What are the characteristics of Ningxia’s architecture?

Abstract: Ningxia is rich in regional culture. The mutual integration of Xixia culture, frontier culture, Islamic culture, immigrant culture and Han culture has produced distinctive local architecture. Generally speaking, Ningxia's folk houses have a simple style, and their construction techniques and materials embody the diligence and wisdom of the working people in conquering nature. For this reason, cave dwellings, old forts and other buildings are representatives of Ningxia’s traditional architecture. So what are the characteristics of Ningxia’s cave dwellings, old forts and other buildings? Then continue browsing the brief description of Ningxia architectural style below! Ningxia is rich in regional culture. The blending of Xixia culture, frontier culture, Islamic culture, immigrant culture and Han culture has produced distinctive local architecture. Generally speaking, Ningxia's folk houses have a simple style, and their construction techniques and materials embody the diligence and wisdom of the working people in conquering nature.

1. Main architectural forms of traditional villages in Ningxia

1. The oldest living form - cave dwellings

Cave dwellings are widely distributed, but they are generally surrounded by loess Plateau and its edges. It is distributed in parts of Shanxi, northern Shaanxi, Qingyang area of ??Gansu, western Henan, and southern Ningxia. Guyuan is located on the Loess Plateau at the foot of Liupan Mountain. The loess provided natural conditions for the early ancestors to dig cave dwellings. Early human survival and residence benefited from cave dwellings. The vegetable garden ruins of the late Neolithic Age in Haiyuan County have already seen the cave dwellings or semi-burrow-style dwellings of the ancestors thousands of years ago. To this day, cave dwellings are still one of the ways people live, and their vitality is still fresh. According to the current investigation, cave dwellings are divided into three types: cliff kiln, pit kiln and hoop kiln.

(1) Traditional house building styles

From the perspective of inherited traditions, due to the different natural geographical environments between the north and the south, the building styles of houses in the north and south of Ningxia are not exactly the same. The main ones are as follows: Several types:

First, it is a herringbone beam building. From the perspective of cultural background, Guyuan is close to Guanzhong and belongs to the subcultural area of ??Qin culture. From the perspective of geographical environment, it is located in the Liupan Mountain area, with more rain and a relatively humid climate. Reflected in the construction of houses, the roof slope is steeper, which is conducive to roof water flow. The locals call it "anjia house" or "shelf house".

Second, it is a slope type, or one-sided slope, or an arched wooden house. This kind of house is relatively simple to build and has a relatively common architectural style. This kind of house has a high back wall, with one side sloping to the top, and rainwater flows from one side. Doors and windows are not as particular as those of a framed house.

The third is the flat-roofed house in the north-central part. Because the Ningxia Plain is surrounded by the Tengger Desert, Jilin Badain Desert, Kubuqi Desert, and Mu Us Desert, it is dry and rainless. Such an environment also affects people's clothing, food, housing and transportation. Traditional villages have many flat-roofed houses, and the materials used are locally sourced. Their practical value is equivalent to the "Huji" in Guyuan in the south. In fact, in addition to climate, rain, environmental factors, and living customs, flat-roofed houses in the north are also affected by economic factors. Mayuepo Village, Dongtasi Township, Litong District, Wuzhong City, is an example.

Fourth is the tall house. This is a common architectural form in traditional villages in the northwest region, and is more common in southern Ningxia. In traditional dry-baiting quadrangle courtyards, the southwest corner or southeast corner of the courtyard wall is mostly where tall houses are built. "Guyuan Dialect Chronicles" says that "the house on the top of the kiln or the house built at the corner of the wall" is called a high house, which has the function of guarding against theft.

