Shibazhai Mazhai in Shiba Bay

Shibazhai Mazhai in Shiba Bay

Shiba Bay in Jishou is located on high mountains at an altitude of 600 to 700 meters and is a village inhabited by the Miao ethnic group. The houses in the village are all built with earthen bricks. The earthen bricks in Shiba Bay are very solid and durable, standing firm against wind and rain for over a century. The secret to making these bricks locally lies in the fact that the clay used is formed under the high mountain climate and is soaked in rice paddies, then after a period of time, it is pressed and dried to form the bricks. That’s why the earthen bricks in Shiba Bay are so sturdy, even comparable to the rammed earth walls of Fujian. The dwellings have wooden structures, with roof frames no different from those of ordinary Miao houses, and the layout of room depth and width is also similar to general Miao homes. The climate here is moist and mild, and the approximately 40-centimeter-thick earthen bricks provide insulation, heat retention, and moisture absorption, making the houses warm in winter and cool in summer, offering comfortable living conditions.

There is a century-old Mazhai residence in the village, built on a stone foundation with outer walls constructed from earthen bricks, and wooden boards used to partition the interior. The floor plan follows the typical "L" shape layout of Miao homes, with the main house consisting of four bays and a roof frame of five pillars and eight beams. Unlike common Miao houses, the central hall has two bays with a central pillar, and the side rooms are also different from usual Miao homes, being divided by wooden boards—the left side is the hearth room and the mother’s bedroom, with the entire wooden floor elevated, while the right side is the kitchen and the son’s bedroom, where the floor is raised only upon entering the bedroom. This shows the strict ethical order the Miao people follow regarding living arrangements. In addition, the stilted section also differs from typical Miao houses: the lower level is entirely enclosed with earthen bricks and used as a toilet and storage for miscellaneous items, while the upper level consists of guest rooms enclosed by wooden boards.