Yurt Building Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The yurt-building craft of Henan Mongolian Autonomous County can be traced back to the mid-13th century.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The yurt-building craft is a traditional building art passed down through generations among the Mongolian people. Henan Mongolian Autonomous County, in Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province, lies in the southeast of Qinghai; ethnic Mongols make up 93% of its permanent population. The area belongs to a plateau sub-frigid humid climate zone, and the county's vast pasture resources are extremely rich and suited to grazing; local herders have made and used yurts for more than 800 years. The yurt was anciently called qionglu, also known as felt tent, canopy, or felt enclosure; in Mongolian it is called ger, and in Manchu it is called menggu bao or menggu bo. "Bao" means "home" or "house," and is the general term for the traditional living space of Mongolian herders who dwell on the grasslands and have adapted to a nomadic life. The craft of making a yurt consists mainly of three major parts: the wooden frame, the felt covering, and the ropes and bands. The building steps are as follows: first choose a site and determine where to erect it. Then assemble the wooden frame: the surrounding circular wall is formed by several pieces of woven lattice made of wooden (or bamboo) strips about 130–160 cm high and around 230 cm long, linked into a ring-shaped barrel, with an umbrella-ribbed domed roof on top coupled ingeniously to the side walls. Finally, cover or wrap the roof and the four walls with felt and fasten it with ropes and bands. Apart from the waistbands and woven cords, almost all the materials used in a yurt are wool and timber; its making and erection integrate the building skills of hide and fleece processing, weaving, sewing, and carpentry. The yurt-building craft is the crystallization of the life wisdom of the grassland nomadic peoples, and an important component of the national cultural heritage. In terms of structural scale, the circular wall is formed by several pieces of woven lattice made of wooden (or bamboo) strips, linked into a ring-shaped barrel, with the strips about 130–160 cm high and around 230 cm long, mutually coupled with the umbrella-ribbed domed roof into one integrated whole. This scale allows the interior to obtain usable headroom without a central post, and adults can enter and exit without bending. The layers of meaning in the names are equally concrete: the yurt was anciently called qionglu, also known as felt tent, canopy, or felt enclosure; in Mongolian it is called ger, and in Manchu menggu bao or menggu bo, while bao itself means home or house—a general term for the living space on the grasslands rather than a reference to any single form. Herders adopted this form in direct relation to the local plateau sub-frigid humid climate and abundant pastures: the wool felt comes from their own livestock, the willow strips and timber are obtained locally, and the whole dwelling can be dismantled, moved, and taken along when the herds migrate with the seasons.
Choosing where to pitch
The herder judges the pitch by water, grass and wind, a decision repeated every time the camp moves.
Assembling the frame
The lattice wall and the radiating roof are coupled into a single frame, sized to the household.
Weaving the lattice wall
Strips 130-160 centimetres high and some 230 long are woven into a lattice ring, tied firmly but reversibly.
Covering with felt and lashing
Felt covers the roof and walls and is fixed with rope and straps, usually by the women of the household.
Ger-building contests at the Nadam
Ger-building contests are held at the Nadam and local cultural events, judged on speed and workmanship.
Practitioners across the county's townships
Practitioners are found in several townships and a town, and Mongols make up 93 per cent of the county's residents.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The yurt is the most representative dwelling of the Mongolian people and the northern nomadic peoples, found widely across northern Asia, especially concentrated in Central Asia and Northeast Asia. At the same time, when local communities hold the Nadam fair and various cultural events, they often organize yurt-erection competitions, actively promoting the spread of this craft.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Yurt Building Craftsmanship · Yurt Building Craftsmanship · Yurt Building Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present, inheritors of this craft can be found in Sairlong Township, Kesheng Township, Duosong Township, Tuoyema Township, and Youganning Town of Henan Mongolian Autonomous County; through their building practice they advance the transmission and protection of the item. The craft is of great value for studying the migration history, way of life, customs, and habits of the Mongols in Henan Mongolian Autonomous County.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Husenge 04-1915
- Binba 05-2876
- Ban Fengbin
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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