Comparative Study of Yikeyin Adobe Houses of the Han Ethnic Group in Central Yunnan, China and Rammed Earth Houses in Songyang, Zhejiang, China

Under the circumstance of modern construction and rapid urbanization, there’s still one-third of the global population resides in earth building,with various types of these buildings spread widely across China.In addition to the renowned cave dwellings on the Loess Plateau and Tulou in Fujian,there are also Tuzhangfang,Yikeyin(both are adobe houses) in Southwest China,Watchtower on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,and rammed earth houses in southern Zhejiang. This paper steers a focus on Yikeyin of the Han ethnic group in Central Yunnan and rammed earth houses in Songyang,Zhejiang,which are located in different regions, different climates, using different soil construction methods but both are deeply influenced by traditional Chinese patriarchal clan and Han culture. Through a comparative analysis of regional geographical conditions, climatic environments, spatial structures, and construction practices, this study summarizes the characteristics of each building type，as well as their strengths and weaknesses.To be precise, the manifestation of different soil construction methods in these two sites are explored as well as discussing the roles played by local government, social institutions and local residences during the protection process of traditional dwellings. The study emphasizes how restoration efforts can maintain traditional characteristics while enhancing building technology to better transform them for the sake of contemporary use.