Traditional Cave Houses of Northern China

When passing through the popular destinations of Pingyao and Datong, one very unique but often missed spectacle is the distinctive landscape of cave dwellings of the rural peasants. In this desolate land devoid of wood and other suitable building materials, local residents have perfected the art of carving underground housing out of their silty yellow earth over thousands of years.







Known in Chinese as Yaodong, these extraordinary cave houses typically consist of several semi-circular, interconnected chambers excavated out of vertical cliffs on the hillside. Along this 1000-kilometer stretch of the Loess Plateau from Gansu to Shanxi, an estimated 40 million people still live inside these traditional dwellings.







This rustic and symbolically Northern Chinese tradition has recently become a popular attraction in the domestic Chinese tourism market, which mainly focuses on the remote city of Yan'an where Chairman Mao's band of Communist rebels based itself out of a Yaodong community back in the 1930's. But unless you're particular interested in this so-called Red Tourism, spending a couple days just to travel to Yan'an and back hardly fits most itineraries.



But there is an easy and quick way to see an authentic Yaodong village in its original, unspoiled state -- simply head to Wang's Family Compound, which I assume is in your plan already if you're visiting Pingyao.







This rustic Yaodong village is ironically situated right next to the majestic Wang's Family Compound. Simply climb to the very top of the Compound and look downward towards the back, and you'll get this bird-eye-view of a Yaodong village in action. These may be common scenes in rural China, but note the simplistic three-chamber cave houses on the hillside forming this Siheyuan courtyard. This is one peculiar local custom you won't see anywhere outside of the Loess Plateau.







The more affluent may carve out an entire hillside of tens of Yaodong caves for a whole clan of extended family members. For instance Chairman Mao and his comrades lived in a 37-chamber group of Yaodong while leading their guerilla war against the Nationalists and the Japanese. If you want to find richest family in the village, simply look for neat, brick-lined facades and count the number of chambers.







Inside the caves the thickness of the walls provide excellent insulation against the region's scorching summers and snowy winters. Interiors characteristically consist of plastered walls and beddings placed on top of an earthen or brick hearth known as Kang, which provides a more comfortable sleep in a similar function to the Japanese Kotatsu.







The Yaodong tradition was so ingrained in the local culture that even the wealthiest Qing Dynasty bankers in Pingyao embellished their luxurious residences with Yaodong-shaped facades. Don't miss this unique architectural style if you're visiting Pingyao -- appreciate the false Yaodong in the bankers' courtyards, but head to Wang's Family Compound to see the real thing.