BAMBOO IN DAILY LIFE

The bamboo houses of the Dai

The Dai are one of the 55 minority groups in China. The 1990 census reported their population at one million. The Dai are rice farmers and live in the southern valleys of Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar and Laotian border. The climate is tropical, with a monsoon season.

A typical Dai house is built in the centre of a fenced yard, with bamboo stands, fruit trees and a small vegetable plot. Such houses are raised two or three metres off the ground, on 21 pilings arranged in three rows of seven. The roof framing consists of whole bamboo stems, while woven bamboo strips are used in making the floor and walls.

This type of raised and well-ventilated construction provides good shelter from heat and humidity, as well as from wild animals, insects and flooding. Such houses are typically about 100 m² and last for approximately 40 years.

Inside, the house is split in two by a central divider made of bamboo matting. On one side is the living space with a fireplace for cooking, while the other side is used for sleeping.

In southern China, in Yunnan Province, the Dai live in houses of wood and bamboo.

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