of Chenrezig (6,032 m), Chana
ing buckets of liquid chalk from the roof parapet (Figure Dorje and Jampelyang, (both around 5,958 m), before
12, Figure 13). moving into the lower altitude regions of Chatreng and
Dechen in the southwest and Mili in the southeast that
are each characterised by their own unique styles of local
Example 2: Farmhouse in Dabpa houses. Whereas the high-altitude meadows of Litang were
The region of Dabpa spreads south of the grasslands of traditionally inhabited mostly by nomadic pastoral commu-
Litang across a high-altitude region with an average eleva- nities, the region of Dabpa, progressively dropping in eleva-
tion exceeding 4,000 m towards the provincial border of tion towards the south, has an increasing farming popula-
Sichuan and Yunnan. The cultural region is largely consist- tion with a distinctive local style of houses (Figure 14).
ent with the present day administrative region of Daocheng This high-altitude region is characterised by distinc-
County. The region is flanked in the south by the three tive microclimatic conditions. Influenced by the western

94 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 Figure 16 Site plan of farmhouse
16 in Dabpa (Source: the author).

monsoon from the Sichuan Basin it receives an increased purposes while the exterior wythe is treated mostly for its
precipitation resulting in a climate that can be described appearance. The stones used on the exterior are roughly
as humid and cold. The annual average precipitation is 646 squared and laid in irregular curses whose height is de-
mm while the annual average temperature is as low as 4.8 termined by larger riser stones while their beddings are
°C4. Despite the high altitude and low temperatures the filled with small chip stones. Large trapezoid capstones
region has a considerable coverage of coniferous forest, are laid with very thin or no gaps in the corners. Remain-
with a tree line reaching as high as 4,400 m, due to the in- ing unplastered and uncoloured, which is common prac-
creased precipitation. tice in many other regions building with stone, the pat-
The availability of timber is reflected in the sturdy post tern remains visible representing a strong architectural
and lintel structure in the houses. Another important re- feature (Figure 15–17).
source for the construction of the local houses is stone. The example presented here follows the traditional
Locally available igneous and metamorphic types of rock local building style. It is located at an altitude of 3,950 m
are used for the construction of buildings elements. A in the village of Sumdu. Though not more than 20 years
specific local kind of slate, that can be spilt into very thin old, the building displays the same typical architectural
cleavage planes is used for roof covering and other build- elements and construction methods as an approximately
ing elements that are designed to lead rainwater away 180 years old building we surveyed in the same village.
from the building. The construction of gabled roofs cov- The settlement of Sumdu is dispersed throughout a wide
ered with slates was traditionally restricted to buildings valley flanked by mountains on all its sides. The refer-
with sacred functions, as the dressing of the stone was ence monastery Banpu is located on the mountain slopes
time consuming, expensive and required the skills of a south of the village. The houses scattered over the valley
master craftsman. More affluent farmhouses built with a floor are interspersed with barley and potato fields located
significant sacred room feature such a gabled roof cover- in close proximity to the owners’ houses. Vegetables are
ing the religious part of the building only. Stone is also cultivated within the walled-in yards of each house. Large
commonly used to cover the elaborate entrance gates. herds of yaks belonging to villagers the are grazing on the
The elaborate stone masonry is a strong feature of surrounding high pastures. As in other places of Kham
most local houses in Dabpa. The visible exterior wythe is some of the family members live a semi-nomadic lifestyle.
laid in a distinctive style of chipped broken range rubble Similar to neighbouring regions the collection of caterpil-
masonry that results in a characteristic pattern of the lar fungus and the Matsuatake mushroom provide an im-
wall. The central and interior wythes serve structural portant source of cash income for the villagers.

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 95

 0 1 2 4m
17

0 1 2 4m

18

Figure 17 South-east elevation of

farmhouse in Dabpa (Source: the
author).
Figure 18 Section A-A’, location of
section see Figure 15 (Source: the
author).
Figure 19 Section B-B’, location of
0 1 2 4m
section see Figure 15 (Source: the
19 author).

