Conical birch bark tent

Conical birch bark tent

Conical birch bark tent

The traditional dwelling of the Oroqen people is the "conical birch bark tent." It is constructed from a conical frame made of over 30 wooden poles, covered with birch bark or reeds in summer and with roe deer hides in winter. Building one conical birch bark tent requires sixty to seventy roe deer hides. In summer, the entrance is hung with a door curtain woven from willow twigs, while in winter, it is covered with a door curtain made of roe deer or deer hide. In front of the "conical birch bark tent," drying racks made of tree trunks and willow twigs are set up to air meat jerky or wild vegetables. Small trees at the back have birch bark boxes hanging from them, inside which are enshrined spirit figurines.

Inside the "conical birch bark tent," beds are laid directly on the ground, with dried grass spread underneath and roe deer hides used as mattresses. The bedding opposite the entrance is called the "malu" and is reserved for guests and elderly men. The bedding on the left and right sides is called the "aolu" and is for middle-aged couples and young couples.

The center of the "conical birch bark tent" houses a hearth that burns year-round. Above the center of the "malu" bedding, four or five birch bark boxes are hung — this is where the "burukan" (spirit figurines) are enshrined. On the right side of the "malu," a "zhaolumburukan" (horse god), embroidered with horsehair on a roe deer hide, is worshipped. On the side where young couples reside, horizontal wooden poles are erected under the roof of the "conical birch bark tent" to hang a baby cradle.