On November 3rd, “Tracing Back in Yunnan”—The Webinar on Traditional Architecture of Yunnan Province was held synchronously at Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C., KUST in Kunming, and Leyo Hotel in Dali in an “online + offline” format. Representatives from Sidwell Friends School, the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of KUST, and Chinese culture and language enthusiasts from Washington and surrounding areas attended the webinar.
The webinar, with the China Folk House Retreat as its focus, was aimed at showcasing the unique architectural culture of China, especially in Yunnan Province, to all walks of life in the US to promote cultural exchanges between China and the United States. During the conference, Chinese and American experts discussed the history and characteristics of Chinese folk architecture, the preservation and inheritance of the traditional architectural culture of Yunnan Province, and the promotion of Sino-US friendship and exchanges.
Ronald G. Knapp, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York and expert on Chinese folk architecture, introduced the history and characteristics of Chinese folk architecture. Jeff Crosby, Deputy Director of the Contemporary Gallery Kunming, introduced the exhibition “Fields of Being: Traditions of Yunnan Architecture”. Dr. John Flower, Director of the Sidwell Friends School’s Chinese Studies Program and founder of the China Folk House Retreat, introduced the China Folk House Retreat project. Brian Linden, the director of the Leyo Hotel in Dali, introduced the preservation, inheritance and development of traditional architecture in Yunnan Province with his personal experiences. Professor Zhai Hui from the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of KUST presented the folk wisdom of architecture in northwest Yunnan.
At the seminar, Zhou Fengyue, Vice President of KUST, announced the donation of tiles to the China Folk House Retreat.
After the meeting, Professor Zhai Hui said in an interview that the vernacular architecture of Yunnan reflects the Chinese philosophy of “harmony between heaven and earth, human beings without uniformity”. In recent years, the conservation work of traditional folk houses in Yunnan Province has made many achievements, and the public’s awareness of conservation has been increasing constantly. Folk houses are changing as people’s quality of life improves, which leads to the necessary changes in measures as well. Architecture has “life” due to people. In terms of traditional architecture, we should explore how to achieve better conservation through a combination of preservation and utilization while carrying out museum-style static conservation. KUST has begun its cooperation with some foreign schools in architecture, and is expected to hold an exhibition of Yunnan traditional architecture in the United States next year jointly with the US parties. It is hoped that more joint work camps will be established by KUST and foreign schools to carry out research and practice.
The China Folk House Retreat, initiated by Dr. John Flower and his wife, is a project aimed at rebuilding a folk house from Yunnan Province on the bank of the Xanadu River in Jefferson Town, West Virginia, USA. The restored house will provide a space for American people, especially American youth, to learn about Chinese customs and folk culture.
Translated by: FU Ruoxue, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Cultures
Edited by: DUAN Tianting, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Cultures (English)
Source: Division of International Cooperation
Issued by: Division of International Cooperation (English)
Edited by: KUST News Center (Chinese)
