Convergence and Divergence: A Comparative Study of the Residential Cultures of Traditional Tujia and Miao Villages in Western Hunan

Abstract This paper takes the traditional villages of Tujia and Miao in Xiangxi Prefecture as the research object, and utilizes the ArcGis software to clarify the geographic scope of the distribution of Tujia and Miao in Western Hunan. On the basis of field research, the similarities and differences in the distribution pattern of the villages, the architectural forms of the houses and the ethnic folk beliefs and other living cultures are compared and analyzed. The results of the study found that: 1) in terms of spatial distribution, the traditional villages of the Miao and the Tujia are located on the north and south sides of the Wuling Mountains, with the tributaries of the Wuling Mountains in Baojing and Guzhang counties in Xiangxi Prefecture as the dividing line; 2) in terms of village pattern, the construction of the Miao villages follows the principle of “relying on the mountains and surrounding the water,” while the Tujia villages emphasize the principle of “sitting on the mountains and rejecting the water” and “sitting on the mountains and rejecting the water. The Tujia villages emphasize the concept of “sitting on the mountain and rejecting the water”. The layout of Tujia villages is looser and more varied than that of Miao villages.3) In terms of architectural form, the plan form of traditional Tujia-Miao dwellings is more similar, but the building materials of Miao dwellings are richer than that of the Tujia.4) Folklore beliefs followed by the Tujia and Miao are distinctive in their own ways, and these concepts also have a side effect on the spatial characteristics of the villages of the respective ethnic groups. The study points out that through the comparative study of ethnic minorities' living cultures, we can better understand the differences between the traditional cultures of the ethnic minorities in western Hunan, recognize the characteristics of their villages, and at the same time, provide theoretical guidance for the protection of the authenticity of the traditional villages in the ethnic minority areas in western Hunan.