Cave dwelling is an ancient form of living for residents of the Loess Plateau in northern China. In the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region of China, the loess layer is very thick, some of which are tens of meters thick. The people of China creatively used the favorable terrain of the plateau to dig holes to live, and created cave buildings called green buildings.
Cave dwellings generally include cliff cave dwellings, sunken cave dwellings, independent cave dwellings, etc., among which backer kiln is widely used. In the past, a farmer worked hard all his life, and his basic wish was to build several caves.
Marrying a wife in a kiln is a family business. Men dig in the yellow soil, and women do housework and have children in caves. Cave dwelling is a product of the Loess Plateau and a symbol of the people in northern Shaanxi, which has precipitated an ancient and profound yellow land culture.
Characteristics of caves:
1, warm in winter and cool in summer: Cave dwellings belong to earth buildings in architecture, and their biggest feature is warm in winter and cool in summer. In winter, sunlight can further penetrate into the cave, thus making full use of solar radiation and making the internal space open and comfortable due to the arch. In summer, it keeps cool because of its structural characteristics.
2. Harmony between man and nature: the construction of caves is in harmony with the natural environment, which embodies the concept of harmony between man and nature.
Its space is a circular arch in appearance. This form, which originated from nature, not only embodies the concept of circular place in the traditional thinking of the ancients, but more importantly, the high circular arch and high windows at the door can make the winter sunshine go deeper into the cave.
3. Simple appearance and unique aesthetic feeling: The cave has a simple appearance, reflecting the traditional architectural aesthetics. It takes the courtyard as the unit or the behavior line, which changes with the terrain, giving people a magnificent feeling.
4. It has a long history: Tao Dong is an ancient form of residence for residents on the Loess Plateau in northwest China. The history of this cave dwelling can be traced back to the lake more than 4000 years ago.