Spatial Properties in Non-Daily Life Represented in Traditional Dwelling "Zhaigou"

--Way of Living of Traditional Dwelling in Chongming Island of Shanghai, China (2)

Abstract

Despite China's rapid economy development, many traditional cultures are facing a great loss, in physical terms and also a tendency of collapsing in cultural structure. Under this background, the authors focused on the way of living in "Zhaigou", seeking its values as region resource. In this paper, the second one in this study, spatial properties represented in non-daily life were revealed in the following contents. (1)There were ancestors' spirits and gods sharing the living space, whose existences were emphasized in annual events. (2)"Gongtang" was the most important space in "Zhaigou". (3)In wedding, the multi-layer spatial orders were emphasized in the rite. (4)In funeral, "Gongtang" was used as the only adequate space for the decedent's spirit and body to rest and depart. (5)"Zhaigou" its space was transferred into ritual space in non-daily life, together with spatial properties in daily life, they constructed an ambiguous property in "Zhaigou".