Herdsman's Mobile Castle — Traditional Residential Buildings of Nomadic Peoples in Central Asia

I think the people who “like” moving the most in the world are nomads.

我想这个世界上最“喜欢”搬家的人也就是游牧民族了。

Living by water and grass, and relying on herding cattle and sheep, nomadic peoples move their homes wherever they move. Because migration is frequent, the dwelling itself must be portable and easy to assemble and dismantle.

我们依靠草原，逐水草而居，以放牧牛羊为生的民族，游牧到哪里，就把住房搬到哪里。由于需要频繁搬迁，住房就必须是能够随时移动和拆装的活动房屋。

There is a kind of ethnic group in the world that lives on grasslands and survives by herding cattle and sheep; because natural resources are limited, they must move often, and from this need their “mobile castles” were born. — Jorgutyn ALTANKHUU

Before talking about architecture, we should first talk about people: what is a nomad, and which peoples in the world belong to the category of nomads?

在聊建筑之前让我们先聊聊人，所以我们要简单地知道什么是游牧民族，世界上都有哪些人群属于游牧民族的范畴。

Nomadism is one of the earliest forms of human society, centered on hunting, gathering, and herding livestock. Behind it lies the scarcity and uneven distribution of natural resources, which requires people to move according to the availability of pasture and water. In antiquity there were many nomadic peoples; after agriculture emerged, many gradually settled. With the development of society their number continued to shrink, and in industrial society they became even rarer. Some disappeared or merged into other ethnic groups, while others formed relatively independent and powerful cultural systems within the world’s nations.

游牧是最早的人类社会形式之一，主要表现为狩猎采集与牧养牲畜。而支撑游牧行为的核心背景，正是自然资源的稀缺与分布不均，使游牧民族必须根据资源的可用性而移动。在古代，有很多不同的游牧民族；农业产生之后，许多游牧民族逐渐定居下来。随着社会发展，游牧民族的数量不断减少，进入工业社会之后则更加罕见。因此，一些民族在历史长河中消逝或者融入其他民族，另外一部分则形成了相对独立且强大的民族体系，立足于世界民族之林。

Semitic nomads

闪米特游牧民族

The Semitic nomadic peoples established states such as the ancient Babylonian kingdom, the Carthaginian Empire, and the Arabian Empire. When people think of Arabian architecture, they often think first of forms shaped by Islam; yet in ancient times, beyond monumental religious buildings, there were also earthy residential forms and Bedouin tents that were much closer to everyday life. Arabs, Jews, and Syrians are all Semitic peoples. Most people living in West Asia and North Africa today are descendants of the Arabized ancient Semites.

闪族系的游牧民族，曾建立过古巴比伦王国、迦太基帝国、阿拉伯帝国等国家。提到阿拉伯建筑，往往首先想到的是受伊斯兰宗教影响而形成的建筑；然而在古代，除了体量巨大的宗教建筑之外，也存在大量极其亲民的土质住宅和贝都因人的帐篷。阿拉伯人、犹太人及叙利亚人都属于闪米特人。今天生活在西亚和北非的大部分居民，也正是阿拉伯化的古代闪米特人的后裔。

Among these religious buildings, Hagia Sophia is especially typical. It originally served as the basilica of the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, and after repeated wars it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Later, under the Ottoman Turks, it became a mosque for a period. Christian paintings were covered, and Islamic architectural elements such as the mihrab, the minbar, and four minarets were gradually added. The minaret remains one of the most recognizable tower forms in Arab Islamic architecture.

在这些宗教建筑中，有一个较为典型的建筑——圣索菲亚大教堂。它起初为正教会牧首巴西利卡，曾经过多次战火的洗礼，被摧毁又被重建。后因奥斯曼土耳其人的统治，它一度成为清真寺。成为清真寺后，部分基督教壁画被掩盖，日后又逐渐加上了一些伊斯兰建筑形式，如米哈拉布、敏拜尔及外面的四座唤拜楼。唤拜楼又称宣礼塔，是阿拉伯伊斯兰建筑中较为典型的塔楼形式。

There is also one of the world’s great sacred places: in the city of Mecca stands the Kaaba (ٱلْكَعْبَة), also known as the House of God, and the complex surrounding it is Al-Masjid al-Haram, the largest mosque in the world.

