The relationship between Yunnan minority architecture and geographical environment

Natural geographical environmental factors of the distribution of ethnic minorities in Yunnan

Abstract: Yunnan is the province with the largest number of ethnic minorities in China. Among the 56 ethnic groups in the country, there are 52 in Yunnan, with a population of 5,000. There are 26 ethnic groups above 100,000 people, and 25 ethnic minorities except the Han. The total population of the province is approximately 41.92 million (in 1999), of which more than 13 million are from ethnic minorities, accounting for 1/3 of the province's total population. The reason why there are so many ethnic minorities in Yunnan is related to the natural geographical environment, historical and cultural factors, political factors and many other factors. Among these many factors, Yunnan's special natural geographical environment factors such as landforms, rivers, and climate play the most fundamental role in the diversity of ethnic minorities in Yunnan. In particular, the complex terrain environment is almost the basis of Yunnan's complex ethnic distribution pattern.

Keywords: Geographical and environmental factors of the distribution of ethnic minorities

An overview of the distribution of ethnic groups in Yunnan

Magical, fertile and beautiful Yunnan is located in the southwest border of the motherland; It spans 864.9 kilometers and is 990 kilometers long from north to south. The land area is 39.4 million square kilometers (1995 statistics); the total population is 41.92 million (1999). It is adjacent to Guizhou Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the east; it is bounded by the Jinsha River in the northeast and faces Sichuan Province across the river; it is adjacent to the Tibet Autonomous Region in the northwest; it borders Myanmar in the west; and it borders Laos and Vietnam in the south. The national border is 4,061 kilometers long, making it one of the provinces with the longest land border in the country.

Yunnan is a place where snow-covered plateaus and tropical rainforests coexist, alternating with high mountains and deep valleys and broad flat lakes. It has gathered one-half of the country’s animal and plant species and witnessed the survival and development of 26 ethnic groups. Yunnan Province is the province with the largest number of ethnic minorities in my country. In addition to the Han, there are 25 ethnic minorities in *** with a population of more than 4,000 people. They are: Yi, Bai, Hani, Zhuang, Dai, Miao, Lisu, Hui, and Lahu. , Wa, Naxi, Yao, Tibet, Jingpo, Buyi, Pumi, Nu, Achang, Deang, Jinuo, Shui, Mongolia, Bulang, Dulong and Manchu, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the total population of the province. In addition, there are 15 ethnic groups, such as the Nu ethnic group, Dulong ethnic group, and Dai ethnic group, which are unique to Yunnan Province. People of various ethnic groups have created colorful national cultures in the long history.

As early as the clan society period, there were three major ethnic groups living in Yunnan: Qiang, Pu, and Yue. They were the earliest ancestors of Yunnan, and were collectively called "Southwestern Yi" during the Qin and Han Dynasties. After generations of continuous migration, differentiation, evolution, and integration, it was not until the Ming and Qing dynasties that the distribution and characteristics of each ethnic group became stable. The Yi people are mainly distributed in the vast areas of northeastern, central and northern Yunnan; the Bai people are mainly distributed around the Erhai Lake and adjacent areas; the Zhuang and Miao people are mainly distributed in eastern and southeastern Yunnan; Lisu, Nu, Dulong, Hani, Dai, Lahu, The Wa, Jingpo, Bulang, Naxi, Tibetan, Achang and Deang ethnic groups are mainly distributed in the vast areas of western, southern and northwestern Yunnan. In addition, the three-dimensional distribution of residences of various ethnic groups is also obvious. The Bai, Zhuang, Hui, and Naxi ethnic groups mostly live in Pingba; the Dai and Achang live in low-heat valleys; the Yi, Hani, Lahu, Wa, Jingpo, Bulang, Yao, and Deang mostly live in the mid-mountainous areas; the Miao mostly live in alpine mountainous areas; Tibet and Pumi They live in the northwest Yunnan Plateau; the Lisu, Nu and Dulong people are distributed in the mountainous areas on both sides of the Nu River and Dulong River, showing a distribution pattern of large mixed settlements and small settlements. In the long history, people of various ethnic groups have integrated with each other and developed independently, creating colorful national cultures.