2. Special architectural complex - castle

The so-called special architectural complex here mainly refers to various types and new-style castles that can be seen. Historically, Ningxia was located at the junction of the Central Plains and the border areas. In the process of military fielding and war defense in the past dynasties, many walls and fortresses were built, especially those built by the government and private citizens since the Ming and Qing dynasties, including the Republic of China. Fortress. There are many remaining castles of this kind in Guyuan in the south, with a rough count of about three to four hundred. The first is a purely military defensive castle, mostly located on some traffic arteries or dangerous places, with a large city area. Second, the forts built during the Republic of China were mostly self-defensive among the people. Judging from the layout, they were mostly integrated with traditional villages. Some castles are still used by people today and are relatively well preserved.

3. Current situation of traditional villages

Cave dwellings over a hundred years old: Cave dwellings in Ningxia are mainly distributed in Pengyang, Yanchi, Haiyuan, Tongxin and other counties. Cave dwellings over a hundred years old are mainly concentrated in Pengyang, Yanchi, Haiyuan, Tongxin and other counties. Yanghe Salt Pond. Cave dwellings are relatively concentrated in the Guanjizhang and Hebeiwa areas of Mahuangshan Town, Yanchi County. The remaining cave dwellings have three floors and clear cave sites, reflecting the survival process of the people here and recording the changes in cave dwelling excavation. The first-generation cave dwellings only have the remains of the cave; the second-generation cave dwellings are still well preserved, and the doors, windows, and square windows on the cave dwellings are basically intact, but most of them have been abandoned and become places for storing sundries; the third-generation cave dwellings are completely new, and the cave dwellings are The walls are mostly made of bricks. There have been ecological migrations in recent years, but there are still residents. This is roughly the case in some places in Pengyang County.

Old buildings that are more than a hundred years old: Tongxin Mosque, Najiahu Mosque, Dong Mansion, Yuyang Temple and Majia Temple in Jingyuan Jinghe Town, Mayuepo Village, etc., are not only preserved There are ancient mosque buildings, palace buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties that are rare in the northwest, and old houses in traditional village culture.

Old houses around 50 years old: The architectural style, materials used and construction techniques of these old houses are all the style and characteristics of that era. They are mostly distributed in southern counties. Due to the relocation of immigrants in recent decades, especially the construction of new rural areas and the renovation of dilapidated houses in recent years, many old houses no longer exist. In the rural areas of the Northern Sichuan District, it is rare to see 50-year-old houses. Even in the southern mountainous area, Wonju District, where conditions are relatively good, it is difficult to see such original houses.

4. Industrial building ruins

The industrial building ruins reflect and record the development of Ningxia’s industrial civilization. Judging from on-site inspections, they are mainly concentrated in Shizuishan City and are relatively complete. The first is the ground floor buildings of the Shizuishan mine, cinemas, old residential houses in the mining area, gatehouses, etc., including the propaganda slogans, Mao Zedong’s poems and calligraphy works carried on these buildings; the fields cultivated by the Agriculture and Forestry Department, the excavated canals, and both sides of the canals. The sun-blocking elm trees are sand control belts that can be used as mine materials - pillars for digging wells; the cellars, cave-style housing buildings, warehouses, etc. of the farm 60 years ago; the old house of Jianquan Farm , supply and marketing cooperative buildings, the words "Develop the economy, ensure supply" on the buildings are all original; the large canal dug on the farm, and the words on the bridges above the canal "fighting with the sky, fighting with the people, fighting with the earth, it is endless fun" The writing is still there. The other place is the cultural relics of the Helan Mountain Valley. The first is the military barracks built decades ago deep in Jiucaigou. After the garrison withdrew, the barracks were still well preserved, including military material reserves. The second is the Great Wall and beacons of the Ming Dynasty. The third is the original site of the Dashuigou Northwest Bearing Factory in Helan Mountain, including the Ming Dynasty Great Wall and rock paintings in the valley. The industrial plant was just demolished last year, but the three tall propaganda monuments are still there, and the propaganda posters on them are still clear.

