Residential Building Study Labrang Tibetan Cultural Area

Architecture as a form of culture and a cultural heritage is the reveals of cultural creativity of a nationality. Residential buildings as one of the most popular, is not only the embodiments of a nation’s space production more importantly is the performance of a way of life and economical bases attached with this lifestyle and ideology. Palace and temple architecture due to the rise and fall of political and religious powers accompanied with the changes of their styles. While on the contrary the residential buildings due to the multiple traditional factors such as geographical environment, climatic conditions, local customs, building materials, construction techniques, and local customs is remained unchanged with its style for a long time. Thus residential buildings known as the ’living fossil’ of social history for its relative stability and containable of valuable historical and cultural values. For historical and social reasons so far only few people are being concerned and aware of variety and richness about Tibetan residential architecture, let alone the Labrang areas.Labrang is located in the hinterland of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, adjacent to Furukawa state (now Linxia), frequent cultural exchanges took place thereon.Ascribed to the immense influence of Tibetan Buddhism here in Labrang thus shared the reputation of "little Tibet". Looking at the types and characteristics of residential buildings all around Tibetan areas, the residential buildings in Labrang region obviously shared very unique characteristics due to the double impacts from Tibetan Buddhism and mainland Chinese culture, therefore study upon it can fully understand the Tibetan culture of residential buildings and Residential building in Labrang indicates its representativeness in this field of research.This paper is going through such aspects as following like the origin of residential buildings, building procedure,structural features and decorative characteristics along with the learned professional knowledge to carry out the research, go more further on comprehensive analysis and understanding of Tibetan residential architectures in Labrang region. Aiming to discuss and embody the unique idea and cultural background of Tibetan residential dwells in Labrang. By doing so intend to expose a new perspective and academic reference in the research of Tibetan architectural culture. The thesis is divided into seven chapters, in preface comes a brief overview of the purpose of the study and academic trends. First chapter by referring to the literature texts, have defined the concept of the so called region of Labrang. Following chapters gives a glimpse on the background and formation of the Labrang residential buildings, such like the residential orientation and building customs, as well as construction process and construction technology. Apart from that carried a research on the structure and type of residential, and its unique decorative aspects, through the vision of specific address and comparative studies. The last chapter goes to the conclusion of cultural characteristics of the residential buildings in Labrang.