Cave-Dwellings窑洞
The middle and upper reaches 中上游 of the Yellow River comprise the Loess Plateau黄土高原. People living on the plateau高原 make use of the solid and thick loess to build unique residences called cave-dwellings.
These can be further divided into earthen土窑, rock-walled 石窑and brick-walled 砖窑types. Earthen cave dwellings are hollowed out of mountain slopes山坡; they are warm in winter and cool in summer, and are also sound proof.
Stones or brick-walled cave dwellings are usually built with stones or bricks first into an arch-shaped house and then covered with a thick layer of earth. Since there is no need for steel and cement水泥, the building costs are low. As society progresses, construction of cave-dwellings keeps improving and today, such houses are more comfortable inside and more pleasant in appearance.
