Space Design of the Traditional Carved Bed Diaohuachuang

Based on Interview Surveys in Taoyuan County, Hunan Province, China

Abstract

This paper examines Diaohuachuang, a traditional carved bed in the houses of Taoyuan County, Hunan, China. Based on fieldwork including house visits and interviews, it identifies three dimensions of the centrality of the bed in domestic space: (1) its placement at the spatial innermost through a nested configuration; (2) its role as the anchor of daily rhythms of departure and return; and (3) its significance in life-passage rituals from birth to death. The formation of this centrality through inscription and practice constitutes space design.