The house is two floors high with a gross floor area adorned with two timber frieze bands that create a slight
2
of approximately 280 m . The battered stone walls are overhang directing the rain off the wall surfaces. Typically
covered with a flat roof, giving the building a distinctive for this region, the protruding arrayed timber heads are
trapezoidal shape. The house has a compact structure placed directly into the stone masonry. The roof is con-
without differing heights or any incisions or recesses into structed with several layers of specific soils compacted on
the building body, such as terraces, that are a common top of the beamed ceiling structure arranged with wooden
element in other Tibetan cultural regions. The window beams and joists. The ceiling claddings of the first floor
openings characteristic for Dabpa have one or two verti- are made with wooden boards, whereas left over timbers
cal struts with decorative curved tops in contrast to lat- of lower quality are used to clad the ceiling of the ground
tice windows typical for other regions. The wall tops are floor (Figure 18, Figure 19).

96 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 B B

0.4 1.3

1.1
0.3 A
A A A 1.4

0.2 0.1 1.2

1.5

0.5
B B
1.6

0 1 2 4m 0 1 2 4m

20 21
0.1 Entry with stairway. 0.4 Toilet composting chamber. 1.1 Central hall with toilet. 1.5 Sleeping room.
0.2 Storage for tools. 0.5 Stable for cows. 1.2 Kitchen/living room. 1.6 Sacred room and grain
0.3 Storage for dried grass and 1.3 Sleeping room. storage.
leaves. 1.4 Storage room with open skylight.

Figure 20 Ground floor plan of the farmhouse in Dabpa (Source: the authors). Figure 21 First floor plan of the farmhouse in Dabpa (Source: the authors).

