Customs
The same short list of problems, answered differently in each valley: a house shaped by the weather, water divided by the acre, a fire put in one position and not another, an ancestor given the middle room.
Selected reading
- Water
Ancient Rules of Shared Water
How do communities across dry valleys and terraced hills fairly divide living mountain water?
Dujiangyan · Yuanyang · Putian - Dwellings
Dwellings Shaped by Earth and Climate
Why do vernacular houses across China look so strikingly different only a few hundred kilometres apart?
Longyan · Xiangxi · Yan'an - Beyond the city
Country Towns Beyond the City Edge
Why do rural townships just beyond metropolitan boundaries preserve such vibrant community rhythms?
Jiajiang · Fuyang · Lantian
All Customs topics
7 places · Documented field topics
Select a topic to explore
Dwellings Shaped by Earth and Climate
DwellingsWhy do vernacular houses across China look so strikingly different only a few hundred kilometres apart?
14 placesShelter and Passage: The Covered Bridge
BridgeWhy were river crossings across rainy mountain valleys crowned with long tiled roof pavilions?
4 placesAncient Rules of Shared Water
WaterHow do communities across dry valleys and terraced hills fairly divide living mountain water?
14 placesThe Hearth at the Centre of the Home
HearthBefore modern domestic heating, how did an open flame anchor family life and social order?
8 placesAncestral Halls at the Village Core
Ancestral hallWhy do southern villages reserve their finest craftsmanship and materials for shared ancestral halls?
6 placesFestivals on Diverse Calendars
New yearWhy do different ethnic traditions celebrate their new year at completely different seasons of the year?
4 placesCountry Towns Beyond the City Edge
Beyond the cityWhy do rural townships just beyond metropolitan boundaries preserve such vibrant community rhythms?
4 places