A Study on the Atlas and Influencing Factors of Architectural Color Paintings in Tibetan Timber Dwellings in Yunnan

Architectural color painting is one of the cultural heritages of the Tibetan people. To address the issues of “loss” and “variation” in architectural color paintings during the renovation of traditional Tibetan timber dwellings in Yunnan, it is essential to organize and categorize the forms and cultural content of ethnic minority timber architectural paintings. This approach will help supplement foundational research on the subject. This study, based on linguistic research findings, focuses on the Diqing South Locus Dialect Region as the research area, conducting field investigations in over 30 settlements (involving more than 80 dwellings). This study analyzes patterns, colors, and forms across various architectural elements to develop a detailed atlas of decorative painting patterns. A combined analysis of historical documentation reveals three primary folk causes behind the architectural color paintings of Tibetan timber buildings in Yunnan: (1) primitive worship under animism; (2) decorative norms guided by religious beliefs; and (3) cultural fusion resulting from ethnic heritage. This will help people understand the cultural essence behind architectural paintings, avoiding the cognitive limitation of knowing only their form but not their meaning. This paper aims to raise awareness of the cultural heritage of regional timber buildings, providing a basis for typological accumulation and model references for the protection and transmission of regional timber architectural color paintings.

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