另外，还有一个世界文明的重要圣地：麦加城中有座“Kaaba ٱلْكَعْبَة”，也称卡巴天房，而围绕着这座卡巴天房的建筑就是“麦加大清真寺”，它是世界最大的清真寺。

Turkicized Aryan nomads

突厥化的雅利安游牧民族

Why talk about Turkicized Aryans? The Aryans were originally an ancient nomadic people of the southern Ural steppe in present-day Russia, and they were linked to the cultural lineage that later produced the Persian, Greek, and Roman worlds.

为什么要说突厥化的雅利安人呢？雅利安人原是俄罗斯乌拉尔山脉南部草原上的一个古老游牧民族，他们曾经建立过波斯帝国、古希腊、古罗马帝国等文明体系。

Around 2000 BCE, they migrated to the plains between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya in Central Asia. There they flourished and became a dominant population in the region. Over time they gradually divided: one branch entered India, one entered Iran, and another remained in Central Asia. From this long process emerged the Aryans of India, the Persians of western Iran, and the Turkicized peoples of eastern Iran, or Central Asia.

大约在公元前2000年左右，他们迁移至中亚阿姆河和锡尔河之间的平原，并在此繁衍生息，成为中亚的重要族群。随着时间推移，这些雅利安人逐渐分化：一支进入印度，一支进入伊朗，另一支留在中亚。随后逐渐形成了不同的族群，即印度的雅利安人、西伊朗的波斯人，以及东伊朗也就是中亚地区后来被突厥化的人群。

The early history of Central Asia was originally the history of Persian-speaking Aryans as part of the Persian world. With the rise of the Arab Empire, the region’s religious landscape changed from Buddhism to Islam. From the sixth century onward, Turkic peoples continued to move in from the east. After only three centuries, the last Aryan dynasty, the Samanids, fell at the end of the ninth century. With the establishment of the Seljuk Empire, the main ethnic composition of Central Asia gradually shifted from Aryan to Turkic. In this sense, the Aryans of Central Asia completed a process of Turkicization.

中亚的早期历史，最初是说波斯语的雅利安人的历史，是波斯帝国文化圈的一部分。随着阿拉伯帝国的崛起，中亚的信仰格局发生变化，由佛教逐渐转向伊斯兰教。到了公元6世纪之后，突厥人不断从东方迁入；仅仅过了三百年，9世纪末最后的雅利安王朝——萨曼王朝灭亡，塞尔柱帝国建立，中亚的主体民族也从雅利安人逐渐变为突厥人。到此，雅利安人在中亚的突厥化基本完成。

Mongolian nomads

蒙古系游牧民族

Before returning to the theme of the “mobile castle,” let us first look at Mongolian religious architecture under the influence of Buddhism.

在回到“移动城堡”这个主题之前，让我们先聊一聊佛教影响下的蒙古宗教建筑。

The image below shows Ulaanbaatar in 1911. The city has a history of more than three centuries. It was founded in 1639 as the seat of Zhebzundamba Khutuktu, the highest living Buddha of the Khalkha Mongols. At that time it was called Örgöö, meaning palace or residence, and it was not fixed in one place: it moved nomadically across the steppe. In that sense, Ulaanbaatar was once a mobile city. In 1906 it was renamed Ikh Khüree and became the center of Khalkha Lamaism, where princes and nobles lived, and where Tsarist Russia and other countries established consulates and expatriate districts.

下面这张图片是1911年的乌兰巴托。乌兰巴托有三百多年的历史，始建于1639年，是当时蒙古喀尔喀部最大活佛哲布尊丹巴呼图克图的驻锡地，时称“敖尔告”（Өргөө，宫殿、宫邸之意）。但当时的敖尔告是一个移动场所，位置并不固定，在草原上游牧，因此那时的乌兰巴托其实是一座移动的城市。1906年它改称大库伦（Их Хүрээ），成为喀尔喀喇嘛教的中心和王公贵族居住的地方，沙皇俄国等国也在此设立了领事馆和侨民区域。

At the end of 1911, the Eighth Jebtsundamba Khutuktu declared the independence of the Bogd Khanate and made himself emperor. The city was then renamed Niislel Khüree, and its population had already reached about 60,000. Mongolian temples took shape during a specific historical moment when Mongolians shifted from shamanism to Buddhism, integrating Tibetan and Han Chinese craftsmanship. The temple forms shown below differ from one another, but the main building is often accompanied by smaller stupas.

