Traditional dwellings of the Yi ethnic group in Cangtai village, Honghe, Yunnan, China. 29-Sep-2019


Tuzhangfang, or earthen homes of the Yi ethnic group, look like Tibetan stone-houses but their walls are made of earth beaten hard while under construction. Its flat roof is also used for drying items. Most of these houses are found in central and southeast Yunnan. Inside, the simple dwellings are warm in winter and cool in summer. Interestingly, one’s roof serves as a courtyard for the upstairs neighbor, and once a visitor enters one house, he can reach another through the roof-platform, which provides access to all the buildings in the village. This feature makes the village an intricate labyrinth. Residents meet and chat on rooftops, and enter their neighbor’s courtyard by climbing a ladder to their own roofs. Roofs are transformed into the roads of the village.


Size: 6000px × 4000px
Photo credit: © Lou Linwei / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: buildings, cangtai, china, chinese, dwellings, earthen, ethnic, homes, honghe, houses, traditional, tuzhangfang, yi, yunnan