In the developing process of the bamboo houses, the Dai people made use of their talents, and continued to perfect its structure and materials. For example, over time they have learned to place large marbles underneath the pillars of the house, so that the pillar cannot touch the ground directly; this prevents moisture from climbing up along the pillars, thus protecting the bamboo houses from rot. In order to make the bamboo house more endurable, the Dai people have also created many practical and effective methods of treating the bamboo and wood. Some bamboo materials must be put into the rivers or ponds to saturate for several months in order to dissolve some soluble substances, such as xylose, and to make the starch deteriorate, so that they will not attract moths or parasitic microorganisms. The wood that must be buried in the earth is first burnt with fire in order to make the part in the earth harder and give it a layer of protective charcoal. In addition, they traditionally build an oven in the bamboo house, so when they cook, the house is filled with its smoke, which has chemical qualities that are good for fighting erosion and moths. Of course, the bamboo houses are vulnerable to fire. Therefore, each community establishes its own rules. No one is allowed to use fire in the daytime of the dry season; if a fire must be used, the user must go to designated places to use it. Therefore, bamboo houses are seldom seen on fire.
People of the Dai ethnic group always use trim bamboo bars to build the walls of their yard. They plant flowers, trees and fruit in their yards, and the trees provide a pleasant shade. A beautiful bamboo house is like a small park. Over thousands of years, bamboo houses have changed greatly from the earlier bamboo post, bamboo girder and bamboo tiles to the wood structure and masonry-concrete structure. However, the name “bamboo house” is still used as before.
Why do the Dai people like to live in bamboo houses instead of bungalows? Li Jing of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) answered this question in his work, Yunnan Zhilue. He said that the bamboo’s most excellent feature is its ability to avoid both humidity and heat.
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