1911年末，八世哲布尊丹巴博克多格根宣布博克多汗国独立，自立为皇帝，又改称“京都库伦”（Нийслэл Хүрээ），这时库伦人口已经达到六万人左右。蒙古式寺庙是在蒙古人由萨满教转向佛教的特定历史时期中形成的，融合了藏族以及汉族的技艺。下面这组图展示了几种不同形式的寺庙，它们在外观上各有差别，但通常都会在主体建筑周围配置一些小型佛塔。

These pagodas are also called lama stupas and are usually used to enshrine the relics of deceased monks. Anyone who has been to Tibet may have seen many pagodas made of different materials—earth, wood, masonry, and more—reflecting different hierarchies and ritual uses. They are generally composed of three parts: base, vase, and finial. At the center stands the principal structure of the temple, often based on the proportions and imagery of the mandala. Mongolian Buddhist temples also typically feature heavy multi-eaved roofs, gold and green glazed tiles, red brick, and white walls.

这些佛塔也可以称作“喇嘛塔”，通常用来安放圆寂僧人的舍利。如果去过西藏，沿途或许还能见到更多以不同材料建成的佛塔，如泥塔、木塔、砖石塔等，它们往往也与不同的等级制度有关。一般来说，这类佛塔由塔座、塔瓶和塔刹三部分构成。而正中间具有主要功能的建筑则是寺院的中心，通常根据“坛城”的比例及其图像关系来建造。蒙古佛寺也多具有重檐屋顶、镶金青瓦、红砖白墙等典型特征。

“The mobile castle of herdsmen”

“牧人的移动城堡”

The Mongols were one of the principal peoples who built polities such as the Hunnic empire, the Mongol Empire, and, in the article’s broader historical framing, even later imperial lineages.

以蒙古人为主体的民族曾经建立过匈奴帝国、蒙古帝国以及文中所概括的更广义帝国谱系。

Apart from religious buildings, the architecture of nomadic peoples was mainly temporary. Why did these peoples choose temporary buildings as their primary architectural form? At the beginning of this article I said that the people who seem to “like” moving the most are nomads—but do they really enjoy moving for its own sake?

除了宗教建筑以外，游牧民族的建筑多以临时性的建筑构筑为主。那么，这些民族为什么会选择临时建筑作为主要建筑形式呢？我在文章开头说过，也许这个世界上最“喜欢”搬家的民族就是游牧民族了，但我们真的只是因为喜欢搬家吗？

The yurt appeared in human history more than three thousand years ago. It was the umbrella-like tent of ancient Mongolians, referred to in old Chinese historical records as a “dome dwelling.” The decorated roof opening resembles a grassland version of the Chinese caisson ceiling.

蒙古包在三千多年以前就已经出现在人类历史上，是古代蒙古人的伞形帐幕，在中国古代史书中被称作“穹庐”。内部天窗的装饰，就像是草原版的“藻井”。

Since the thirteenth century, Mongolians have respected nature and the law of growth of all things. On the steppe, herdsmen developed a nomadic way of life according to seasonal change in order to balance the grassland ecology and survive there over the long term. Maintaining a natural balance between grass and livestock required movement, and from this need emerged the yurt—a classic temporary structure.

十三世纪以来，蒙古族信仰自然，崇尚万物生长之规律。在草原上，牧民根据季节变迁，为了平衡草原生态环境并长期生存于此，从而衍生出以游牧为核心的生活方式，以维系“草”与“牲畜”的自然平衡。因此，蒙古族人往往需要按时令在广袤草原上四处游牧，于是便衍生出“蒙古包”这一经典的临时性构筑物。

This dwelling type was widely used by Mongolian, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz nomads across Central Asia, stretching eastward to the Greater Khingan Mountains and westward to the Caspian Sea. These small white dwellings were scattered like pearls across the high grasslands. Among non-Mongolian nomadic groups, they were often called “felt houses,” and many of those peoples were also of Turkic origin.

