Page 47 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Hakka settlement in the middle ground

segregation within families by story. However, homesteads has become less important, and the growing “placelessness”
of families descended from the same clan remain adjacent, has contributed to the booming modern economy due to
preserving the traditional Hakka pattern of clan-based improved spatial efficiency (Relph, 1976).
clustering.
5.2. The role of rural heritage in the future Middle
The state-planned traffic network has enhanced the Ground
linkage between villages and the urban cores of the
Pearl River Delta, reshaping village morphology and Fieldwork observations suggest that rural heritage in the
significantly contributing to the mass movement of people Middle Ground is only partially inherited and integrated
and commodities. The traffic network drives the outward into modern lifestyles. Compared to geographically
expansion of villages (Lin et al., 2024), as evidenced by remote villages, this region exhibits more flux and chaotic
how the G358 National Highway has transformed cluster characteristics, making the future persistence of rural
villages into linear ones. Simultaneously, within China’s heritage uncertain. In China, static preservation is a common
hukou (户口) system, which divides urban and rural strategy for conserving traditional villages. However, this
residency status (Liu, 2005), local villagers in the study approach inevitably results in museumization rather than
area are classified as rural farmers. However, occupational maintaining a genuine sense of place (Relph, 1976).
diversity resulting from increased mobility has blurred In the past decade, a growing number of Chinese
this traditional hukou dichotomy, further transforming architects have returned to the countryside, initiating
the social structure. Today, in addition to skilled farmers, what has been termed the “Vernacular Frenzy.” Although
local villagers include part-time farmers who work as their design philosophies differ, they all aim to revitalize
laborers or businesspeople, as well as migrant workers rural culture using traditional materials and crafts, and by
in cities. This social structure transformation is reflected imitating historical spatial textures (Zuo, 2020). Architects
architecturally, with production, commercial, and living such as Wang Shu and Huang Sheng-Yuan have proven that
spaces combined within a single housing. Moreover, architectural engagement, as a form of new knowledge, can
urban esthetics and lifestyles have been introduced into address rural culture and heritage (Martinelli & Huang, 2022;
local villages through labor flows along the G358 National Qian & Lu, 2022). However, it is important to be cautious,
Highway. Villagers who work or conduct business in larger as architects – are often outsiders – who may have a limited
cities express a desire to align with urban architectural understanding of rural life, which could deviate from its
trends. Their homes become status symbols, reflecting reality. This “Vernacular Frenzy” overwhelmingly emphasizes
economic success and cosmopolitan aspirations through traditional vernacular styles based on personal experience
ornate designs that feature exotic architectural elements, or interpretation of vernacular imagery (Zhao & Greenop,
such as Greek columns and Baroque balconies, as observed 2019), often within the dominant discourse of elite architects.
in the fieldwork. These “collage houses” are typically For the local community, the cultural values of rural heritage
located outside the old village and are often surrounded are less important than practicality and functionality. In this
by private walled yards, creating a physical separation that context, vernacular architecture risks becoming an “elite
underscores a deeper cultural and economic detachment design,” deepening the paradox of architects and the local
from traditional village life. community (Caprotti & Cowley, 2017).
In addition, the flow of commodities resulting from The conventional architectural discipline frequently
the development of traffic networks has transformed the views buildings as objects. However, some architectural
local economy. This transformation impacts not only scholars and anthropologists argue that process – and
production, distribution, and consumption but also the way knowledge-oriented approaches are far more significant
of life (Relph, 1976). For centuries, agricultural activities than purely esthetic categories of the vernacular and
overwhelmingly dominated the Chinese economy, and the modern (Upton, 1993; Vellinga, 2006). Fieldwork
village inhabitants were closely linked with the land and indicated that professional architects are largely absent
its workings (Freedman, 2021). The Hakka people, in in the rural building construction process, whether for
particular, have long survived through paddy cultivation vernacular or modern housing. It is estimated that only
(Aijmer, 1967; Leong et al., 1997), which significantly 5% of buildings worldwide are designed and constructed
shaped their traditional trading networks and influenced by professional architects and experts (Oliver, 1987).
the architectural forms and landscapes of their villages. Particularly in the countryside, rural buildings have
Nowadays, however, modern commercial systems are generally been built rather than formally designed (Knapp,
replacing traditional trading networks with new markets 1986). In 2017, rural landscapes were defined as a newly
and department stores. In this process, the sense of place crucial heritage category by the International Council of

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 13 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3649