22
Figure 22 Interior of kitchen/living room of the farmhouse in Dabpa (Source: the authors).

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 97

 The beamed ceiling structure of both floors is sup- towards the southwest and two towards the southeast. The
ported by a regular grid of sturdy timber posts. Addi- better-lit part of the room is used as a sacred room, hold-
tional rows of post are placed along all the walls, reliev- ing a sacred images and some sitting furniture. The sacred
ing the walls from ceiling and roof loads. Compared to function of this room is also expressed by the more in-
the ground floor which is mostly used as stable, the post tricate design of the ceiling structure and adorning carv-
and lintel structure on the first floor has a more elaborate ings of the post heads The other part of the room serves
design. While the posts of the ground floor are round as storage space for all kinds of household items and bags
with an average diameter of 50 cm the posts of the first with grains and tea (Figure 22).
floor are squared to the dimensions of 40 cm x 40 cm and
decoratively fluted with vertical grooves. The timber ele-
Example 3: Farmhouse in Gyalrong
ments of the facade, such as door and window frames and
The region of Gyalrong covers part of the Hengduan
the timber of the frieze band are of a dark, almost black
Mountain System that stretches from north to south,
colour, that is typical for the region of Dabpa. Tradition-
forming the eastern boundary of the arid Tibetan plateau.
ally no other colours were applied to farm houses in this
The mountain system consists of several mountain ranges,
area. The dark colour results from the treatment of the
separated by deep river gorges. The headwaters of the Sal-
timber with a broth consisting mainly of charcoal, sour
ween, Mekong and Yangtze rivers have created a unique
yoghurt and salt. The charcoal is smashed and mixed
gorge-and-ridge topography with some of the deepest
into the broth and is boiled for some time. The treatment
gorges bordered by high mountains. Major parts of the
serves as an impregnation against rot, rain and insects
cultural region of Gyalrong lie in the present-day admin-
(Figure 20, Figure 21).
istrative county of Danba.
Massive stone walls envelope the interior space that is
Gyalrong lies the catchment area of Dadu River in the
divided by light wooden partition walls only. The ground
Daxue Mountains, that are situated in the transition zone
floor is used as stable and storage. Where necessary it is
between the elevated regions of the plateau and the low
partitioned by rough boards, round timbers as well as left
plains of the Sichuan Basin. This geographical transition
over timbers attached between the posts. Just opposite the
zone, characterised by topographical diversity with drastic
entrance door is a steep timber stairway providing access
differences in altitude and climate, has developed a com-
to the first floor. The first floor constitutes the family’s
plex and rich ecoregion with many rare endemic plant and
living space and almost its entire surface is laid out with animal species, including e.g. the red panda. Its climate is
thick wooden planks as flooring. The main rooms have a influenced by the warm and humid winds flowing from
wooden panelling. the Sichuan Basin and can be described as a subtropical
Next to the stairs there is the family’s most frequently highland climate. The average annual precipitation here is
used room serving both as living room and kitchen with as 689 mm and the annual average temperature is 13.4 °C5.
two window openings towards the southeast and one to- The villages of Gyalrong are scattered along steep slopes
wards the southwest. Its interior holds two stoves: A tradi- of mountains with altitudes ranging from 1,700 to 6,000 m.
tional earth stove has been covered with ceramic tiles, it is The steep slopes are covered with complex forests consist-
set against the southwestern wall, whereas a newer metal ing of several canopies. While the highest canopy consists
stove stands next to one of the windows. The room is of tall conifers including species of hemlock, spruce, fir and
characterised by darkened wooden panelling along all its larch, a closed canopy of evergreen and deciduous broad-
walls and two sturdy timber posts supporting the beamed leaved trees such as maple, birch, rowan and oaks growing
ceiling structure. It is furnished with decoratively painted over large shrubs of rhododendron, subalpine bamboo spe-
in-built kitchen cabinets. A small adjacent room is used cies and ferns prevails in the lower parts. In sun-exposed
for sleeping. parts species of endemic evergreen oaks can grow at an al-
The largest room on this floor is unfurnished and titude as high as 3,500 m in this region (Figure 23).
mainly used for drying meat and storing food supplies. It As consequence of the diverse natural conditions the
is dominated by four posts with carved heads supporting design of vernacular farmhouses may differ from vil-
an open, unglazed skylight that serves as a light source lage to village even within close proximity. One of the
and ventilation. This room provides access to two adja- few common characteristics is that the houses are con-
cent rooms, one small sleeping room facing southeast and structed with a similar type of stone and have a vertical
one large multipurpose room with two window openings building structure. The masonry skills of this region are

98 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 23

Figure 23 Zhonglu village in the

region of Gyalrong (Source: the
authors).
Figure 24 View of farmhouse in
Gyalrong from southwest (Source:
24 the authors).

manifested in tall stone towers that have been constructed while others are left unrendered. This variation in treat-
all over the mountain slopes. Many of the towers have a ment of outer façades seems to be a common theme of
star shaped geometry and some rise to heights exceeding vernacular architecture in Gyalrong. In our example a
60 m, thus becoming strong landmarks within the sur- specific triangular pattern is applied on the back wall
rounding landscape. and the corners, representing the symbol of the unity of
The example of a farmhouse, representing the local sun and moon. In contrast to the whitewashed patterns,
building style, is located at an altitude of 1,870 m in the black frames are painted around the window openings.
village of Zhake. As typical for or this region, the walls are Their varying shapes are another specific characteristic of
built with stones, arranged in a style of chipped broken Gyalrong’s design. The window frames have a distinctive
range rubble masonry. Though irregularly coursed to the design and their protruding overhangs are constructed
heights of distinctive larger stones, generally the stones in a principle found unique to Gyalrong. Another typical
have rather irregular shapes and large gaps are filled with architectural feature of this region are the timber facades
mud mortar. Some parts of the masonry are white washed and protruding balconies on the top floors (Figure 24).

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 99

 Figure 24 View of farmhouse in
Gyalrong from southwest (Source:
the authors).
Figure 25 Site plan of farmhouse
25 in Gyalrong (Source: the authors).