这种民居住宅在中亚的蒙古人、哈萨克人、柯尔克孜等游牧民族中被广泛使用，以中亚为核心，东至大兴安岭，西至里海沿岸。小小的蒙古包像珍珠一样散落在高山草原的各个角落。除蒙古人外，其他游牧民族多称其为“毡房”，而这些民族通常也属于突厥系游牧民族。

We all know forms of human dwelling such as the cave houses of Shaanxi, the stilt houses of the southern Baiyue region, and the Hakka tulou. Different regional cultures and ideologies created different architectural forms. I believe this diversity is one of the foundations and enduring pillars of architectural origin and development.

我们都知道陕西窑洞、南方百越地区的干栏式住宅、客家土楼等人居形式。不同的地域文化以及意识形态创造出多种多样、形式各异的建筑。我想，这正是建筑源起并发展至今的重要基础和支柱之一。

The name of this painting is “The Great Migration,” depicting the migration of princes, nobles, and armies during the Mongolian wars.

这幅画的名字叫《大迁徙》，描绘的是蒙古战争时期王公贵族和军队的迁徙场景。

Histoire des Mongols, written by Constantin d’Ohsson, describes the ordinary herdsman’s yurt of the Yuan era like this: “The tent uses knotted branches as its wall; it is round in shape and about the height of a person. Rafters rise above and are held by a wooden ring at their upper ends. The exterior is covered with felt, tightly bound with horsetail rope. The door is also made of felt, and faces south. There is an opening at the roof to vent cooking smoke. A stove stands inside, and the whole family lives in this narrow place.”

《多桑蒙古史》说：“所居帐幕结枝为垣，形圆，高与人齐。上有椽，其端以木环承之。外覆以毡，用马尾绳紧束之。门亦用毡，户向南。帐顶开天窗，以通气吐炊烟。灶在其中，全家皆处此狭居之地。”这描绘的正是蒙元时代一般牧民居住的蒙古包。

The same book also records a more luxurious version used by the ruling class: “The place of the General Assembly was set by Lake Cuoha, where Ögedei stayed in summer… When the assembly began, clan kings and commanders gathered in a great tent. The tent could accommodate two or three thousand people, and was surrounded by painted railings.”

《多桑蒙古史》又说：“召集大会之所，定在阔哈湖畔，窝阔台驻夏之所也……大会始开……诸宗王统将等聚会于一大帐中。帐可容二三千人，周围绕以画栏。”这是统治阶级所居住的豪华毡帐。

Two main forms of yurts still exist today. Though their functional principles are the same, the differences show how this architecture changed over time through variations in tribal culture and geography. On the vast grasslands of Central Asia and Mongolia, rainfall is low and uneven, water sources are unstable, and climate change is dramatic. Under such conditions, the use of land resources becomes especially difficult.

现存至今的蒙古包主要有两种形式。虽然功能原理相同，但这种建筑会因不同的部落文化以及地理环境而发生不同程度的变化。在广袤的中亚和蒙古高原草原地带，降雨量少而不均，水源不稳定，气候变化剧烈，土地资源利用尤为困难。

To survive in such a harsh environment, people had to transform the locally available resources—especially cattle and sheep—into a sustainable livelihood. Yet rainfall and pasture could not support long-term fixed grazing, forcing herders to shift their pastures. In this way, nomadic grazing became a sustainable strategy for using grassland resources. Horses, carts, and demountable houses such as yurts therefore became necessities.

要在这样恶劣的自然环境中生存，人们就不得不利用本地现成的资源——尤其是牛羊——来维持生活。但这片草原上的降水量和草场无法支撑长期驻牧，迫使牧民不断转场。于是，“游牧放牧”成为可持续利用草场的一种方式，而马、车和可拆卸房屋（蒙古包）也就随之成为必需品。

Yurt composition and construction

蒙古包的构成与建造

The evolution of the yurt can be traced further back. In Siberia and northeastern China there is a dwelling type similar in spirit to the conical tents of the Navajo in North America. In Chinese it is called “撮罗子,” also known as “斜仁柱” or “撮罗昂库,” and it was used by hunting and nomadic peoples such as the Oroqen, Ewenki, and Hezhe.

