Architectural Form and Architectural Culture of Mountain Residential Dwellings in the Xinxiang Region, Henan, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jcte.202606106

Author(s)

Bohao Wang1, Liyue Wu1,2, Yanjun Li1,*

Affiliation(s)

1School of Design & Art, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 2Xi'an Zhongda Shiye Co., Ltd., Xi’an Shaanxi, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

Mountain dwellings in the Xinxiang region, situated along the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains in northern Henan, developed as an adaptive construction system shaped by mountain terrain, locally available resources, and a historically layered cultural context. Based on literature review and textual examination, field investigation, high-precision measured survey, and measured drawings and redrafting, this study establishes an analytical framework covering dwelling overview, architectural form, and building structure. Two representative cases are examined in detail: Courtyard No. 1 in Longwoyan Village, characterized by stone–timber composite construction, and the Former Site of Chen Geng’s Command Post in Pingdian Village, characterized by brick–timber composite construction and a front-shop, rear-residence arrangement. The analysis clarifies how courtyard configuration, orientation and enclosure strategies, and material selection correspond to topographic constraints and local stone and brick resources, and how key components, including lintels, gable walls, and rear eave-wall treatments, are associated with structural requirements and environmental adaptation. The study offers a case-based understanding of mountain dwellings in Xinxiang and supports conservation, transmission, and adaptive reuse planning in cultural-heritage practice.

Keywords

Mountain Residential Dwelling; Traditional Dwellings; Stone Masonry Architecture; Form Characteristics

References

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