The small village of Zhake is comprised of a cluster of The whitewashed roof corners rise about 50 cm high above
six households, situated at the bottom of a steep mountain the roof terrace. The loadbearing structure is composed of
slope at the bank of the Dajin River. About 6 km to the walls and beams only and does not have any posts on the
south the Dajin River joines the Xiajin Rriver and contin- interior as many other farmhouses in the Tibetan cultural
ues to flow south as Dadu River. The region’s main town region have. The joists of the beamed ceiling and roof
and county seat Chaggo (chin. Zhanggu) is extends at the structures are interlocked with the walls’ masonry. They
confluence. Due to the village’s location on the roadless are laid so tightly on the first floor that they constitute the
side of the river it has so far only been marginally influ- ceiling’s cladding. The ceilings of sleeping rooms on the
enced by the rapid development of the town. The villagers second floor are decoratively clad with timber panelling.
use a simple ropeway that has been installed across the The flat roof is covered with several layers of soil (Figure
river for transport of people and the delivery of food sup- 26, Figure 27).
plies and small household items. Following a narrow foot The interior space of the house is mostly determined
path a few kilometres south from the village a narrow foot- and divided by the massive load bearing stone walls. The
bridge provides another access across the river and a con- ground floor dug into the slope is used as a stable for the
nection to the road. The narrow strip of land between the family’s pigs and is divided by two thick interior walls
bottom of the mountain slope that rises steeply to an alti- into three rooms. Those walls simultaneously serve as a
tude of 3,800 m and the river is cultivated by the villagers foundation for the entire structure. Due to the location of
primarily with corn, vegetable, fruit and walnut trees. Due this house leaning on the slope the main entrance door
to the mild climate the cultivation of chili is very common is reached via a small terrace that is accessed by a stone
in the region and bundles of drying red peppers are hang- stairway from one of the village paths climbing up the
ing from the balconies of the houses of Zhake (Figure 25). slope. In contrast to many other Tibetan cultural regions
Compared to the other houses presented here the floor the main entrance door of the house is not emphasised
of 95 m2 area is very small. The vertical rise of the house but rather imperceptible. The first floor is dominated by
to a fourth level is rather exceptional in the Tibetan cul- a kitchen room and adjacent storage rooms holding food
tural area. Another unique design feature is created by the and household items. The kitchen room has two window
strong recess of the terrace and the existence of a tower openings towards the west and two towards the south. In
rising above the topmost terrace. This tower is obviously the middle of the kitchen room is an open fireplace that
not just a visual addition to the building’s main body on is another feature that makes the house design of Gyal-
the top floor, but rather forms a structural unit of its own. rong different from other Tibetan areas. Traditionally this

100 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 0 1 2 4m
26 0 1 2 4m
27
Figure 26 West elevation of farmhouse in Gyalrong (Source: the authors).
Figure 27 Section through the tower (Source: the authors).

A A

B B B 1.3 1.2 1.1 B

1.4
1.5
0.4 0.3 0.2
0.1
0 1 2 4m
0 1 2 4m
A A

28 29
0.1 Open yard. 0.3 Stable for pigs. 1.1 Entry. 1.4 Kitchen/living room with open fireplace.
0.2 Stable for pigs. 0.4 Stable for pigs. 1.2 Hall with stairway. 1.5 Storage for tools
1.3 Storage.
Figure 28 Ground floor plan of the farmhouse in Gyalrong Figure 29 First floor plan of the farmhouse in Gyalrong (Source:
(Source: the authors). the authors).

A A

B 2.4 2.2 2.3 B

B 3.1 3.2 B

2.5

2.1
2.6

2.7
0 1 2 4m 0 1 2 4m

A
30 A 31
2.1 Terrace. 2.5 Toilet. 3.1 Sacred room/ storage.
2.2 Sleeping room. 2.6 Roofed storage for drying 3.2 Flat roof with offering stove.
2.3 Sleeping room. crop and corn.
2.4 Storage. 2.7 Balcony for drying crops.
Figure 30 Second floor plan of the farmhouse in Gyalrong Figure 31 Third floor plan of the farmhouse in Gyalrong
(Source: the authors). (Source: the authors).

