Present Situation and Renovation Strategies of Farmhouses in Yingxi Village, Fuliang County, Jingdezhen

College of Fine Art, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330000, China

Abstract At presents, the hollowing of rural areas and the emptying of rural houses are very common. Scholars have discussed various construction strategies on the issue of rural housing renovation. The speed of urbanization construction has led to a huge dilemma for villages featuring traditional dwellings. Taking Yingxi Village, Zhitan Town, Fuliang County, Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province as an example, combining the current situation of China’s rural housing and the actual situation of reconstruction and reuse, this article explores and studies the enormous potential and unlimited cultural influence of rural housing renovation.

Key words Yingxi Village, Current situation of farmhouses, Renovation strategies

1 Introduction

Rural housing is the general term for peasant housing and ancillary facilities, mainly including three categories: residential building, public building and production building. Among them, residential building is the main component of farmers’ lives. It has the functions of production and life and agricultural and sideline industries. In addition, renovation has multiple definitions in the field of architecture. In this article, renovation refers to the process of repairing and adjusting the internal space structure, functional requirements and external form of building that has a good life but cannot meet current usage requirements in terms of functional space, living standards or appearance based on the needs of the times and social development to make it better to meet the current living functions. Starting from the spirit of the 18th National Party Congress in 2013 and the National Conference on Housing and Urban-Rural Development, it shows that we must vigorously promote the renovation of rural dilapidated houses and the protection of traditional villages. The relevant construction departments such as the township construction department actively implement the outline of the meeting, increase guidance and support for the construction of townships across the country, focus on strengthening the renovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, guide and support the construction of rural houses and small towns, and protect the historical context of traditional villages[1]. After 2014, a series of policies related to rural housing construction have been launched. It is also emphasized that the focus is on protecting traditional village dwellings and doing a good job in the construction of rural villages[2]. Until February 2, 2019, the Office of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development proposed that the main purpose of the Notice on Launching Pilot Work on Rural Housing Construction is to improve the design and construction and the overall service management level of rural housing and construct a number of livable demonstration farmhouses with modern functions, local style, low costs, safety structure and green environment through pilot work on rural housing construction based on respecting the needs of farmers’ housing, thereby improving the living conditions and living environment of farmers and improving the rural culture and style[3].

2 Background of farmhouse renovation

There are many traditional villages of different sizes scattered in Fuliang County, Jingdezhen City. There are 102 traditional villages with a certain cultural heritage. Among them, there are 36 traditional villages with deep foundations and well-preserved traditional buildings[4]. Yingxi Village described in this article is one of the representative traditional village in Fuliang County, Jidezhen City. The formation of traditional village buildings in Jingdezhen dates back to the Qin and Han dynasties. They are initiated in the Han Dynasty and developed from the Wei and Jin dynasties to the end of the Yuan Dynasty. After the rapid development of the porcelain industry in the Tang Dynasty, burned bricks and glazed tiles were applied to the construction of buildings. During this period, the folks began to use Feng Shui theory to guide the site selection, layout and space organization of residential houses. In the Song Dynasty, this theory gradually matured. From the early Ming Dynasty to the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the residential buildings in Jingdezhen matured. At the same time, the residential mode and architectural style of Jingdezhen were confirmed. The residential buildings in northeastern Jiangxi are affected by the Huizhou architecture, and those in southern Jiangxi is mainly influenced by Hakka dwellings, while central Jiangxi has formed its own style. Jingdezhen belongs to the northeastern region of Jiangxi and forms a representative Huizhou architectural style. From the late Qing Dynasty to the modern times, the traditional dwellings in Jingdezhen gradually fell to the end. The residential buildings in the late Qing Dynasty used the practice of traditional architecture in the Ming and Qing dynasties even in terms of form, craftsmanship and technology. However, due to advances in construction techniques and construction materials, external forms have changed, but the internal space construction and layout have not changed. In modern times, influenced by Western culture, building materials and building technology have changed a lot in external form. Traditional forms of residential buildings have been abandoned, and their renovation has no features[5]. Therefore, on the basis of solving rural housing difficulties and improving the living environment and living standards of rural residents, the renovation of rural houses needs to protect the historical context of traditional buildings, letting the well-established construction techniques and spatial forms continue to be passed down and developed. In view of the problems existing in the renovation of rural houses in traditional villages that are currently being built in large numbers in China, this article attempts to explore the specific strategies for the renovation of rural houses in such traditional villages, based on the actual cases of rural housing renovation at home and abroad. Taking Yingxi Village, Zhitan Township, Fuliang County, Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province as an example, on the basis of sorting out a large amount of data, this article introduces the motivation, current situation and related policies of rural housing renovation, letting theory and practice combine to make research more complete, thereby laying a certain inspiration for the renovation of rural farmhouses that are being built on a large scale in China. The main purposes and significance of the research are as follows: (i) it can play a certain role in the renovation of traditional villages in China; (ii) it can play a role in inheriting and promoting traditional regional culture, and at the same time, it has certain reference value for the recycling and utilization of the hollow villages, the creative development of the cultural industry and the sustainable development of rural farmhouses; (iii) it can promoted the harmonious coexistence of local ecology and architecture.

