Folk House Wonders

Sanmenxia Pit Courtyard – Millennial Wisdom Below the Horizon, Epic of Life on the Loess Plateau

[Folk House Wonders That Transcend Time]
Digging soil to create courtyards and covering soil to create residences. Hidden on the loess plateau in western Henan are China's most magical folk houses – pit courtyards. Sunken six meters, surrounded on all four sides, the cave dwellings are warm in winter and cool in summer, and the courtyards are sheltered from the wind and gather energy. For thousands of years, people here have been able to "see trees but not villages, and enter villages without seeing houses," which can be called "Siheyuan below the horizon."

[The Wisdom of Living in Harmony Between Man and Nature]
No bricks or tiles are needed, and the terrain is cleverly used. The drainage system hides mysteries, and it is naturally wind-proof and earthquake-resistant. The door cave, stove cave, and granary cave have an orderly division of labor, with jujube trees and pomegranate trees growing in the courtyard, creating a self-sufficient farming picture. In 2011, this "cave dwelling" wisdom was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

[Living Yellow River Culture Museum]
Listen to the crowing of chickens on the plateau in the morning, and watch the stars fall into the patio at night. The paper-cut window decorations are bright red, and the Henan Opera resounds through the top of the cave. Sit on the heated kang, eat ten bowls of dishes, experience the Shanzhou drum book, and touch the life temperature of the ancestors in the technique of hammering grass and printing patterns.

📌 Travel Tips
📍 Best experience locations: Miaoshang Village, Qucun, Shanzhou
🍲 Must-try: Pit Courtyard's special "Ten Bowl Feast", Shanzhou Zao Egg
📸 Photography spots: Aerial photography of patio courtyards, door cave silhouettes in the morning and evening light and shadow
🎟️ Recommended joint tour: Sanmenxia Swan Lake, Guo State Museum

Post by CharlotteFraser42 | Apr 30, 2025