蒙古包的演变历程还可以追溯得更早。在西伯利亚和中国东北部，有一种与北美西南部纳瓦霍帐篷在精神上相近的民居，中文常写作“撮罗子”，又称“斜仁柱”或“撮罗昂库”，是鄂伦春、鄂温克、赫哲等东北狩猎和游牧民族的一种圆锥形房屋。

More precisely, “cuō luó” (撮罗) refers to the pointed or conical top, while “angku” means a hut or shelter in the Hezhe naming system. “Xieren” refers to wooden poles and “zhu” means house in the Oroqen and Ewenki naming system. This type of dwelling represents an early form of the УРЦ.

更准确地说，“撮罗”（cuō luó）指的是尖顶或锥形之意，“昂库”在赫哲人的叫法中是“窝棚”；而“斜仁”是“木杆”，“柱”是“屋子”，这是鄂伦春和鄂温克人的叫法。这种民居可以被看作是早期УРЦ的一种形态。

The essential characteristic of this “pointed house built from wooden poles” is precisely that conical form. Over time, the paths of hunting peoples and nomadic herders diverged, but even today one can still see this primitive dwelling type across eastern Siberia and the forest-steppe regions of northeastern China. Later, this wooden structural logic also developed into Buryat-style timber houses, which need not detain us here.

这种“用木杆搭起的尖顶屋”最主要的特征，正是它的锥形构造。随着时间推移，狩猎民族与游牧牧民在居住形式上的差别逐渐分化，但这种原始住宅直到今天在东西伯利亚和中国东北的一些森林草原地带依然可以见到。后来，这种木结构住宅还衍生出布里亚特式的木屋，不过这里不再展开。

The yurt structure is remarkably simple. It mainly consists of five parts: the door, skylight, lattice support, felt covering, and binding ropes. These are all materials that can be obtained relatively easily on the plateau, and they differ entirely from the building logic of sedentary groups that depend on fired materials such as bricks and tiles.

蒙古包结构非常简单，主要由门、天窗、网状支架、毛毡和系绳五部分组成。这些都是在高原地区较容易获得的建筑材料，与汉族及其他定居民族依赖砖瓦等复杂烧制材料的建造逻辑完全不同。

Yurts are also easy to assemble and dismantle. They can be built according to local conditions and materials at any time. Whether in the form of a historical palace tent or an ordinary herdsman’s yurt, the basic structure remains the same, even if scale and detail differ.

蒙古包的组装与拆迁也非常方便，能够因地制宜、就地取材、随时搭建。无论是历史上的行宫大帐，还是牧民居住的普通蒙古包，虽然规模和形式上略有差别，但基本结构都是一样的。

When building a yurt, the herdsman first selects a place where water and pasture are suitable, draws a circle according to the size of the yurt, and erects the collapsible lattice wall along that line. The door is typically oriented to the east, and then the frame is fixed in place.

建造蒙古包时，牧民首先会选择一个水草适宜的地方，根据包的大小画出圆形，并沿着这条线立起可伸缩的网状支架。包门通常朝东，再将整体框架固定好。

In Mongolian, the lattice wall is called khana. It is made by crossing uniformly sized willow slats and fixing them with cords. The material is light yet tough, resistant to deformation, and unlikely to split, making it especially suitable for the yurt’s structural frame.

网状支架在蒙古语中叫作“哈那”（khana）。它由多根规格统一的红柳木条相互交叉，并用系绳连接固定而成，质地轻而坚韧，不易变形，打眼不裂，是最适合蒙古包框架建造的木材之一。

As shown in the diagram, the roof poles (УНЬ) are placed at the upper intersections of the lattice wall (ХАНА), with a regular spacing w. The slats of the lattice contain evenly distributed holes, and the top intersections must leave enough room to receive the inserted roof poles.

如图所示，屋顶杆件“УНЬ”位于格子墙“ХАНА”的顶部交叉点，并以固定间距排列。格子墙上的板条带有均匀分布的孔洞，而顶部交叉位置则必须预留足够空间，以便安装屋顶杆件。

The size of a yurt is determined by the number of lattice wall sections used as its skeleton, and its height changes with how much the khana is expanded or compressed. Because all of the covering load finally transfers onto the khana, the quality of this framework directly determines the yurt’s structural stability and climate adaptability.

