Labu: A Village Landscape Rebuilt with Local Stone

Along the deep river valleys of Chengduo County, stone is part of the built landscape. A 2021 CNR report describes Labu Township’s traditional houses using local shale: split slabs served as readily available building material for homes and paths. In photographs from the report, old and rebuilt houses form part of a working valley settlement.

After the 2010 earthquake, county planners set out to rebuild Labu as a demonstration area for traditional village tourism. The report says rebuilding followed a “repair the old appearance” principle, using traditional materials and craft where possible while adding steel reinforcement and other modern structural elements in less visible parts of the buildings.

The rebuilding plan shaped more than a façade. The report describes carved Tibetan-style wooden door and window frames, stone walls and a village street where houses kept a distinctive appearance while supporting modern use. Labu’s cultural landscape also includes named sites such as the ferry white pagoda and Guowu Fortress, alongside local song and dance traditions.

A separate 2021 Xinhua feature follows a local building-preservation organizer through Guowu and Lantian villages, recording house surveys and repair conversations with residents. Its focus is the work of keeping historic buildings inhabited and cared for. Taken together, the accounts show Labu as a place where architecture is maintained through decisions about materials, repair and everyday use.