3 Present situation of farmhouse renovation

3.1 Traditional characteristic buildings are seriously damaged and have poor integrityThe traditional buildings in the Jingdezhen area mainly include representative buildings such as residential buildings and sacred buildings. These village buildings are inseparable from the Huizhou architecture from the pattern to the form, but there are some differences. They are painted white in within 1 m from the top of the wall, and the rest is pained blue-gray, thereby forming a relationship that complements the natural environment and echoes each other. Yingxi Village is one of the traditional villages with relatively complete protection in Fuliang County[6]. There are many ancient architectural communities in Yingxi Village, but the integrity of public buildings, sacred building and residential buildings is slightly worse. Under the influence of time and climate, these traditional buildings were gradually destroyed, forming dilapidated dangerous houses. In addition, there is a lack of systematic management and construction in terms of maintenance, which in turn leads to the gradual damage and abandonment of traditional villages. There are many dilapidated houses in Yingxi Village, but practical management measures are absent. Most of the farmhouses are also vacant and uninhabited, forming hollow villages, and only a thousand old people stay in Yingxi Village (Fig.1).

Fig.1 Dilapidated houses

3.2 Indoor and outdoor environment is chaotic and some borders are missingWith the inheritance and development of history, the combination of local natural conditions and social culture creates a fusion of architectural culture and the environment. Building space is generally divided into two parts: indoor space and outdoor space. The internal space emphasizes the combination of decorative functions and Feng Shui culture, and the location and layout of villages in the outdoor space also pay attention to Feng Shui culture. For example, for traditional building, the appearance is clear, the layout is symmetrically distributed on the both sides of the central axis, the middle is the hall, the two sides are rooms, and the front of the hall is a patio for ventilation. Outside the building, there is a yard, creating a self-sufficient courtyard living space[7]. The construction materials of outdoor courtyard are mostly taken from local stone materials. The walls of the courtyard are generally not high, and local trees and flowers are often planted in the courtyard. Door decoration, window decoration, pillar carvings and embossments all depict lively themes such as local myths and legends and celebrity stories. The status quo can still be preserved, but some have been destroyed or even buried and abandoned, leading to the lack of history and culture. The boundaries between indoor and outdoor space of some of some representative courtyards have also blurred. The local ancient architectural Feng Shui has also been unavailable.

3.3 Spatial structure of Yingxi Village is aging and lacks historical dataAt present, most of the architectural space structures in the traditional building community of Yingxi Village are extremely unstable due to their long-term disrepair and long history. Some buildings are even already dangerous or have collapsed. As a result, many architectural cultures have lost their inheritance and there is no evidence of local architectural history. In addition, some locals reconstruct their houses at the cost of destroying their structural space to form an undistinguishable architectural style and spatial structure, ignoring their historical and cultural values for the cultural heritage, making the village architecture lose the original charm. Some locals even treat the buildings and structural objects with historical features at will. For example, the remaining material in the collapsed space are discarded; the wood carving furniture, doors and windows carved with exquisite patterns are used as waste wood for living fuel; and some stones are buried or used as cornerstone of road, resulting in the loss of history and culture.