蒙古包的大小由作为骨架的“哈那”数量决定，而高度则随着“哈那”的展开或收拢程度而变化。由于包体覆盖物的重量最终都会落在“哈那”上，因此其质量直接决定了蒙古包是否坚固，也决定了这种建筑在不同气候中的适应能力。

In everyday residential yurts, the lattice wall height is generally about 1.4 to 1.8 meters, and in some cases can reach about 2.0 meters. Smaller yurts with diameters around 3 to 4 meters usually use lower walls, while larger yurts around 6 meters in diameter often use walls of roughly 1.6 meters or more. A lower wall helps the interior retain heat more easily, while a taller wall improves comfort and air circulation.

在普通居住型蒙古包中，哈那墙体的高度一般约为1.4米到1.8米，有时也可接近2米。直径约3到4米的小型蒙古包通常使用较低的墙体，而直径约6米左右的较大蒙古包常采用约1.6米甚至更高的墙体。较低的墙体更有利于保温，而适当提高高度则能改善舒适度与通风效果。

After the supports are fixed, the skylight ring is erected and connected to the lattice wall by roof poles of uniform thickness and length. The skylight is a crucial component of the yurt for both light and ventilation, and in Mongolian it is called toono (ТООНО). The wooden pole that fixes the toono is called uni (УНЬ). The upper end of each uni is slightly sharpened and inserted into a prepared hole in the toono; the lower end is tied to the khana. These three parts become one tightly connected system. The ropes are like the building’s bloodstream, linking all structural members and playing a vital role in the stability of the whole yurt.

在固定好支架之后，就要立起天窗，并用一根根粗细和长度统一的木条将天窗与“ХАНА”连接起来。天窗是蒙古包中至关重要的部分，用于采光和通风，在蒙古语中称为“ТООНО”。固定“ТООНО”的木杆被称作“УНЬ”，安装时要将“УНЬ”上端略微削尖，插进事先打好孔的“ТООНО”，另一端则与“ХАНА”捆扎固定，使这三部分形成一个紧密连接的整体。绳子仿佛建筑物的血脉，串联起所有固定构件，对整个蒙古包的稳定性起着重要作用。

The next step is placing the felt covering. The felt is made from wool according to the shape and size of the frame, and is divided into four parts: roof felt, cover felt, wall felt, and ground felt. The roof felt is placed first, followed by the wall felt, and then large ropes are tightened around them. On the ground there are also two or three layers of felt. The square top cover is placed over the toono; its four corners are tied to the khana, lifted during the day for light and ventilation, and covered at night.

接下来的步骤就是覆盖毛毡。毛毡由羊毛按照包架的形状和大小制成，分为顶毡、盖毡、围毡和地毡四个部分。蒙古包先置顶毡，再放围毡，然后用若干大绳压紧系牢。地上还会铺设两到三层地毡。位于最顶端的盖毡一般呈方形，用于覆盖“ТООНО”，其四角以绳子与“ХАНА”连接，白天掀起以便采光和通气，夜晚再盖上。

The top cover is often decorated with traditional Mongolian cloud motifs embroidered in blue cloth; the roof felt may be decorated with auspicious lines or horn patterns, while the wall felt often uses a meander pattern.

蒙古包顶的盖毡常常绘有用蓝布刺绣的蒙古族传统祥云图案；顶毡多用吉祥线或犄角纹装饰，围毡则一般采用回纹图样。

The door is also an important decorative element. It is usually painted with symmetrical cloud motifs or longevity patterns, and some doors are hung with embroidered curtains.

蒙古包的门也是一个重要的装饰部位。包门一般绘制对称的云纹或寿字纹样，有的还会挂上刺绣门帘。

After all this labor, a yurt stands on the vast grassland, and then the owner begins to furnish and tune it. For example, in rainy summer conditions, herders may raise the yurt slightly to improve airflow; in strong wind, they lower it to reduce the wind-catching surface.

经过这些工序之后，一个蒙古包就站立在苍茫草原上了。接下来，主人还会根据环境继续调整这座小房子。比如夏季多雨时，牧民会将蒙古包调得略高一些，以增强透气性；刮大风时则会调低一些，以减小受风面积。

The yurt is a mobile home that accompanies Mongolian herders throughout their lives, so it can truly be called “small but complete.” In addition to the central hearth, it can contain cabinets, tables, chairs, and other furniture necessary for settled life while herding on pasture. Generally speaking, the arrangement of objects and positions inside the yurt is fixed.

