7,000-year history of China stilted houses celebrates human ingenuity, offers insights

With sturdy wooden columns supporting a wide walkway that leads into a living space, stilted houses – known as ganlan in Chinese – represent a quintessential element of East Asian architectural heritage, boasting a remarkable history that spans 7,000 years.A day trip to Tai O, a historic fishing village on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, fully immerses visitors in the enchanting aesthetics of ganlan, making the village a premier destination for both locals and tourists.“In most Chinese regions comprising ancient human civilisations, traces of ganlan are evident, reflecting a certain historical inevitability in its origin,” wrote the authors, Min Tianyi and Zhang Tong, from Southeast University in Nanjing, in east China’s Jiangsu province.Stilted houses often occupy densely populated areas, fostering a picturesque community where residents are motivated to collaborate and learn from one another, ultimately enhancing communal prosperity.This cultural synergy encouraged interethnic exchanges and, over time, the migration of technologies, according to a recent study published in Nature.Tai O, located on Lantau Island, is Hong Kong’s oldest remaining fishing village, renowned for its unique stilted houses built over tidal flats. Photo: Wikipedia“Inter-ethnic interaction, particularly influenced by Han culture, is a key driving force in the evolution of ganlan types, collectively shaping its ‘west-to-east’ directional evolution pattern,” the authors stated.The study unveiled a striking distinction between the homes in northern and southern China, primarily influenced by climatic conditions. In northern China, early inhabitants often opted for cave dwellings due to scarce resources and harsh winters.Conversely, in southern China, primitive shelters known as “nests” emerged thousands of years ago. These were constructed from branches and leaves, serving as effective adaptations to the region’s high rainfall and abundant forest resources.As centuries unfolded, these basic dwellings evolved into five distinct architectural styles of ganlan.The stilted houses near San Kei Bridge in Tai O have undergone significant beautification and structural reinforcement as part of broader government and private conservation initiatives aimed at preserving this distinctive Hong Kong fishing village. Photo: SCMP/Edmond SoThe first iteration, primitive ganlan houses, typically appeared in remote regions of China. Characterised by bamboo walls and roofs, they were associated with the Baiyue culture, which occupied southeast China and northern Vietnam from the Bronze Age (3300 BC – 1200 BC) until the early Imperial era (221 BC – 1912). These homes saw limited cultural interaction with central China, with similar variations of Type 1 ganlan houses found in isolated indigenous communities.As researchers ventured through eastern Yunnan and beyond, a new generation of ganlan houses emerged among various ethnic groups, marking a significant advancement in construction techniques; these homes were built of wood rather than bamboo.Both of the earliest generations of ganlan houses were designed to adapt to steep terrains, with some built on slopes exceeding 30 degrees.A map illustrating the distribution and locations of ganlan houses highlights this traditional architectural heritage, primarily found in the mountainous regions of southern and southwestern China. Photo: Wikipedia/Nature academic journalOver time, the third generation of ganlan houses gained prominence across southeastern China. Their innovative “column-and-tie” framework strengthened foundations and allowed for the development of multi-storey homes.Further ReadingThe fourth iteration of ganlan houses arose as a result of migration, blending stilted and grounded designs. This hybridisation often occurred when groups like the Miao and Yao moved into mountainous areas.The final manifestation of stilted houses, termed “enclosed ganlan,” bore similarities to traditional Han architecture, featuring elegant courtyards and exemplifying how ethnic groups integrated local governance into their communities.Among the most notable examples of this final ganlan style are the homes belonging to the Tujia ethnic group in Central China. These structures thrive today and have been integral in sustaining local economies, particularly through tourism.The researchers discovered a distinctive clustering pattern of stilted houses: “These structures are concentrated in mountainous areas south of the Yangtze River, particularly in southwestern regions inhabited by various ethnic minorities.”Stilted homes are most commonly distributed across present-day Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, and Chongqing, with a significant cluster also found in Jilin province in northeast China.Old wooden Chinese stilted houses line the riverbank in Fenghuang Ancient Town, Hunan province, a revered destination with a history spanning over 400 years. This town is celebrated for its well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty architecture, particularly its iconic wooden stilted houses. Photo: ShutterstockThe stilted houses in Jilin, built by the Chaoxian ethnic group, featured innovative “fire floors” – heated platforms situated below the elevated living space – allowing inhabitants to maintain a mat-dwelling lifestyle in a colder climate.“Over time, the ganlan architectural system has demonstrated adaptive strategies to various climatic and geographical environments,” the authors noted.“Its core functional principle of raising the main living space above the elevated platform provides systematic solutions to multiple environmental challenges.”Advancements in shelter have always been crucial for human survival and flourishing.The ganlan houses of ancient China illuminate humanity’s extraordinary capacity for adaptation, showcasing our unique ability to respond to nature, share technologies across cultures, and develop ever more innovative ways to thrive collectively.