4 Causes of renovation of farmhouses in Yingxi Village of Fuliang County

4.1 Destruction of traditional architecture and humanities

In the renovation of traditional farm buildings in Yingxi Village, there is a common destruction of the humanities and living environment. The farm buildings that are dangerous and unrepairable are demolished, resulting in new site selection and construction of individual buildings. This led the emergence of some buildings with a combination of European style and local style, greatly disrupting the coordination and unification of local villages. Most villagers believe that the existing farm house space cannot meet the needs of their living, cultural development and social progress. Therefore, a large number of single buildings or courtyard buildings are constructed to form a so-called new living space. This not only causes waste of local land resources but also destroys the original humanities and topography of the village. The newly-built buildings are incompatible with the original overall environment of the village. The renovated buildings are extremely inconsistent with the local style in terms of color, style and structure, resulting in loss of original features of the farmhouses.

4.2 Environmental damage to indoor and outdoor spaces

Most indoor and outdoor spaces in the traditional building community of Yingxi Village are disorderly. Moreover, the indoor and outdoor spaces after the renovation have European lines and Western elements. The architectural style newly formed is not distinct and completely different from the local architectural style. At the same time, it is not coordinated with local functional facilities. In the early years, Mr. Liang Sicheng proposed that traditional architectural creation should not simply imitate the image of Chinese classical architecture, instead, by studying the traditional culture of China in depth, the spiritual characteristics can be applied to the architectural design[8]. It is not necessarily modeled on the ancient construction methods, nor is it blindly transforming and innovating. It is necessary to preserve the heritage of the buildings and rationally construct or repair traditional buildings. The indoor space of most residents of Yingxi Village is improperly used or vacant, resulting in a relatively simple functional layout within the building space and wasting a lot of spatial and environmental resources. The boundaries of the courtyards in the outdoor space of the buildings are unclear or coincide with the road. The walls of many local buildings have been demolished and turned into streets to form modern country streets, so there is no separate courtyard outdoor environment.

4.3 Unreasonable use of structural space partitions and materialsThe main load-bearing component of farmhouses is the structure, and it is also the most important factor in the renovation of farmhouses. There are many elements of Huizhou characteristics in the traditional architecture of Jingdezhen area, such as the grey-tile white-wall building system with Ma Tau Wall, dorse, lattice window, fine carving and patio. There are loopholes in structural reinforcement after the renovation and planning of the buildings. The disorder and blindness during demolishing greatly damage the original piece of the building system, and it also poses a safety hazard to the occupants. In addition, the disposal of many materials in the renovation also increases environmental pollution, waste of resources and cost of renovation. From another perspective, these materials can be fully used and decorated, and they can be recycled.

5 Implementation strategies of farmhouse renovation

The renovation of traditional farmhouses is slightly different due to the different geographical types and regional cultures. When renovating the existing farmhouses, the object of the renovation must be considered first. Then, after field research on the building environment and folk customs of the village, the renovation design strategies are determined.

5.1 Inheritance of traditional construction techniques and architectural cultureRegional building materials are an indispensable part of the renovation of rural houses, because the characteristics and use of regional materials themselves represent the local climate. Every reginal construction technique is a response to the local natural environment and culture. At the same time, the unique construction methods in the local area have gone through the test of practice and continue to develop, and they are the most suitable construction techniques for the local area. There are 158 villages in Fuliang County, Jingdezhen City. Among them, the most famous Yaoli Ancient Town, Cangxi Village and Yantai Village have been awarded as "Chinese famous historical and cultural villages (towns)". This article selects Yingxi Village, the most representative Chinese famous historical and cultural village in the region, as the study object.