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 101

 32
Figure 32 Interior of the fire place room on the first floor of the farmhouse in Gyalrong (Source: the authors).

fireplace expresses a special sitting order which is deter- tower on the third level is reached via a steep trunk ladder
mined by the different sizes of the arms of the stone tripod from the terrace. It used to perform a sacred function
holding the cooking pot above the fire. The head of the though in the case of the example shown here it was found
household would sit at the longest leg of the tripod, that to be empty and no longer used for prayers. The flat roof
is situated opposite the room’s entrance. This stone leg of this level holds several protective elements such as on
would be further emphasised by an offering placed on top offering vase, an incense stove, as well as some prayer flags
of it. Other family members would take a seat to the right (Figure 28–32).
of the household head, while the cook would sit to the
left. The fire would be attended from the place opposite
the head’s seat, and the firewood would be stored in the
Example 4: Farmhouse in Pome
vicinity of the entrance door. Children were not assigned The region of Pome (also Poyul or Powo) spreads out
a specific sitting place. Traditionally the room would also to the east of Namche Barwa (7,782 m) the easternmost
have a designated place for a large wine barrel, though it high peak of the Himalayas that marks the rapid decline
was not found in our sample house. The sleeping rooms of the mountain range, along the drainage basin of the
are located on the second floor that can be reached via a Parlung Tsangpo River. The southern boundary of the
steep timber stairway, leading from the first floor directly region is formed by Kangri Karpo Mountain Range that
to the open terrace. The two rooms face toward the west does not exceed the altitude of 4,000 m. The decline of the
and have decorated timber facades with lattice windows. mountain range and the deeply cut gorge of the Yarlung
Typically, the terrace extends to a balcony that is used for Tsangpo River around Namche Barwa allow the humid air
drying and storing harvested crops. These balcony struc- masses of the southwest monsoon to reach further north
tures form a unique element of the architecture in this onto the ridges of the plateau, thus creating unique climat-
region. Together with massive stone walls, terraces and ic conditions and a large biodiversity, with many endemic
towers they contribute to a unique identity of the local species. The region is largely consistent with the present
vernacular architecture. The room inside the top of the day administrative county of Bomi.

102 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 33

Figure 33 Southeast and north-

east view of farmhouse in Pome
(Source: the authors).
Figure 34 Site plan of the farm-
house in Pome (Source: the au-
34 thors).

Slightly lower in altitude than the neighbouring regions, Pome is drained by the large basin of the Parlung
though still ranging around 3,000 m, Pome has the warmest Tsangpo River and its many tributaries. These numerous
annual average temperatures of 10.8 °C and the highest pre- riverbanks provide the ground for human settlements,
cipitation of an annual 946 mm, compared to other regions mostly in the form of dispersed villages that are spread all
on the plateau6. There are such heavy snowfalls here that over the region. The region has numerous lakes and gla-
parts of the region were cut off in the past during winter ciers, the largest being the Rawok Tso and Ngagung Tso
months. Due to impassable geographical barriers such as at the foot of the Lhagu Glacier. The glacier situated in
deep river gorges, thick forests and glaciers the region has the very south east of the Kangri Karpo Mountain Range,
not been situated along one of the major trade routes of the spreads over an area of 30 km in length and 2-5 km in
past. The trade routes connecting the settlements of the Si- width, with an average elevation of 4,000 m and peaks as
chuan plain and Lhasa bypassed the region in the north via high as 6,882 m (Mt. Ruoni). Large sections of the Parlung
other main towns in Kham such as Dege and Chamdo. Tsango flow in a broad basin at an altitude between 2,900