2. Ningxia's top ten landmark buildings

1. Phoenix Monument

The Phoenix Monument, also known as the "National Unity Monument", is located at the entrance to the west gate of Yinchuan City. Completed in 1984, the monument is about 20 meters high. On the semicircular top of the monument stands a stainless steel phoenix, about 3 meters high, with its head facing the east. It is lifelike and is the symbol of Yinchuan. This was originally the Yinchuan West Gate Tower. It was a civil structure, ancient and gloomy. As the buildings around it were built one after another, the dilapidated tower was finally demolished in the 1970s and became a memory in the bustling streets. On the semicircular top of the monument, stands a stainless steel phoenix, about 3 meters high, with its head facing the east, lifelike, it is the symbol of Yinchuan.

2. Nanguan Mosque

Nanguan Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northern China, located in the old city of Yinchuan. It has a high status in the minds of the Hui people in Ningxia. The mosque covers an area of ??about 10,000 square meters, with a construction area of ??more than 2,000 square meters. The main hall is 26 meters high, and the upper hall can accommodate more than 1,300 people worshiping at the same time. The lower floor is equipped with a bathing room, a small prayer hall, a female prayer hall, an Arabic school imam's bedroom, a reception room, etc. In the middle of the roof stands one large and four small green domes, with a crescent moon symbol hanging high on the top. There are 30-meter-high "minarets" on both sides of the front of the hall, and a 15-meter-diameter fountain in the middle.

The entire building has a rigorous layout, gorgeous decoration, exquisite elegance, and grandeur. Every "Juma Day" or every traditional Hui festival, thousands of Muslims gather here to engage in normal religious activities. Now, Nanguan Mosque is not only a religious activity site open to the public in Yinchuan City and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, but has also become one of the famous tourist attractions in the region.

3. Chinese Wolfberry Museum

Chinese Wolfberry Museum is located in the national economic and technological development zone-Yinchuan Desheng Industrial Park. It is planned and invested by Ningxia Bairuiyuan Wolfberry Industry Co., Ltd. , planned in 2009, completed and put into use in 2011, which took three years. The construction area is 4,000 square meters and the total investment is about 30 million yuan. In 2011, it was rated as a "National AAA Tourist Attraction" and in 2013, it was named "Autonomous Region Cultural Industry Demonstration Base".

4. Chengtian Temple Tower

Located in Chengtian Temple in Xingqing District, Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, it was built in the first year of Chuisheng in the Western Xia Dynasty (1050). According to records, after the death of the founding emperor of Xixia, Li Yuanhao, his son ascended the throne at a young age. In order to ensure that his son's longevity would be boundless, the Empress Dowager hoped that the Li family and the country of Xixia would be strong for a long time. Chengtian Temple and pagoda were built. Chengtian Temple Pagoda is an octagonal brick tower with dense eaves. It is 64.5 meters high including the spire, which is 0.5 meters higher than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an. Chengtian Temple faces east from the west and consists of two courtyards, front and rear. The halls and corridors are large in scale; in the front yard are the Hall of Five Buddhas and the Chengtian Temple Pagoda; in the back yard are the Hall of Wei Tuo and the Hall of the Reclining Buddha. In ancient times, Chengtian Temple was frequently visited by "famous people from the East" and "disciples from the West". Like the Huguo Temple in Wuwei and the Reclining Buddha Temple in Zhangye, it is a famous Buddhist temple in Xixia. On May 25, 2006, Chengtian Temple Pagoda, as an ancient building from the Qing Dynasty, was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

5. Yinchuan Haibao Pagoda

Haibao Pagoda Temple is one of the key Buddhist temples opened in my country, located in the northwest of Xingqing District, Yinchuan City. Haibaota Temple, known as "Haibao Temple" in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, is located 1.5 kilometers northwest of Yinchuan City. The temple is surrounded by lush willows and shady trees, making the environment very quiet. The Haibao Pagoda in the temple is the oldest Buddhist building in Ningxia and is one of the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in my country.

