URBAN PRINCIPLES IN NAXI TOWN MAKING : EXAMINE THE URBAN SPACE OF THE OLD TOWN OF LIJIANG

Abstract

The old town of Lijiang (Dayan) is one of the intact historical towns in China. Today, Dayan faces the challenge from the booming tourism industry and many researches have written on the Lijiang urban forms to emphasize documentation and preservation, but not many efforts have been made on the study of the relationship of the Naxi culture and their historical towns.

This dissertation looks into the guiding principles of the Dayan town and tries to answer the question of if the planning principles are typical Naxi style? Thus, the research hypothesizes that there is a guiding principle existing in the old town Dayan, and it is closely related to the Naxi people.

Through the collection of literature material and fieldworks, the research analyzes the town space through the study of the natural environment, the Naxi people’s spiritual beliefs and their daily activities. It also focuses on the small dwelling units and explore the method they combine to form neighborhood and finally to the township.

The dissertation also answers the research question by looking into two older towns Baisha and Shuhe, and evaluates the planning principles. It also shows a process of evolution in the historical sequence of Baisha, Shuhe and Dayan, as the design principles are developed and refined over time.

The study has focused on the designing principles of the town and how these principles have affected the urban space. By relating the town space to the Naxi people, the dissertation hopes to provide new perspectives and approaches for future researches, as well as to emphasize the importance of Naxi culture in the making and perseveration of the town space