Dong Timber Architectural Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The drum towers and flower bridges of the Guizhou Dong originate from the primitive-society period of the Dong; they are an ethnic architectural style gradually created by Dong ancestors through long-term practical life, ancient in age and distinctive in appearance. The drum tower developed from simple ganlan-style ka houses and, in structure, adopts the vertically inter-penetrating "cloud-piercing" integral frame and wooden system; this evolutionary step determined the drum tower's form: tiered eaves projecting outward, tapering upward, uniting pagoda, pavilion, and kiosk in one tower. When building drum towers and flower bridges, the Dong people employ bamboo-slip measuring rods ("jianggan") and a self-contained system of design and construction symbols, forming a unique craft system. The coordination of the bamboo measuring rod, the design-symbol markings, and the tenon-and-mortise joinery makes the construction craft of drum towers and flower bridges an important component of China's ethnic architectural culture. The hallmark of this system's final maturity is a group of drum towers inscribed as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. The Zengchong Drum Tower was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level and became the representative of the Congjiang Dong drum towers; the construction craft of drum towers and flower bridges is the crystallization of the Dong people's wisdom and holds relatively high scientific and cultural research value. Dong craftsmen have preserved this precious craft intact to the present through the master-apprentice method, transmitting it orally and by personal example. The inheritance of the craft depends almost entirely on people—whether a chief carpenter can train apprentices often decides whether a village's drum-tower style can continue.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The drum towers and flower bridges of the Guizhou Dong have a very long history; they arose in the Dong's primitive-society period and are an ethnic architectural style of distinctive character created by the Dong people through long practical life. The drum tower is the symbol of the Dong village and a mark of its prosperity; it occupies a very important place in the hearts of the Dong people. It developed from simple ganlan-style ka houses and, in structure, adopts the vertically inter-penetrating "cloud-piercing" integral frame and wooden system. The Dong drum towers of Liping County integrate the architectural forms of pagoda, pavilion, and kiosk, combining both the tall, straight grace of a pagoda and the grandeur of a tower with the delicate beauty of a waterside pavilion. The drum tower is a high-rise structure in the Dong village, generally 3 to 5 zhang tall, with a base width of 7 to 10 meters; its eaves are tiered, topped with grey tiles, and adorned with various colored sculptures. Some of these Dong drum towers are enclosed by railings, while others are open with a fireplace at the center and benches around the perimeter for people to rest. The Dong flower bridge is ingeniously structured, fully applying the lever principle; its large and small posts, ties, purlins, and railings are all made of the locally abundant Guizhou fir by boring holes and threading tenons. Its structure is rigorous, its craft exquisite, its bearing majestic, and its appearance spectacular, displaying the unique style of Dong architectural art. When building drum towers and flower bridges, the Dong people employ bamboo-slip measuring rods ("jianggan") and a self-contained system of design and construction symbols, forming a unique craft system, and the construction craft of drum towers and flower bridges thereby became an important component of China's ethnic architectural culture.
The through-pierced column frame
Drum towers developed from stilted card houses into a pierced frame in which posts and beams are threaded vertically, binding every storey into one structure.
Measuring with the bamboo carpenter's rule
A bamboo rule made from a split strip, together with a private system of design marks, lets builders work to consistent measures without drawings.
Stacked eaves on a tall body
Drum towers stand three to five zhang high on a base seven to ten metres wide, their stacked eaves tiled and embellished with coloured sculpture.
The open ground floor with its hearth
Some drum towers are railed, others stand open around a central hearth with benches — leaving the ground floor free for assembly and the frame above unencumbered.
Lever-action tenoning in covered bridges
Covered bridges exploit the lever principle; posts, beams, purlins and rails of local fir are bored and tenoned into a rigorous, imposing structure.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Dong drum-tower construction craft of Congjiang County has a history of over three hundred years; the Dong people built 108 Dong drum towers using local fir, distributed among the villages nestled by hills and water. The Dong drum towers and flower bridges blend multiple architectural forms into one and are rich in minority ethnic local character.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Dong Timber Architectural Craftsmanship · Dong Timber Architectural Craftsmanship · Dong Timber Architectural Craftsmanship · Dong Timber Architectural Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Among them, the Zengchong Drum Tower was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level and became the representative of the Congjiang Dong drum towers. The construction craft of drum towers and flower bridges is the crystallization of the Dong people's wisdom and holds relatively high scientific and cultural research value. Dong craftsmen have preserved this precious craft intact to the present through the master-apprentice method, transmitting it orally and by personal example; only by treasuring and protecting it all the more can it be better inherited and developed.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Yangshiyu 01-0149
- Yang Qiushi 05-2743
- Yang Guangjin 05-2744
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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