6. Yinchuan Drum Tower

The Yinchuan Bell and Drum Tower is located at the intersection of Jiefang East Street and Pedestrian Street in Yinchuan City. It is also known as the "Cross Drum Tower" and "Four Drum Towers" and is commonly known as the "Drum Tower". ". The total height of the building is 36 meters, covering an area of ??576 square meters. It is composed of platform base, pavilion and corner square. The platform base is square, with a side length of 24 meters and a height of 8.5 meters. It is built with masonry. It is now a key protected unit in Yinchuan City, Ningxia.

7. China Returning Home Cultural Park

Chinese Returning Home Cultural Park is located on the north side of Najiahu Mosque in Yongning County, close to the Yongning exit of Beijing-Tibet Expressway, relying on the ancient The Najiahu Mosque and the Najiahu Village, which is rich in Hui ethnic customs, are characterized by the display of Islamic architectural culture, etiquette culture, food culture, religious culture, farming and business culture. The project was approved by the autonomous region in 2001 and has twice sought 16 million yuan in national debt funds. The construction of the entire park includes five major projects: infrastructure, Hui Nationality Museum, Ceremony Hall, Hui Nationality Business Street, and Huixiang Renjia. It fills the gap in the concentrated display of key Hui cultural attractions in the area and is included in the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" tourism industry by the autonomous region. One of the priority development projects. It is the only place in China where the cultural customs of the Hui people are displayed. The cultural park, which is rich in national characteristics and Islamic cultural characteristics, is attracting the surprised attention of the world and is praised and affirmed by people from all walks of life at home and abroad.

8. Ningxia Tongxin Mosque

Located on the high ground in the northwest corner of the old city of Tongxin County, Ningxia, it is the oldest and largest Islamic building in Ningxia. According to legend, it was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620). Judging from the inscriptions on the screen wall and the ridge purlin of the worship hall, it was rebuilt twice in the fifty-sixth year of Qianlong (1791) and the thirty-third year of Guangxu (1907) in the Qing Dynasty. The appearance of Tongxin Mosque is different from those in the mainland. It is more like a city tower. From the door through the coupon hole, there are steps to climb up to a 10-meter-high platform.

The base of the platform is covered with bricks and covers an area of ??more than 3,500 square meters. On top of it are the prayer hall, muanli building, and imam's housing. The temple gate faces north, and in front of the gate there is an exquisite imitation wood-structured brick carving of "Moon Hanging Pines and Cypresses" as a screen wall. It is a building that integrates my country's traditional wooden structure architecture and Islamic woodcarving and brick carving decoration art. On the platform above the gate stands the light and beautiful two-story Bunker Building with spires at four corners. To the north of the Bunker Building, the worship hall faces west to east. It is a grand building with a single eaves and a hilltop. It is composed of a rolling boron roof and two hilltops connected front and back. It is five rooms wide and can accommodate seven to eight hundred people. The unique architectural form of Tongxin Mosque is the result of the harmonious coexistence and cultural exchanges of the multi-ethnic groups in Ningxia.

9. Yuhuang Pavilion

Yuhuang Pavilion is located on East Street in Yinchuan City, Ningxia. According to "Shuofang Xinzhi", it was built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 600 years. It is an ancient building with national style and a key historical relic of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The main pavilion of the Jade Emperor Pavilion is a two-story attic with double eaves. The pavilion is about 22.1 meters high. The platform is rectangular, 19 meters high, 37.6 meters long from the southeast, and 25 meters wide from the north to the south. It is majestic, like a roc spreading its wings and about to fly in the sky. It inspires people to make progress and strive hard. Because the statue of the Jade Emperor is cast inside, it is called the Jade Emperor Pavilion. The Jade Emperor Pavilion and the Drum Tower complement each other from afar, creating a unique charm.

10. Zhongwei Gaomiao

Zhongwei Gaomiao is located in the north of Zhongwei City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It is built on a high platform connected to the city wall (including the Baoan Temple under the high platform). It is said that it was first built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424). After successive additions and reconstructions, by the Qing Dynasty it had become a large-scale ancient building complex, showing the style of Ningxia's ancient buildings. It is as famous as the "Wonder of the Desert" and is one of the two major landscapes in Zhongwei.

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