As we all know, most residential houses of Naxi people in Yunnan are built with earth and decorated with bluestone. However, the residential houses in Yuhu Village are different, which are stone-based and form earth and wood structure. Those who have been there when they come to learn Chinese language in China recommended that the former residential house of Locke is the typical one is worthy of visiting. But before that, you should know something about Locke.

Locke was an American Austria scholar. He came to Yunnan with the identity of the explorer, writers and photographer of Global Geographic Magazine of the United States. Then he lived in Lijiang from the year of 1921 to 1949. Originally, he was a botanist who collected the plant specimens. Then, he devoted himself to researching on Dongba culture, becoming an anthropologist. During the period that he lived in Yunnan, he made great contribution to the research and promotion of Dongba culture.

As a matter of fact, he was the first western scholar who introduced the Dongba history and culture of Naxi people comprehensively to the whole world. More importantly, he was also the first western scholar who devoted himself to studying on the Dongba pictographic. If you attend to school to learn Mandarin in China, you may be told that he won the title of “the father of research on Naxi culture”. During the period he lived in Lijiang, his house was in Yuhu Village.

The residential house of Locke you can see now was reconstructed which is a house with one courtyard and three rooms. The building that faces the east was the former headquarters of Yunnan expedition team of the United States National Geographic Society at that time. The room upstairs is the living room of Locke, in which some appliances and tools are displayed such as bed, tables, chairs, carpet, brazier, bookshelf, clock and lantern and so on. All of these were the relics of Locke of those years.

In addition, the house facing the north is the exhibition hall of former residential house of Locke. According to those who study Mandarin online, you can see a large number of historical photos taken by Locke in the past when you enter the room. There are also some remains from Locke such as wool coats, shotgun, dental equipment, carpenter’s tools and aluminium rivets leather box which were all brought by Locke.