During the busy farming season, the roof is usually used as a place to dry grain in the sun. People figured out a clever and convenient way to move the grain inside the cave by creating a hole in the roof.

Building an underground courtyard is not a simple matter. Before constructing a courtyard, people usually first invite a geomancer 　 a spiritual ecologist who explores and fosters the harmony between the physical and spiritual environment. The geomancer would then come to find a good site for the dwelling according to the Eight Diagrams, signs used to evaluate Chinese feng shui. Following the practice of feng shui, the number of cave dwellings is generally an even number, such as eight or 10.

As the economy developed, people’s living habits gradually changed. Since the 1980s, many people who lived in the sunken courtyards moved away. Often occupying a large chunk of land, those courtyards were even buried in many villages during the 1990s.

At present, only some terraces in Shan county can still be found scattered in some underground villages, where about several dozen households continue to live in the sunken courtyards. Still, the ancient underground dwellings are doomed to sink out of sight.

Author:Ivana

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