The typology of southern Jiangxi Hakka enclosed houses based on a comparative study between Yanyiwei and Wushiwei
Southern Jiangxi Hakka enclosed houses are an important form of vernacular architecture and can be understood as cultural–spatial systems shaped by lineage life and collective living traditions. However, existing studies mainly focus on overall form, historical background, or isolated architectural elements, and pay less attention to how core components work together to shape internal spatial organization. To address this gap, this study adopts a component-based typological approach and conducts a comparative case study of two Qing Dynasty Hakka enclosed houses in Longnan City, Yanyiwei and Wushiwei. The analysis focuses on the spatial configuration of three core architectural components—the gatehouse, courtyard system, and ancestral hall—using criteria such as access control, courtyard sequence, circulation depth, spatial hierarchy, and ritual centrality. The findings show that Yanyiwei, with a single-opening gatehouse, a single courtyard, and a smaller ancestral hall, forms a compact, inward-looking enclosure with shallow circulation and a concentrated hierarchy. In contrast, Wushiwei, with a three-opening gatehouse, multiple courtyards, and a larger ancestral hall, forms a more layered and internally differentiated enclosure. The study concludes that typological variation in southern Jiangxi Hakka enclosed houses is better explained by the combined configuration of architectural components rather than through overall form alone. The findings also provide a spatially grounded reference for heritage conservation and adaptive reuse, emphasizing the importance of preserving internal spatial relationships together with physical architectural elements.
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