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 103

 0 1 2 4m

35

Figure 35 Southeast and north-

east elevations of farmhouse in
Pome (Source: the authors).
0 1 2 4m
Figure 36 Section B-B of the
farmhouse in Pome (Source: the
36 authors).

to 2,500 m that is richly cultivated providing crops like and heavy snowfalls of the region have resulted in a tradi-
highland barley, wheat, oil seed rape and corn. The villag- tion of constructing sloped shingle clad roofs. Most com-
ers also cultivate fruit trees such as apple and peach and monly the houses feature one or two floors with walls
nut trees, such as walnut. The regions is also known for mostly constructed as a mix of log structures combined
its richness of medical plants and fungus. The agricultural with post and plank construction. The log structures are
yields of Pome are so high that surplus is provided to the built with circular and/or planed timbers. The gable walls
neighbouring regions. are closed with light structures made of woven twigs,
In this part of the Himalayas the tree line reaches as that are characteristic for the region. Many houses fea-
high as 4,500 m. The mountain slopes of the Parlung ture balconies and recessing or circulating open veran-
Tsangpo and Nyang River valleys have a dense vegeta- das with decorative timber railings typical for the region.
tion cover with a great variety of plants and a significant The window openings are adorned with a great variety of
coverage of subalpine conifer forest. Dominant conifer timber lattice designs and decorative frame carvings. An
species growing at elevations between 4,500 to 2,500 m outstanding feature of the region is a special variation of
are hemlock, spruce and fir, less widespread are species of the post and lintel structure whereby two parallel beams
larch, pine and yew trees. Species of junipers might grow are carried by one post. Another characteristic is that the
at even higher elevations, while birches are found among posts are often placed not only on the interior of the main
the dominant conifers. Lower elevations have canopies of shell but also on the exterior. The houses are enclosed with
evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests consisting of wooden fences and stacks of firewood piled up to volumi-
species of oak, walnut, maple, magnolia, whitebeam and a nous walls. Secondary timber log structures, unattached
great variety of rhododendrons that flourish at elevations to the main house, function as stables or storage rooms in
above 2,000 m. The availability of timber and the mild the yards (Figure 33).
climate is reflected in the construction of the local houses Our reference house for this article is located in the
which are often constructed entirely with timber. Timber village of Dzhongsa lying about 30 km west of the town
is also widely used for the construction of furniture and of Zhamog (chin. Zamu), the seat of present day Bomi
a variety of tools. Wooden bowls from the region were County. It is situated at an altitude of 2,666 m. The village
highly desirable goods in the past. The high precipitation of Dzhongsa sits at the foot of a forested mountain slope,

