Cave dwellings are a unique form of residential dwellings on the Loess Plateau in northern China. The ancestors of the Chinese nation lived, multiplied and grew strong in cave dwellings. Below are some explanatory essays about cave dwellings in northern Shaanxi that I compiled for everyone, for reference only.
Explanatory article on cave dwellings in northern Shaanxi
Cave dwellings are a unique form of residential dwellings on the Loess Plateau in northern China. The ancestors of the Chinese nation lived in cave dwellings. multiply and grow. There are many types of cave dwellings: earth cave dwellings, stone cave dwellings, brick cave dwellings, earth-based cave dwellings, Liubazi cave dwellings with willow rafters and interface cave dwellings. Cave dwellings are a product of the Loess Plateau and a symbol of farmers in northern Shaanxi. Here, the deep culture of the ancient loess was deposited and the people created the cave art (folk art) of northern Shaanxi. In the past, a farmer worked hard all his life and his most basic wish was to build a few cave dwellings. Once you have a kiln and a wife, you are considered to have a family and a career. Men dug in the loess soil, while women took care of housework and gave birth to children in cave dwellings. The small cave dwellings condense the unique style of the loess land. The loess, which is one to two hundred meters deep, extremely difficult to seep water, and highly upright, provides a good prerequisite for the development of cave dwellings. At the same time, natural conditions such as a dry climate with less rain, cold winters, and less wood have also created opportunities for the development and continuation of cave dwellings that are warm in winter and cool in summer, which are very economical and do not require wood. Due to the influence of the natural environment, landform characteristics and local customs, cave dwellings have formed various styles of cave dwellings in northern Shaanxi. However, from the layout and structure of the building, it can be summarized into three types: cliff-based, sunken and independent. It requires less construction materials and fewer craftsmen, is convenient for construction, does not occupy land, and does not damage the environment.
Cave dwellings in Yan'an, northern Shaanxi, are mixed with cave-style flat-roofed houses. Cave dwellings are an organic combination of natural scenes and life scenes, permeating people's love and attachment to the loess. Cave dwellings are fire-proof, noise-proof, warm in winter and cool in summer. They not only save land, but are also economical and labor-saving. It is indeed a perfect architectural form adapted to local conditions. People make use of the characteristics of loess to dig holes and build houses. The cave dwellings are called earth cave dwellings. They are generally 7 to 8 meters deep, more than 3 meters high, and about 3 meters wide. The deepest one can reach 20 meters. There are two types of windows, one is a small square window of about 1 square meter; the other is a round window of about 3 to 4 square meters. Its characteristics are warm in winter and cool in summer. Stones are used as building materials. The stone arch holes are 7 to 9 meters deep and about 3 meters wide and high. They are called stone cave dwellings. The style and construction methods of brick kilns are the same as those of stone cave dwellings, and their appearance is beautiful. A cave dwelling in a courtyard usually has 3 or 5 holes. The middle kiln is the main kiln. Some have front and back kilns, and some have one entrance and three openings. Cave dwellings are generally built in sunny areas on the mountainside or at the foot of mountains. Many trees, flowers and plants are planted on the top of the cave dwellings.
Cliff-type cave dwellings (Yayao)
Cliff-type cave dwellings include backing type and ditch type. The cave dwellings are often arranged in curves or zigzag lines, creating a harmonious and beautiful architectural effect. When the height of the hillside permits, several floors of stepped cave dwellings are sometimes arranged, similar to modern buildings.
Sunken cave dwellings (underground caves)
Sunken cave dwellings are underground cave dwellings, mainly distributed in loess plateau areas where there are no hillsides or ditch walls to use. The method of this kind of cave dwelling is: first dig a square pit on the spot, and then dig out the cave dwelling on the four walls to form a courtyard. When people are on flat ground, they can only see the treetops in the courtyard, not the houses.
Independent cave dwellings (Gu kiln)
Independent cave dwellings are arched houses covered with earth. There are earth and adobe arch cave dwellings, and there are also brick and stone arch cave dwellings. This kind of cave dwelling does not need to rely on mountains and cliffs, and can be independent on its own without losing the advantages of cave dwellings. It can be a single-story cave dwelling, or it can be built as an independent cave dwelling (hoop kiln). If the upper floor is also a hoop kiln, it is called "kiln on kiln"; if the upper floor is a wooden structure house, it is called "kiln on house".
Part Two of the Explanatory Essay on Cave Dwellings in Northern Shaanxi
My hometown is on the Loess Plateau. Although the scenery here is not as beautiful as that in the south, it still has its unique side.
What impressed me most was the unique cave dwelling.
Cave dwellings are a product of the Loess Plateau and a symbol of farmers in northern Shaanxi.
In the past, a farmer worked hard all his life and his most basic wish was to build a few cave dwellings. Once you have a kiln and a wife, you are considered to have a family and a career. Men dug in the loess soil, while women took care of housework and had children in cave dwellings. Although the cave dwelling is small, it condenses the unique style of the loess.
