Xinjiang's Vernacular Architecture

Abstract

The Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang is home to numerous ethnic groups and their vernacular architecture that is uniquely representative of their geographical contexts, collective wisdoms, and cultural identities. In recent years, the Chinese government has implemented sweeping urban-rural “improvement” policies and facilitated extensive – arguably non-negotiable – architectural projects that have resulted in the rapid disappearance, modification, and reconstruction of vernacular houses and settlements. Claims have been made by the government, and supported by some Chinese scholars, that their architectural update endeavors are important for Xinjiang’s indigenous populations’ cultural advancements, lifestyle improvements, and economic developments. However at the same time, the government is using architecture – through selective preservation, demolition, renovation, and construction – as a powerful tool to manipulate the locals’ movements, thoughts, and lifestyles, reinforcing the state’s propaganda of ethnic unity and economic prosperity, and thus asserting its ruling authority through the newly established architectural and social order.