Enshi, in central China, is a major cultural region that attracts more than 20 million tourists a year to learn about the Xuan’en people and their historical use of wooden stilt homes, or diaojiaolou.
Wanting to upgrade tourism facilities, officials looked to mass timber as a modern approach to their centuries-old reliance on timber construction. Based on stakeholder relations established through FII China, they connected with Canada Wood for expertise and access to B.C. softwood.
Enshi Pengjiazhai Tujia Autonomous Museum Centre | Photo: Canada Wood
The Xuan’en project includes a large museum, mass timber bridge built from Douglas-fir, and other facilities covering 6,000 square meters. The extensive use of wood goes beyond historical tradition to recognizing the benefits of mass timber in public facilities as a sustainable, green building solution.
Revitalizing tourism and hospitality facilities in rural China is a major part of China’s green building program. Canada Wood is using the Xuan’en project as an example to other regions of how mass timber can be used to achieve cultural, green building, and economic development goals.
Enshi Pengjiazhai Tujia Autonomous Museuim Centre | Photo: Canada Wood
