Oroqen people's xierenzhu (cone-shaped tent)

Oroqen people's xierenzhu

The Oroqen xierenzhu is an intangible cultural heritage of Heilongjiang Province.

　　The xierenzhu is the dwelling used by the Oroqen people during their nomadic hunting life (also known as a cuoluozi). The overall structure of the xierenzhu is conical in shape, built using 20 to 30 thin wooden poles (mostly birch, willow, or larch), each about 10 cm in diameter and 4 to 5 meters long, with some structures using up to 40 poles.

　　When choosing a location to build a xierenzhu, three thin wooden poles (preferably those with branches at the top) are first crossed and interlocked to form a triangular base frame. Then, the remaining thin poles are erected around the outer edge of this triangular framework, and the top is bound together with wet willow strips — this process is called “wulubateng.” The exterior of the xierenzhu is covered with specially made birch bark rolls, which the Oroqen call “tieksha.” This type of birch bark covering is soft, not easily broken, elastic, and well-ventilated, and can also be rolled up for easy relocation during nomadic hunts.

　　When the Oroqen hunters move to a new location, they only take down and roll up the birch bark covering (“tieksha”) to carry away, leaving the wooden pole frame behind. In summer, the Oroqen cover their xierenzhu with white cloth, which provides good lighting, hail resistance, and ventilation. The door of the xierenzhu is about 1 meter high and 80 cm wide. In summer, the door is often covered with a curtain woven from willow branches or reeds, while in winter it is covered with softened roe deer hide that is thick and furry. In winter, the xierenzhu is covered with large panels sewn from thick-furred roe deer hides, and such a xierenzhu covered with deer hide is called an “eledun.”

　　The deer hide covering is generally composed of three large pieces. Two larger pieces each use about 25 deer hides, and the smaller one uses around 10. The deer hide “eledun” is fan-shaped. The two larger fan-shaped pieces cover the two sides of the main frame of the xierenzhu, while the smaller piece covers the back. They are tied to the frame poles with leather straps (each of the four corners of the fan-shaped deer hide pieces has a relatively long leather strap attached). At the top, a conical sheath made of deer hide is placed over the top of the xierenzhu at night and taken off during the day. Finally, thin wooden poles are placed at intervals on top of the deer hide covering to secure it and prevent strong winter winds from blowing or tearing it away. The outer bottom perimeter of the xierenzhu is also sealed tightly with dried grass, and sometimes a layer of soil is added on top of the grass layer to ensure the bottom is completely sealed against cold drafts.

　　The xierenzhu used in summer is larger in area, while the one used in winter is smaller. The interior height of the xierenzhu is about 3 to 4 meters, with a base diameter of around 4 meters. The largest xierenzhu can reach an interior height of about 7 meters and a base diameter of about 8 meters, but such large structures are generally rare. The top opening of the xierenzhu serves for ventilation and as a chimney for the indoor campfire. In the center of the interior floor of the xierenzhu, there is a campfire with a triangular stand above it, from which a double-handled iron pot is hung for cooking. Inside the xierenzhu, except for the entrance, the rest of the space is used for sleeping platforms. A thick layer of dried grass is laid first, followed by mattresses made of sewn roe deer, moose, or deer hides (most of which are tanned and soft). These hide mattresses are called “shiketun.” Some people lay a wooden board bed about 15 cm high or a layer of wooden slats on the dried grass. On both sides of the door, there are items such as water buckets and cooking utensils made of birch bark.

　　Hanging from the poles of the xierenzhu are strips of wild game meat. The front side of the xierenzhu is referred to as the guest area, also called the “malu.” This is because, directly above the guest area, there is a “malu” spirit box made of birch bark, usually consisting of 4 to 5 birch bark boxes containing ancestral boxes, idols, and paintings of auxiliary deities. To the left and slightly below the “malu” spirit box hangs the image of the “zhaoluborukan” (the horse-feeding deity). Below it are offerings, a wooden carved horse, and a small leather pouch. If a guest enters the xierenzhu, they must make sure there are offerings such as horse milk wine and meat in front of the “horse-feeding deity.” Otherwise, sitting there would be considered impolite. The left and right sleeping areas inside the xierenzhu are for family members — the left side is for the elderly couple, and the right side is for the young couple. Around the perimeter (i.e., along the inner edge of the xierenzhu floor), essential items such as birch bark boxes, baskets, fur blankets, leather pouches, and more are placed.