Earthen cave dwellings were the residences of earlier people. Most of the cave dwellings people live in now are made of masonry. Seen from a distance, rows of cave dwellings are built against the mountains. Nestled among patches of jujube trees, pear trees and some unknown fruit trees, it has become a unique landscape in our hometown. Its top is chiseled into a curved shape. This structure is durable and makes living inside warm in winter and cool in summer, making it very comfortable.
As I walked closer, I saw that its windows were semicircular, but were divided into small squares with exquisitely carved wooden strips. Paste the window paper and frame the window grilles, it will be very beautiful.
As soon as you walk in, there is a unique scene inside. The first thing that catches the eye is a large square bed, which takes up almost one-third of the house. People here call it Kang. There is a small stove next to it with a blazing fire. It must be very warm to sit on the kang! The kang is a place where people in northern Shaanxi sleep and rest at night. It is also a place where women chat and do needlework in their free time. Just imagine: two or three women are sitting on the warm kang, doing needlework, talking and laughing, it is so warm! Because this is the place where they stay the longest, the decoration of the kang is also the most particular. The wall around the Kang is surrounded by a circle of brightly colored paper, about two feet high, called the Kang Waizi. This is the most important decoration in the cave dwelling, and it also has lace! There are traditional New Year pictures on the wall, expressing their The longing and yearning for future life. Occasionally, there are paper-cuts of animals, which are said to ward off evil spirits!
I heard from my grandma that the floor used to be made of rammed earth. Sweeping away a pile of soil, with the improvement of living standards, it is now replaced with Tiles, sparkling. The water tank that every household used to have in the house has also disappeared because of the introduction of tap water. It is said that in the past, water tanks were indispensable furnishings in cave dwellings because the water source was far away and there must be enough water. But now, reaching out As soon as you twist it, high-quality drinking water flows out, which is convenient and fast, so the water tank has faded out of the lives of people in northern Shaanxi.
People who used to have no choice but to sleep as soon as it gets dark now also attend cultural evenings. At night, there will be wonderful music and people's laughter floating out of the cave dwellings. Even the paper used to paper the windows has been replaced by crystal clear glass, shining brightly in the sunlight. Although the paper was replaced by glass, the habit of pasting window grilles was still passed down. Even if it is pasted on the glass, it has a different flavor.
This is the cave dwelling in my hometown. The motherland is changing, and so is my hometown! I love my hometown, and I love the cave dwellings in my hometown even more!
Explanatory essay on cave dwellings in northern Shaanxi Part 3
Northern Shaanxi is located on the Loess Plateau Hilly and ravine area. Liangmao's undulating topography with crisscrossing ravines has created a unique living style here. The houses built by the villagers living here are not like the yurts and yurts built in the vast grasslands, nor like the tile-roofed houses and courtyard houses built in the vast plains, nor like the chic lofts built near the water in the Jiangnan water towns. Utilize the natural mountain topography and simply dig cave dwellings.
People in northern Shaanxi are accustomed to building and living in cave dwellings. There is no accurate conclusion as to which dynasty this custom originated from. My guess is that the ancestors walked out of the naturally formed caves, moved down from the big tree canopy, and came to the deep mountains with thousands of mountains and valleys, and began to look for a place to camp, shelter from wind and rain, and thrive. As you can imagine, the productivity and labor skills at that time were extremely low, and the conditions in the mountains were very difficult. It was not easy to build a place to live! They thought hard and finally found enlightenment in front of the cliff formed by long-term rain erosion. So they dug holes and lived in the broken walls of the loess, which was neither soft nor hard, accumulated over hundreds of millions of years, imitating the appearance of natural caves. Over time, they gradually evolved into today's cave dwelling architecture.
The architectural types of cave dwellings in northern Shaanxi are diverse.
From the original loess and scorched earth cave dwellings, they have developed into joint stone kilns, joint brick kilns, raw pier stone kilns, raw pier brick kilns, and even simulated cave dwellings with internal arches and external arches. Of course, although earthen cave dwellings are simple, they are easy to dig and save labor and money. They are often made by poor people who are in poor circumstances. In order to look good and durable, farmers who are slightly better off use stones or fired green bricks to build them. A layer of earthen cave dwellings is built on the surface of the cave, and then a bluestone slab eaves is put on to protect it from the rain. It is called an interface cave dwelling. People with good fortune simply use stones or bricks to imitate the form of earthen cave dwellings and build cave dwellings, which are known as life-saving cave dwellings. Dunshi kiln or raw dun brick kiln, this kind of cave dwelling is durable, spacious and bright, and has attracted the envy and dreams of many poor families!
Regardless of the type of cave dwellings in northern Shaanxi, they generally have windows. Windows may be large or small, semicircular or square, with semicircular windows being the most common. Under the round window, there are symmetrical small square windows or small single windows beside the doorway, depending on the location of the door. Doors and windows are generally made of local suitable poplar, elm, willow and other high-quality wood, which are carefully processed by carpenters into square lattice windows. Hobby farmers also ask skilled craftsmen to set the window lattice into beautiful patterns. , the side of the window made by the kiln is covered with white linen paper. On the one hand, it blocks the wind and sand, and on the other hand, it allows ventilation and light transmission.