(i) For ancestral buildings with clan settlement culture, in terms of traditional construction techniques, we can learn from the renovation of the ancestral buildings in Yaoli Ancient Town, especially for the most characteristic Jin Ancestral Hall in Yingxi Village. The beams and columns of the doors of ancestral halls can be renovated and reinforced using the flagstones in Fuliang County to preserve the original style of the architecture and protect the local ancestral building culture. (ii) For monumental arch buildings, it is also necessary to learn from the construction methods of Yaoli Ancient Town to repair and restore the original appearance of the buildings at that time. The parts that cannot be restored need to be repaired. They are used by the feudal society to recognize merits, morality and loyalty, so they need to be repaired and protected to inherit the architectural culture of China. (iii) Street pavilion is also a type of building in the ancient village. It is mainly used for discussion, rest, shelter from the rain and division of street and residential space. In the renovation, it can learn from Cangxi Village. Its original structure is mostly imitative pavilion-style wooden structure, so it is necessary to reinforce the wooden structure in the renovation. The decaying wood can be replaced to ensure its safety, and the general structure is not easily altered to preserve its original traditional construction techniques and traditional architectural culture. (iv) Residential building is the most important architectural form in villages. It is also the most prominent expression of traditional architectural culture and regional characteristics. Most of the residential buildings in Yingxi Village are historical buildings left over from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Their renovation can follow the practice of Yaoli Ancient Town to preserve the unification of the ancient village, such as roof with cornices, towering Ma Tau wall, four-sided hall, gate tower made of ancient bricks, square-facing patio and beautiful door and window carvings. Some traditional construction techniques have disappeared, but they can be modeled on the original basis to preserve the history and culture of the local architecture. Corrupted or dilapidated wooden beams and stone columns can be counterfeited. In overall, renovation is carried out on the basis of ensuring the safety of the building. (v) The A-shaped gate tower or linear gate tower with local characteristics in Yingxi Village needs to be renovated specifically, such as supplementing the relevant unstable structure and strengthening the building’s ruggedness. It is not only a boundary but also a gate of street. In addition, the performance art, Feng Shui culture and folk tunes with historical and cultural representations can be protected and passed on to promote the development of cultural connotation of the village (Fig.2).

Fig.2 Effect map of dangerous house renovation

5.2 Strengthening of the overall indoor and outdoor space environmentWhen planning the indoor and outdoor spatial distribution of buildings, it is necessary to follow local humanities and habits to clear up functional partitions instead of wasting indoor and outdoor space. At the same time, the spatial functions should be in one-to-one correspondence and unified. Therefore, in the renovation, it is necessary to meet the needs of production in the new era and consider how to make full use of the existing indoor and outdoor functional spaces of traditional villages.

(i) In ancient villages, the carrying capacity of the overall indoor structure of many farmhouses has been corrupted and destroyed due to their long history. For such cases, it can learn from the practice of Yaoli Ancient Town in Fuliang County. When renovating the farmhouses with collapsed indoor structure, their functional positioning can be first structurally evaluated to make full use of the existing intact structure and reduce structural changes, because structural changes can lead to increased materials and increased renovation costs. For example, the re-division of indoor space of halls of which the beams and columns have been corrupted needs to be carried out in accordance with the beam-column-bearing structure. When there is a change in the requirement for indoor functional space, it is also subject to professional calculations and audits, using scientific programs. If the structure has been damaged, the structured can be reinforced. (ii) In the construction of farmhouses in ancient villages, if the renovated farmhouses are combinable, such as neighboring farmhouses with blood relations, they can be integrated by adding connections and building bodies between farmhouses or surrounding inner courtyards or courtyard to enrich the space structure, reduce the overall difficulty of the renovation and strength the space environment. (iii) In the construction of farmhouses in ancient villages, when the renovated farmhouses are single buildings, it can learn from the construction methods of Cangxi Village in Fuliang County and make full use of the existing structure. On the basis of the original structure, addition construction and reconstruction can be carried out to re-adjust the space and transform it into a building that is suitable for new functions. While adding floors or raising height, the carrying capacity of the foundation must be taken into account. When adding space downwards, the impact on the stability of existing structure must be considered. There require professional calculations and adjustments to ensure the stability and safety of the overall structure. (iv) In the construction of farmhouses in ancient villages, when renovating the outdoor building environment, ancient street lanes need to be provided with reasonable municipal facilities. Some narrow alleys with inconvenient transportation and unaccessible firefighting are not suitable for widening as a whole. Instead, some firefighting applications and facilities can be equipped to reduce interference with traditional buildings. In addition, public open space requires rational allocation of green plants and regional cultural signs. (v) The renovation of traditional courtyard buildings can inherit the original customs to protect the local natural culture and show the local climate characteristics. In accordance with the principle of maintaining appearance and changing interior structure, the original open ditches can be changed to blind drains. The most characteristic is the practice of Cangxi Village in Fuliang County, which shows the scene of farming in the courtyard, restores the ecology and integrates the indoor and outdoor environment. This usage is worth learning and extending, in order to create a comfortable living space with comfortable scale planning.