2. Distribution of ethnic groups in Yunnan and geographical factors

There are many geographical factors that have a huge impact on the distribution of ethnic groups in Yunnan, such as terrain, rivers, climate, soil, water sources, and lighting. conditions etc. This article only analyzes the two factors with more obvious impacts: terrain factors and climate factors.

2.1 The influence of terrain conditions

The distribution of various ethnic groups in Yunnan Province is very obviously affected by terrain conditions. For example, there are 10 ethnic groups - Hui, Bai, Naxi, Mongolia The ethnic groups such as Zhuang, Manchu, Dai, Achang, Buyi and Shui are distributed in the Pingba area of ??the river valley, with a total population of about 4.5 million; and the ethnic groups distributed in low mountain areas include the Yi, Hani, Yao and Lahu ethnic groups. , Wa, Jingpo, Bulang and Jinuo, with a total population of about 5 million; the ethnic groups distributed in alpine mountainous areas include the Miao, Lisu, Tibetan, Pumi, Nu and Dulong, with a total population of approximately 4 million. From this point of view, the distribution pattern of various ethnic groups in Yunnan Province is full of the flavor of Yunnan's complex and diverse topographic environment.

Yunnan Province is located in the southwest border of my country. The entire Yunnan Province is located in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Hengduan Mountains and other plateau mountainous areas with large terrain. Tall mountain systems, rugged mountain roads, and criss-crossing rivers divide Yunnan Province into numerous relatively isolated geographical units. For example, the Hengduan Mountain Area is the Three Parallel Rivers area. The tall mountains run from north to south and cross from east to west, making transportation inconvenient. This makes the residents living in this area in a relatively isolated "paradise". Historically, this area was economically backward, and the economic ties between various ethnic groups and even tribes within the same ethnic group were in a state of fragmentation, which in turn restricted economic and cultural exchanges between various ethnic groups. This has led to the development of each ethnic group in an independent space, resulting in relatively independent national cultures, forming various ethnic groups and colorful national cultures.

For example: the Wa ethnic group is one of the unique ethnic minorities in Yunnan. According to the fifth census of Yunnan Province in 2000, the Wa ethnic group has 383,023 people. They are mainly distributed between the Lancang River and the Salween River and in the southern section of the Nushan Mountains. Since most of the Wa villages are located on the middle of a hillside, their houses are "ganlan style" bamboo buildings and thatched houses, with people living on the upper floors and cattle pens on the lower floors. Another example: The Lisu people, one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan, generally live in high mountains and mid-mountainous areas, with only a small number of people living in dam areas. In the past, bamboo and wood structures and civil structures were the main ones, but now there are brick and wood and brick-concrete structures. Their production division of labor and organization are relatively simple. Women are generally engaged in gathering, weaving, and housework, while men are engaged in agricultural work such as hunting and fishing. Nowadays, the form of "Wushi" (hired labor) farming has emerged to cope with highly seasonal farm work. The blood clan is the main core of the village.

Due to the limitations of terrain conditions, the various ethnic minorities in Yunnan have developed in relatively independent spaces, which has also resulted in the backwardness of the economy, culture and social system of the ethnic areas. Before the founding of New China, various ethnic groups in Yunnan were still in different stages of social development, including the late primitive society, slave society, feudal lordship, and feudal landlordism, and primitive and ancient national customs were popular. For example, the Nu people, one of the unique ethnic minorities in Yunnan, do not have their own written language. Their poems, tunes, legends, stories, etc. are all inherited from generation to generation through the ancient method of oral transmission. In the past, people used primitive methods of carving wood and tying ropes to record their daily lives and important events.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the implementation of the country's equal ethnic policy and the gradual economic development of minority areas, the hindrance of topographic conditions in the economic and cultural exchanges of various ethnic groups has gradually weakened, and thus The relative isolation of various ethnic groups in geographical space caused by terrain conditions in the past has been gradually broken, and economic and cultural exchanges among various ethnic groups have gradually strengthened. Ethnic minority peoples gradually left the mountains and river valleys and rushed to various parts of the motherland to participate in the socialist modernization drive, thus promoting the integration of various ethnic groups. But at the same time, the independent national cultures of various ethnic minorities have also been lost to varying degrees.

