The Wattled-Wall House of Salar People and Its Conservation and Development

Mingjing Zhu, Binsheng Luo, Ben La, Ruijie Chen, Fenggui Liu and Chunlin Long
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Mingjing Zhu: College of Geography Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810007, China
Binsheng Luo: Lushan Botanical Garden, Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lushan 332900, China
Ben La: College of Geography Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810007, China
Ruijie Chen: College of Geography Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810007, China
Fenggui Liu: College of Geography Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810007, China
Chunlin Long: Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, National Ethnic Affairs Commission (Minzu University of China), Beijing 100081, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Salar people are Turkic-speaking Islamic people and an ethnic group with a small population in China. Wattled-wall house of Salar people is a type of traditional house threatened by extinction. In 2008, the wattled-wall house construction skills were selected for the national intangible cultural heritage list. It is mainly distributed in Xunhua Salar Autonomous County, Qinghai Province of China. So far, Salar people′s traditional wattled-wall house knowledge has been poorly documented. Therefore, a study supporting cultural preservation efforts is needed, including preserving plants used in its construction. This study mainly applied ethnobotanical methods based on data collection through observation, interviews, and documentation. Additionally, ArcGIS data analysis is also used to supplement the evaluation of the traditional wattled-wall house. This study aimed to (1) document traditional knowledge about the wattled-wall house construction, (2) and evaluate the current status of the wattled-wall house from different angles like the environmental adaptability and internal advantages and disadvantages. The result showed that the local people still apply the knowledge about the wattled-wall house from generation to generation. However, due to some practical reasons, the wattled-wall house is on the verge of extinction. There are 11 plant taxa used as construction materials in wattled-wall house. Conservation efforts for species involved in the wattled-wall house are needed, especially the ones with limited availability. Re-use of wattled-wall house is needed in order to maximize the economic benefits and to safeguard its historical and architectural values. It is recommended that the conservation of this cultural heritage needs more attention and effort from the local government or the society.

Keywords: wattled-wall house; traditional construction; the Salar people; ethnobotany; traditional knowledge (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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