蒙古包是伴随蒙古牧民一生的移动居所，因此可谓“麻雀虽小，五脏俱全”。除了中央必有的灶火，蒙古包中还可以摆设柜子、桌椅等家具，以支持在牧场中相对稳定的生活。总的来说，蒙古包内的陈设与位置通常是比较固定的。

Cultural customs and taboos

文化习俗与禁忌

Mongolians have long worshipped the god of fire. The hearth is regarded as a symbol of the family estate inherited from the ancestors, so it is placed at the center of the yurt. The northwest corner—opposite the door—is reserved as a sacred place for worship, often holding the Buddhist chest, altar niche, and image of Chinggis Khan. The eastern half of the yurt is the men’s side, where saddles, whips, hunting gear, and wrestling clothes are placed; the western half is the women’s side, where cosmetics, headdresses, food, and tableware are kept. These habits reflect the traditional gendered division of labor.

蒙古人向来有祭奉火神的传统，火炉被视为祖先传承下来的家业象征，因此被置于蒙古包的核心位置。蒙古包的西北角，也就是与包门相对的位置，是专门用于祭祀的神位，通常安放佛箱、佛龛和成吉思汗像。包内东半边是男人的席位，放置马鞍、马鞭、猎具与摔跤服等；西半边是女人的席位，放置胭脂、头饰、饮食和餐具等。这些放置习惯与传统的男女分工密切相关。

There is a clear reason the yurt was designed as a circle. Its rounded and soft outer form reduces resistance to wind and sand, while at the same time maximizing the available interior space with limited materials.

蒙古包被设计成圆形并非偶然。它圆润柔和的外形不仅能够减少风沙阻力，而且还能在有限的建筑材料条件下，尽可能提供更大的居住空间。

In winter, the felt on the roof and walls can be thickened to improve insulation. The yurt also has a threshold, which helps block cold air and drifting snow. In hot summer, the top cover and side felt can be opened to release heat, making the yurt a dwelling that is warm in winter and cool in summer.

冬季严寒时，可以加厚蒙古包顶和包壁的毛毡，从而起到较好的御寒效果。蒙古包还设有门槛，用于防止寒气侵入和大雪堆积。而在炎热的夏季，则可以打开顶毡和围毡进行散热，因此蒙古包可谓“冬暖夏凉”的好住处。

Improvised yurts are less soundproof, but this sacrifice of privacy has its own logic. On the steppe, herders can rely only on themselves, and they must be able to sense what is happening outside without even stepping out of the dwelling. Poorer sound insulation made it easier for Mongolians to know the condition of their herds at night, and in times of war and disorder it also helped them remain alert to danger. In ancient times, a family unit could also be a fighting unit; readiness was part of domestic education.

临时搭建的蒙古包隔音较差，但这种对私密性的牺牲并非没有原因。因为在草原上，牧民能依靠的往往只有自己，他们必须不出门就能感知外面的情况。较差的隔音效果，使蒙古人在夜里更容易知晓外面畜群的状况，而且在兵荒马乱的时代也能对敌情更加警觉。古代一个家庭单位同时也是一个战斗单位，随时应战也是重要的家庭教育。

When it is time to relocate, people simply untie the ropes and the parts come apart. After two or three hours of folding and stacking, the yurt disappears from the grassland and becomes a set of transportable components. The khana can even serve as the sideboard of an ox cart, while the remaining parts are stacked on top and bound by rope. In this way, a single cart can carry away an entire home.

而到了搬迁时，人们只需解开各个系绳，蒙古包的各个部位就会解体。经过两三个小时的折叠和归置，蒙古包便从草原上消失，变成一组可以快速转运的零件。此时“ХАНА”甚至可以充当牛车的车板，其他部件则可堆放其上并用绳索捆牢，只需一辆牛车就能把整个蒙古包拉走，十分便利。

The yurt on the steppe is as white as jade and is often described by poets as a pearl scattered across the turquoise plain. This is also related to the Mongolian reverence for white: white flocks of sheep are a primary basis of life, and dairy food has nourished generations of Mongolians.