2.2 Influence of climatic conditions

As the saying goes: The soil and water support the people. The distribution of many ethnic minorities in Yunnan is not only related to specific terrain conditions, but also has a great relationship with specific climatic conditions. Warm and humid river valleys and alpine plateau areas often form different ethnic groups and cultures. The tropical monsoon climate zone in southern Yunnan and the warmer and cooler climate areas on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau often form very different ethnic cultures. Yunnan is a region with many plateaus and mountains. Especially in the Three Parallel Rivers area, there are high mountains and deep valleys, and the vertical geographical differentiation of the mountain climate is relatively obvious. Therefore, there are many ethnic groups distributed in various parts of the valley, mountainside, and mountaintops in this area, and there are also huge differences between the cultures of various ethnic groups. difference.

The climate type in southern Yunnan is a tropical monsoon climate that is hot all year round and rainy in summer. People who have lived in this area for a long time have applied corresponding heat-resistant, moisture-proof and other measures in their daily production and life to ensure their normal production and life. At the same time, the hot and humid climate environment is also highlighted in its national culture. For example, the Dai people are one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan. The Dai people live in the tropical areas of southern Yunnan all year round, which makes them very different from the ethnic culture in the alpine areas of northern Yunnan. The Dai villages are all located near the water in Pingba, along the banks of streams, on both sides of the river, around lakes and swamps, wherever there are green bamboos and shady trees, there must be a Dai village. The famous "Dai Bamboo Houses" are located in these dam areas. Due to the hot and humid weather, most of the bamboo buildings are leaning against mountains and rivers; outside the village, banyan trees cover the sky and their air roots hang low. The shape of the Dai Bamboo House is a gantry-style building, and its roof is in the shape of a "herringbone". Because these areas have a tropical monsoon climate and heavy rainfall, the "herringbone" shaped roof is easy to drain and will not cause water accumulation. situation arises. Generally speaking, Dai bamboo houses are two-story buildings with stilts. The stilts are used to prevent moisture from the ground and play a role in ventilation, moisture and heat insulation. The bottom floor of a bamboo building is generally uninhabited and is a place for raising poultry, while the upper floor is where people live. The entire bamboo building is very spacious, with a large space, few obstructions, and excellent ventilation conditions, which is very suitable for the humid and rainy climate conditions in Xishuangbanna area.

It is worth mentioning that with the gradual progress of human civilization, people's ability to adapt to the natural environment has gradually increased, making the impact of climate factors on the distribution of ethnic groups increasingly weakened. This also gives the people of all ethnic groups in Yunnan the conditions for intertwined distribution.

3 Contemporary Distribution and Development Forecast of Ethnic Groups in Yunnan

Various geographical factors have played a huge role in the emergence, development, and even today’s distribution pattern of various ethnic groups in Yunnan. However, with the rapid economic development in ethnic minority areas since the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially since the reform and opening up, the exchanges between people of all ethnic groups have gradually increased, which in turn has caused people in various ethnic minority areas to gradually go out and travel to other areas. Normal production and life. As a result, the influence of natural geographical factors such as topography and climate on the distribution of ethnic groups has gradually weakened. As a result, the relatively concentrated distribution pattern of various ethnic minorities in Yunnan in the past was broken, and gradually evolved into a distribution pattern of large mixed settlements, small settlements, and staggered distribution.

The increasingly close exchanges between various ethnic groups in modern times are conducive to promoting ethnic integration, enhancing national identity, and consolidating national unity.

However, this also led to the gradual loss of the cultural independence of the people of all ethnic groups. The production and living customs of various ethnic groups are gradually becoming more consistent, which also poses a huge threat to our country's diverse ethnic cultures. Therefore, while people of all ethnic groups enjoy the fruits of victory since reform and opening up, they must also shoulder the important task of inheriting rich and diverse national cultures. The country wants to develop and people's living standards need to improve, but the excellent culture left by our ancestors cannot be abandoned. This will be a question worth pondering for modern people. Here, we have to learn from Japan’s measures to protect traditional culture when developing modernization.