In the early stages of research and investigation into Chinese traditional vernacular dwellings, scholars conducted some sporadic surveys. Liu Dunzhen, in his 1941 publication “Overview of Surveys on Ancient Architecture in Southwest China,” was the first to propose vernacular dwellings as an independent architectural type. In 1956, Liu Dunzhen published An Introduction to Chinese Residences. The earliest books on provincial vernacular dwellings in China were published between 1960 and 1962.