104 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 B
is decorated with a frieze that clearly reveals the Tibetan
cultural background of this building. It consists of evenly
0.7 0.4 0.2 spaced out protruding square timbers whose heads are
further enhanced by a white colouring. The space be-
0.3 0.1
A tween the heads are painted with a triangular pattern in
A 0.6 black white and red. The frieze of the entry wall is further
adorned with an additional band painted with the half-
0.5
round lotus symbol (Figure 37).
The entire house has wooden flooring made of thick
B 0 1 2 4m
37 timber planks that are raised about 30 cm from the
0.1 Veranda. 0.5 Sacred room. ground by a supporting structure. The beamed ceilings are
0.2 Storage room. 0.6 Living room/kitchen with stove. clad with timber boards. The interior space is arranged by
0.3 Entry hall. 0.7 Sleeping room.
0.4 Sleeping room.
load-bearing timber walls built in the same way as the ex-
terior walls, carrying the ceiling and roof loads.
Figure 37 Ground floor plan of the farmhouse in Pome
(Source: the authors). A rare but not uncommon feature in the Tibetan cul-
tural region is the distribution of functions on the ground
floor. As previously mentioned the main entrance is pro-
that has been partially cleared for cultivation, at the bank vided by the open veranda that holds one adjacent storage
of the Parlung Tsangpo. In recent years the road beneath room on its right side. The main door to the house, situ-
the village has been connected to a national highway ated in the back of the veranda, only slightly accentuated
(G318) providing a faster connection between Chengdu in by an additional jamb ornamented with a lotus flower
the east and Lhasa in the west, placing the village along a motif, provides access into a central hall. The hall in turn
major travel route (Figure 34). provides access to the scared room, the family’s main
The house has only one floor with a gross floor area living room/ kitchen and a small sleeping room. The fam-
of 175 m2, providing home for four people, two adults ily’s main living room/kitchen has an approximate dimen-
and two children. Its timber walls are raised about 50 cm sion of 6 m x 6 m and is dominated by a sturdy squared
from the ground by a dry stone plinth and covered with a post in its centre that supports two beams running in
gable roof structure. The roof is clad with wooden boards parallel. The post is crowned with a large head, that set at
weight down with field stones. An outstanding feature of a ninety-degree angle supporting one beam on each of its
the house is the open veranda that recesses into the com- ends. This is a regional particularity of Pome seems to be a
pact rectangular layout in the northeast, serving as the unique specialty of Pome. The room is further dominated
house’s main entrance. It is one of the oldest houses in by a large earthen stove set at the southwestern wall, that
has been clad with tin sheets that are richly embossed with
the village, the adze tool marks on the timber’s surface of
ornaments. The cooking steam is discharged through an
the beams and planks of the house provide evidence of
open skylight. The room is amply furnished with two large
manual craftsmanship, which has now been replaced by
inbuilt cabinets that are colourfully painted, and various
mechanically sawn timber. The beams and planks applied
sitting furniture and tables (Figure 38).
for the construction of the house were squared by hand
with a foot adze tool, commonly used by carpenters in the
Tibetan cultural region (Figure 35, Figure 36). Some Thoughts on the Future: Decline or
All of the walls, that is the outer shell and interior par- Development?
titions, are constructed with thin timber planks that were The architectural beauty and high level of traditional
hewn to a dimension of approximately 18 cm x 8 cm. The craftsmanship of the houses shown in this article raise the
planks are horizontally aligned and fixed into place by a question about the potential of vernacular architecture as
v-shaped tong and groove joint. While the corners of the part of a broader preservation strategy focusing not only
building are interlocked with saddle notch joints, the log on individual buildings but also on traditional knowledge
structure is intersected by vertical posts along the long and building techniques. Vernacular architecture in rural
sections of the wall, forming a post and plank structure. areas has long been denied recognition as an important
The window and door openings are set between the sup- factor of the cultural heritage. It appears to have been per-
porting vertical posts. The top of the outer timber wall ceived as something ‘naturally’ and ubiquitously available

P. Herrle & A. Wozniak 105

 38
Figure 38 Interior of the main living room/ kitchen of farmhouse in Pome. (Source: the authors).

similar to the natural environment with no need for pres- had to be paid for rapid modernisation are a loss of iden-
ervation efforts. Current developments in many countries tity, broken families with the elders left behind in villages
shows that this is a serious fallacy. with little income opportunities and a rapid decay of tra-
In contrary to the common perception, rural vernacu- ditional building cultures.
lar architecture forms an essential, however extremely vul- Social and economic changes entail changes in building
nerable part of what has been called ‘cultural landscapes’ technologies and the aesthetic preferences of local people.
(UNESCO 2012). Moreover, with its symbiotic adapta- For example, traditional windows become increasingly re-
tion to local climate conditions and its reliance upon local placed by glass windows with plastic framing, traditional
natural resources, rural vernacular buildings can provide roofing materials such as shingles or slates are supplanted
a reference for the development of modern environmen- by corrugated tin. All those material changes bear impli-
tally sensitive and sustainable architecture. The lessons cations on value systems, local markets and the aesthetic
embodied in this kind of building practice have hardly value of cultural landscapes.
been studied let alone been utilised for bridging the gap to Reviewing the four reference cases presented in this ar-
modern development. ticle and drawing on broader evidence from our research
The past decades have brought a large number of project three general tendencies can be identified:
changes to the entire area of Kham. Increased accessibility, 1. Neglect and lack of maintenance: There are cases where
modern communication facilities, tourism and the mass the houses of families who have been more affluent in
media have exposed even remote villages to new building the past, which becomes visible in spacy and beauti-
materials, new life styles and value systems. Many of those fully adorned buildings often including special build-
changes have made life easier by reducing the hardship of ing parts for religious purposes, are neglected and can
daily life for the residents, for example by providing access no longer be properly maintained by the family. This is
to piped drinking water, medical services, infrastructure partly due to the increasing prices of building materi-
and monetary incomes. On the downside, the price that als and lack of traditional technical knowledge, partly