草原上的蒙古包洁白如玉，常被诗人形容为洒落在碧绿平原上的一颗珍珠。这也与蒙古族对白色的崇尚有关：雪白的羊群是蒙古族生活的重要依靠，而奶食品更养育了一代又一代蒙古人。

Like many ethnic dwellings, life inside the yurt also requires observing customs and taboos. The northwest side is the seat of the elders. Neither the family’s children nor guests may sit in the innermost place; unless invited by the host, visitors do not sit in the master’s seat.

当然，和许多民族建筑一样，居住在蒙古包里也需要遵守相应的习俗与禁忌。蒙古包内西北边是长辈之座，无论是自家的子女还是客人都不能坐在最里面的位置上；除非经过主人的礼让，否则客人不会去坐主人的位子。

Guests should not enter the yurt carrying a horse whip, and stepping on the threshold is regarded as a serious taboo. After entering, one should walk to the assigned seat from the left side under the guidance of the host, and when leaving, follow the same route. The fire at the center of the yurt must never be touched with the feet.

除此之外，客人不能带着马鞭进入蒙古包，尤其踩门槛被蒙古人视作大忌。进门后要在主人的陪同下，从左手边走向自己的座位；离开时也要按照原来的路线退出。而蒙古包中央的灶火也不可用脚触碰。

Sheep and cattle on the steppe are protected by fur and can stay outdoors at any time, but humans can hardly endure such conditions. The yurt is a product of nomadic life that has been inherited and refined by many highland nomadic peoples until it became what we see today. The harsher the environment, the more important this kind of architecture becomes, and accordingly the frequency and scale of seasonal movement increase.

草原上的牛羊披着皮毛，可以随时露天而居，但人类却很难忍受这样的居住条件。蒙古包正是适应逐水草而居的游牧生活的产物，在经历了众多高原游牧民族的传承和发展之后，才变成了今天我们所看到的样子。越是在条件恶劣的放牧地区，这种建筑的作用就越加凸显，相应地，转场的频率也更高，范围也更大。

Mongolians living abroad are often asked a question: does your family live in a yurt?

蒙古人在他乡通常都会被问过一个问题：你家住在蒙古包里吗？

To answer that question, perhaps I should really take you to see one.

要真正回答这个问题，或许我真的应该带你去看看。

Since the late Qing period, yurts have gradually receded from the everyday lives of ordinary Mongolians. As large-scale migration and urbanization accelerated, traditional nomadic life was deeply affected. Especially in the modern era, rural settlement patterns shifted toward urban ones. Many herders moved from yurts into brick houses, and only a small number still used yurts in summer while moving with the pasture.

自晚清以来，蒙古包就在逐渐退出普通蒙古人的日常生活。随着大规模移民和城市化的加速，传统游牧生活受到了巨大冲击。特别是现代以来，乡村型聚居转向城市型聚居，许多牧民从蒙古包搬进砖瓦房里，只有少数牧民在夏季走场时才会继续使用蒙古包。

Although the traditional yurt is gradually leaving the daily life of herdsmen, it has become active in the tourism market. This new type of lodging is blossoming across the grassland. Yet as fewer and fewer people continue to use real yurts, the traditional craft still faces the risk of disappearance. Most of the “Mongolian yurts” seen in tourist destinations are made of low-cost steel, plastic, and canvas, and no longer carry the historical and social meaning of the traditional dwelling—they have become a sign more than a way of life.

虽然传统蒙古包开始逐渐脱离牧民的日常生活，但它却在旅游业市场上活跃起来。这种新型民宿在草原上不断出现。然而，随着真正使用蒙古包的人越来越少，传统蒙古包技艺依然面临失传的困境。旅游景点中那些彰显蒙古风情的“蒙古包”，大多由低成本的钢筋、塑料和帆布制成，早已不再具有传统蒙古包所承载的民族历史与生活方式的作用，更多只是成为一种形式。

Even so, while the traditional yurt is declining as an everyday dwelling, this architectural form continues to develop within architectural design, generating variations that differ from the traditional one, and even pointing toward the future.

尽管如此，传统蒙古包虽然作为日常居所正在衰落，但对于建筑设计而言，这种形式的建筑依然在继续发展，甚至衍生出不同于传统的新形态，更进一步，甚至面向未来。