Chinese Handcrafts: A Woodworking Legend1

Chinese Handcrafts:

A Woodworking Legend

Editor-in-chief: Zhou Lifeng

Reviewer: Wang Jinqiang

China Science amp; Technology Press

December 2022

98.00 (CNY)

Zhou Lifeng (editor-in-chief)

Zhou Lifeng holds a Master’s degree from China Communication University and has been working in film and television for 18 years. She is a documentary planner and chief director， skilled in program planning and integrated media promotion， and was awarded one of the top ten outstanding women by the National Radio and Television Administration.

Wang Jinqiang (reviewer)

Wang Jinqiang is a member of the Communist Party group， deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Folk Artists Association， former executive deputy director of the Office for the Rescue of Chinese Folk Cultural Heritage， chief editor of Folk Culture magazine， and editor-in-chief of the Folk Culture Forum.

June 12， 2021， marked the fifth “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day.” The Ministry of Culture and Tourism hosted the “Century of Crafts: Passing the Torch” traditional crafts invitation exhibition， where over 1，200 inheritors of intangible cultural heritage from across the country were invited， displaying more than 1，500 pieces (sets) of their work.

Stilt House Model

The “Cuojikou-style Stilt House，” a model created by Wan Taoyuan， a national-level representative inheritor of the Tujia stilt house building craft from Xianfeng County， Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture， Hubei Province， was selected for its distinctive craftsmanship.

The one-meter square model of the Cuojikou-style stilt house， crafted to scale based on the actual building， combines aesthetic contours， spatial beauty， and layered elegance. It has been exhibited in various locations and has won multiple awards.

This model serves as a blueprint for constructing stilt houses， featuring a complex structure reduced to 1/20th the size of traditional stilt houses. One notable feature is a central column at the junction of the main and wing houses， known as the “umbrella handle column” or “skyrocket，” which is a critical study point for stilt house architecture.

Craftsmen inspired by the birds they encountered while walking in the Wuling Mountains have designed unique wing-like projections on the roofs of the stilt houses. These rooftop wing projections truly resemble the wings of birds in flight， adding to the beauty of the structures. Applying a layer of tung oil to the stilt house model not only enhances its appearance but also helps preserve it for a long time.

The design and construction of stilt houses incorporate unique components like “skyrockets” and “wing projections，” creating a varied and graceful exterior while enriching the internal spatial layers.

Wan Taoyuan has completed constructing over a dozen stilt house models in various styles， which are now part of the local cultural museum’s collection.

Actual Stilt Houses

Currently， there are nearly a hundred stilt house clusters in Xianfeng County， with over ten thousand buildings either nestled in the mountains or along the water， adapting to the unique natural geography of the Wuling Mountains in a semi-dry corridor style.

The first step in building a stilt house is selecting the foundation.

The ideal site layout is “Green Dragon on the left， White Tiger on the right， Vermilion Bird in the front， Black Tortoise in the back.” If unfavorable mountain or water features are present， a talisman can be hung above the main entrance to ward off evil and attract auspiciousness. If the terrain is weaker on one end， then building a stilt house can compensate and balance it out.

Next， one must “collect the mountain” (prepare materials)， especially ensuring all needed pillar heads (columns， saddle tubes) are ready.

Then， set up the wooden horse， clean the frame pieces， all of which must fit the size of the stilt house precisely， and keep the dimensions of the frames well memorized.

The house structure is built using a mortise and tenon technique， entirely with wooden pegs， without a single iron nail， making it sturdy and durable.

The columns and saddle tubes are closely fitted together， the frames are threaded through， the high frame is erected， and then it is ready to be roofed with green tiles. Subsequent work on doors， windows， and other minor components can all be completed indoors， unaffected by the weather.

“Without a nail or a rivet， even if the walls fall， the house does not fall，” the Tujia stilt house， with its exquisite craftsmanship and upright posture， stands amidst the mountains and waters.

House Raising

“This hammer is not ordinary; bestowed by Lu Ban， it is a golden silver hammer. When it strikes， all taboos vanish. For close friends and family， big events are settled in seven days， bringing a millennium of prosperity and a ten-thousand-year legacy. Once the blessings are completed， rise!”

In the mountainside of Xianfeng， Hubei， Wan Taoyuan， acting as the chief ink master， is directing everyone in the raising of stilt houses. The chief ink master is the soul of stilt house construction， utilizing tools like “wooden horses， tall poles， magic hammers， headbands， golden pegs，” all sourced locally at the building site.

Using a “tall pole” on-site， without a single blueprint， the position， height， and size of the house can be quickly， simply， and accurately determined， maintaining the house’s level and angles.

Experience

At 15， Wan Taoyuan began learning carpentry from his grandfather， quickly excelling in the construction of Tujia stilt houses， mastering various regulations， processes， skills， and cultural rituals.

Building the main structure of a stilt house involves over a dozen woodworking processes. Wan Taoyuan is meticulous about each step， ensuring no detail is overlooked， each joint is perfectly aligned， and no errors occur， with his hands and heart fully engaged in the work.

In over 40 years of his career， Wan Taoyuan has constructed countless stilt houses， with several dozen still well-preserved to this day. While serving his community， Wan Taoyuan also honed his exquisite skills， becoming widely known as “Wan the Carpenter.”

In 2007， in the largest symmetric stilt house garden in western Hubei， Jiang’s Garden， many skilled carpenters were stumped by a damaged column head. “Wan the Carpenter” showed his skill by replacing the frame piece and column head， leaving no trace of the repair.

This incident brought Wan Taoyuan’s architectural skills and craftsmanship in stilt house construction to the attention of cultural officials. Subsequently， the cultural department entrusted him with the restoration and oversight of the entire Jiang’s Garden.

That same year， he also undertook the emergency repair of the provincial cultural heritage site， the Yan Family Ancestral Hall.

In 2009， Wan Taoyuan led his team to successfully restore the national cultural heritage site， the Tang Cliff Tusi Fort， featuring the archway “Jingnan’s Mighty Town， the Screen of Sichuan and Hubei.” Thanks to Master Wan’s superior skills， the restoration was seamlessly integrated with the original， causing no damage or adverse effects to the cultural relics.