5.3 Rational use of material resourcesThe reconstruction of rural houses emphasizes ecological green development. When renovating existing farmhouses, it should be ecological, green and energy-saving. In addition to using new technologies and materials to pursue comfort and environmental protection, it is also necessary to make full use of the natural resources and existing farmhouse space.

(i) The discarded wood and stone after the renovation of rural houses can be recycled and used as a component for interior decoration or outdoor structural reinforcement. This can learn from the practice of Yaoli Ancient Town. The discarded stone can be used for paving roads; and the discarded wood can be used for interior partitions and reinforcement or alteration of doors and windows. For example, the Qixing Bridge in Yingxi Village is repaired and reinforced using discarded materials, restoring history while reducing waste of resources. (ii) Passive introduction of technology can be carried out from the aspects of heat preservation, heat insulation and ventilation, energy conservation,etc. to reduce the intervention of mechatronics, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing building energy consumption. For example, the patios of buildings in Yingxi Village not only enhance light transmission but also facilitate ventilation and heat insulation, allowing indoor and outdoor air exchange. (iii) The plants in the places for public interaction and activities such as squares, streets and public toilets can be relocated to beautify the places and environment and make rational use of resources. (iv) Referring to the practices of Yaoli Ancient Town, the discarded materials such as bricks and tiles can be re-used for the reconstruction and renovation of the buildings. The introduction of energy in the new era such as natural gas and ratio should properly arrange the pipeline and traction in accordance with the local topographical conditions. According to the characteristics of the local architecture, the original wooden structure and rammed earth walls in Yingxi Village are retained. Learning from the practices of historical ancient villages such as Yaoli Ancient Town and Cangxi Village, discarded wood, bricks, tiles and stones are re-used for wall structure, floor decoration, wall decoration and even interior decoration,etc. in order to highlight local regional characteristics, achieve energy conservation and environmental protection, rationally allocate resources and reduce waste of resources.

6 Conclusions

The forms of traditional architecture in Jingdezhen are relatively fixed, such as H-shaped, lip-shaped and concave layout. Under the premise that modern people are increasingly demanding quality of life, the combination of traditional dwellings and modern design techniques is also reflected in the renewal of architectural forms, including the layout of the building, the design of the plane and space, the function of the indoor and outdoor space,etc. Only properly handling the interrelationship between these affiliates can the continuity of traditional architecture be maintained in the new era. The re-planning of traditional villages plays an important role in the inheritance of Chinese culture, conducive to industrial transformation and upgrading, conducive to promoting the growth of China’s GDP economy and the process of urbanization. Yingxi Village, taken as an example in this article, plays a certain reference role for the renovation of rural houses in traditional villages to a certain extent. Through the selection of the renovation object and the regional transformation, the analysis and summary are gradually carried out. For China’s overall rural housing renovation, this is only a preliminary exploration process, and is only suitable for the renovation of rural houses with regional characteristics. There are also a lot of examples to be researched and explored to obtain specific strategies applicable to most rural housing renovations, contributing to the inheritance of culture.