Tourism investigators recently found eight well-preserved wooden houses in a Dong ethnic group village of Liping County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. With an age of more than 600 years, the houses have aroused great concern among cultural relic experts and tourism lovers.

The genealogical tree unearthed there records that the houses were built in the first year of the Yongle reign in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). According to the "Chronological Table of Chinese History" in Cihai (Great Encyclopedia Dictionary of the Chinese Language), the year should be 1403. Both the experts and their family trees proved that the houses had been home to 30 generations.

The eight wooden houses are situated in the center, and the highest point, of the Dong village, covering an area of 4,200 square meters. One of them has four stories, each with four rooms; two houses are three stories, each with five rooms; while the other five are three-story houses with four rooms on each floor. Today every house is still inhabited by at least seven farmer families. The four-story one even houses 12 families.

All the wooden houses show exquisite building techniques. Pillars were made of fir, one meter in diameter. The major pillars rise straight from the ground and soar into the sky, one layer after another, forming a unique reversed pyramid structure. Neither nail nor rivet were used, but all the wood is connected by tongue-and-groove joint, made from the fir itself. Because of their solid structure and good ventilation, the houses could stand for hundreds of years without leaning or decaying as they have done. The walls of the houses were all pieced together with engraved wood, creating an atmosphere of delicacy and elegance.

Experts believe the ancient wooden houses fully demonstrate the wisdom of the Dong people. Also, they are of significant value to the study of culture, ethnic custom and architectural art of the Dong living community.

(China.org.cn translated by Li Jinhui, August 15, 2003)