Cave Dwellings

Many laboring people on the Loess Plateau in northwest China live in caves dug into the mountains .The caves are laid out in rows one atop the other ,looking like buildings of multiple floors in the distance .

These cave dwellings were either tunneled into the face of a stupendous cliff or scooped into a cross-section of the Loess Plateau .A cave dwelling is usually six meters deep and four meter wide . Stone slabs are piled up to form a semicircle at the entrance ,which is decorated with exquisite latticed window in a variety of styles .These are also arched cave dwellings of masonry that are covered with earth ,which is definitely a variation between stone and loess structures .

The beautiful about the cave dwellings is that they help maintain local topography and save on farmlands by madding use of space that would have been otherwise left unused . They are warm in winter and cool in summer.

The temperature inside is usually 13 degrees Celsius higher than in the open in winter and 10 degrees Celsius lower in summer. Moreover, the cave dwellings are sequestered in peace and quiet as they are shut from the noise of the outside world .These are drawbacks as well .For instance, delighting is poor ,humidity high in summer ,and ventilation leaves much to be desired .