Hugh Pickens writes “Barbara Demick reports in the LA Times that more than 30 million Chinese people live in caves, many of them in Shaanxi province, where the Loess plateau, with its distinctive cliffs of yellow, porous soil, makes digging easy and cave dwelling a reasonable option. The better caves protrude from mountains and are reinforced with brick masonry. Some are connected laterally so a family can have several chambers. Electricity and even running water can be brought in. ‘Most aren’t so fancy, but I’ve seen some really beautiful caves: high ceilings and spacious with a nice yard out front where you can exercise and sit in the sun,’ says Ren, who works as a driver in the Shaanxi provincial capital, Xian. ‘It’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It’s quiet and safe.’ In recent years, architects have been reappraising the cave in environmental terms, and they like what they see. ‘It is energy efficient. The farmers can save their arable land for planting if they build their houses in the slope. It doesn’t take much money or skill to build,’ says Liu Jiaping, director of the Green Architecture Research Center in Xian and perhaps the leading expert on cave living. Liu helped design and develop a modernized version of traditional cave dwellings that in 2006 was a finalist for a World Habitat Award, sponsored by a British foundation dedicated to sustainable housing. Meanwhile, a thriving market around Yanan means a cave with three rooms and a bathroom (a total of 750 square feet) can be advertised for sale at $46,000. ‘Life is easy and comfortable here. I don’t need to climb stairs. I have everything I need,’ says 76-year-old Ma Liangshui. ‘I’ve lived all my life in caves, and I can’t imagine anything different.'”
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