106 BUILT HERITAGE 2018 / 3

 because modern ‘solutions’ are poorly adapted to tra- around the rim of the Tibetan Plateau serious is the threat
ditional technologies, leading to unexpected structural of extinction of the traditional architecture.
damages and also to the fact that some families aban- It may therefore be worth considering strategies for the
don their traditional houses to build new ones with preservation and developing of rural vernacular architec-
higher ceilings, larger windows and a different use of ture building on the local knowledge that is still available,
floor space. and the appreciation of traditional customs, rites and sym-
2. Changing values: A plastic window may be function- bols practiced by the rural population.
ally superior to the traditional window with a wooden As final remark it should be added that rural vernacu-
frame and lattices, but the more important argument lar architecture in Kham as a cultural asset cannot be
is that it also conveys the notion of technical advance- safeguarded with methods appropriate for one individual
ment and thereby prestige and self-representation. In a building. One-dimensional technical measures alone
society which is increasingly relying on mundane signs would fail or produce an artificial environment that can
of status representation this is an important argument. spoil the identity and the dynamic potential of indigenous
Interestingly this leads to hybrid forms of architecture: cultures. Effective measures would rather include elements
Not only are traditional building materials changed by on different levels such as university courses and voca-
new ones, sometimes, the excessive use of old decora- tional training and in different fields such as e.g. building
tive elements is being used to express wealth and pres- guidelines, demonstration projects, competitions and ad-
tige. The excessive application of adornment to facades visory services, support programs.
and in the interior and also the oversizing of certain
structural elements such as posts provide evidence for Notes
this trend.
1. We wish to express our sincere thanks to Prof. Dr.
3. Adaptation to new requirements: A positive trend op-
Chang Qing and Prof. Dr. Li Zhenyu from the College
posite to the general decline of local building cultures
of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Tongji Uni-
is, that in many rural parts of Kham people stick to
versity Shanghai for their invaluable help and advice.
their traditional way of building houses. These houses
2. The new edition is coordinated by Marcel Vellinga. The
may be bigger in size, have larger windows and show
authors of this article are authoring new chapters on
intricate adornment borrowed from monastic archi-
parts of the Himalayan region.
tecture, but they still follow the same construction
3. Quoted from Tibetan Houses: Vernacular Architecture
methods and floor layout as has been used in the past.
in the Himalayas and Environs by Herrle and Wozniak,
The building activities in the valley of Chatreng are a
2018.
case in point. Traditional rammed-earth techniques
4. Climate data see: https://de.climate-data.org/loca-
are still applied for new (and bigger) houses as well as
tion/45432. Accessed 5 July 2018. (05.07.2018)
for the vertical and horizontal extension of old houses.
5. Climate data see: https://en.climate-data.org/loca-
These activities proof that both the preservation and
tion/483087. Accessed 5 July 2018.
further development of a unique cultural heritage are
6. Climate data see: https://zh.climate-data.org/loca-
possible in a continuous line without destroying the
tion/51047. Accessed 5 July 2018.
local identity.
However, one has to concede that the above-mentioned
trends cannot be generalised. While in more urbanised References
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