Farmers' Caves Xian

Farmers' Caves Xian

Farmers' Caves, Xian

The man-made caves can be found mostly on the vast loess plateau of northern China where the unique soft, yellow earth in the mountains is not only easy to dig but so tightly packed that it holds together without any built support. As a type of dwelling existing only in China, the farmers' caves are unique travel destinations. In some areas of Shaanxi Province such as the Yan'an area, farmers' caves abound.

Throughout dry and mountainous northern China, an estimated 40 million Chinese still live in caves or subterranean dwellings. In Shaanxi Province there are two basic types, the stone cave and the earth cave. The stone cave is cut into the side of a precipitous cliff, while an earth cave is cut into the yellow earth layers. Caves rise layer upon layer looking like stories of a building.

A farmer's cave is generally 5-7 meters (16.4-23.0 feet) long, 3-4 meters (9.8-13.1 feet) wide and 2-5 meters (6.6-16.4 feet) high. The cave has a semicircular door of fieldstone and windows with exquisite sash bars set like fan ribs, the most beautiful and dainty parts of the cave.

A farmer's cave has several unique characteristics: First, it is quiet; the homes are easy and cheap to construct, warm in winter and cool in summer, and shields the farmers well away from the strong winds and harsh weather. Its creation does not damage the environment or usurp farmland.

The practice of living in the Farmers' Caves can be traced down as early as the Neolithic Age and this practice has been handed down to the descendants who have maintained the tradition. Today, some farmers' caves have progressed to serving as hotels featuring modern facilities. Tourists now can enjoy the advantages of both a farmer's cave and hotel. These tours to the Farmers' Caves are part of a still tiny but rapidly growing niche of the Chinese tourism market known as ecotourism.

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