I have always wanted to tell people about the benefits of a type of ecologically friendly living accomodation: the cave. China has lots of them in the Shanxi and Shaanxi area. It seems like Missouri does as well.
Chinese cave from Shaanxi Province, Tim Johnson/MCT
___Chinese caves, called yaodong, are ancient but became quite famous during the Long March, when Mao hid in them to escape bombing raids from American planes. After spending a significant amount of time living in a Chinese cave I would like to tell you that they are a totally awesome accommodation, but alas that would be a baldfaced lie. You may judge for yourself.
___Caves do have great benefits, which is why they are very common in some parts of China. Temperature-wise they are neither hot in the summer nor cold in the winter, as the subterranean location acts to moderate climate. The cave on the right is decidedly high end, earning a 4 star rating. Most people who live in caves are farmers who usually are not rich, or rather live a subsistence living scratching the bare earth with their bloody hands just to stay alive. Most caves do not have externally clad stone, white tile and red trim tile. No, the cave I lived in was clad in a combination of straw and mud, which bakes to a hard crust in the summer. Slap it and a cloud of dust will plume in your face.
___The box on the wall between the two cave doors is the main electrical panel, where you can use a stick to turn off and on your family’s electricity. Electricity in China is 220v, so be careful where you shove that stick or your hair could go curly. The two white circular objects above the box are knob and tube wiring, still common in rural China. It seems all modern caves have electricity, but maybe not modern electrical wiring. Yes, that 10 watt lightbulb is almost as bright as a candle.
___The white wire running down into the cave from the apex of the cave’s curve is coax cable, connected to their satellite TV. This is only available in caves for richer folk, or at least for the main room of the house. A guy on a 3 wheeled motorcycle can come to your house and for 400RMB you too can have satellite TV. The TV is not included. This service is only available in rural areas where there is much less government snitching. Once installed you can watch CCTV channel 9 English TV. I feel so special.
Cave school in Shaanxi Province
___The white lattice structure above the glassed area is a frame of wood. Newspapers and discarded books, mixed with glue (flour and water) are used to cover the lattice. Note that this yaodong’s lattice is actually painted and the paint is not peeling off. Classy. The central area of the lattice also has green bug screen. This is so the mosquitoes have at least a little competition as they enter the yaodong and repeatedly pierce and drink your Laowai blood each and every night. I recommend After bite over Benadry. Benadryl leaves a sticky residue on your skin that collects dust, leaving you with dark skin blotches. The locals will think you have some unique disease. This after bite treatment is most effective in the winter. Also note that Chinese wenzi yao, those spiral coils you light to keep the mosquitoes at bay may smell nice but don’t work at all.
___The dark discolouration on the bug screen is from a coal burning stove, used during the winter. The little hole to the left and slightly above the door is an externally vented pipe, used to connect directly to the stove. This is so you don’t kill yourself with carbon monoxide poisoning as you try not to freeze your ass off at night. Still, some of the smoke does get into the room and vents out through the window, discolouring the screen.
Curt and Deborah Sleeper's three-bedroom cave, Festus, Mo.
___The roof of your yaodong can be used to dry wheat, corn, hay or other crops. This yaodong is very highbrow because it actually has a stone railing. My yaodong had no such frills and we had the freedom to fall 20′ off the roof if we so desired. It seems rural kids already know to not play ball here. While you’re up there, ensure that all weeds are pulled out because any vegetation will retain water and could allow the yaodong to collapse. That would be bad.
___This cave seems to have a blanket covering the door. Blankets are sewn with loops in the corners to make it easy to mount. Our yaodong was covered with a grass mat that supposedly does not allow mosquitos to get inside. This was not effective. Doors are bifold of solid wood construction. A wood bar goes across the door on the inside that acts as a lock. These doors are not air tight and let in mosquitos.
___Caves often spruced up prior to a wedding. It may get a new coat of paint, holes in the lattice are sealed, bug screening is replaced, windows are washed, and walls are repaired. They then gracefully degrade until another family member gets married. Larger rural families do have secondary benefits.
___Inside the cave can feel a little humid and musty. It is important to take out all bed linen and blankets to air dry and bake in the sun every single day. Critters like high humidity. The yaodong door and windows are left open in the summer to allow humidity to escape. It is best to not spill water inside your cave as this will raise the humidity level. Under any circumstances, do not spill the pee pot, no matter how sleepy and uncoordinated you feel when you wake up. Dump at your earliest convenience. Some things are best left near the wall.
___Some caves have a concrete or brick floor and ceiling, though mine had a dirt floor and ceiling. The ceiling was covered with paper and glue. Dirt walls and floors allow bugs to penetrate the cave, which you must kill before you go to bed. Please beware of scorpions. Did you know that baby ones actually glow in the dark? Cool. Larger scorpions are sold by the locals for Chinese medicine. Scorpions are safely handled by young boys using metal chopsticks. Smart! Most bugs found are harmless and provide a great source of supplemental protein.
___While cave living cannot be compared to a 4 star Hilton, it is a damn sight more comfy than the 2 story concrete and brick slab buildings that are in most villages. Concrete buildings bake in the summer, while in your lowly yaodong you’ll feel as cool as a cucumber.
Most building technology starts from the ground and extends upwards, so it’s interesting to think about the implications of starting from the front and building into the cave. The cave does have ecological value, because nature helps to moderate high and low temperatures.
I would like to have seen some more high-class cave construction. I presume that ways to get more light into the dark recesses have been discovered, but I wonder if it’s possible to resolve the moisture issue without impacting the effect of temperature moderation.
From what I’ve seen, all caves are made in the same way. Circular forms are put up onto the roof and more earth is dug out until you get as deep, as high and as wide as you wish. The strength of the roof is its circular shape. Because most of the door side is glass or paper, there is a lot of ambient light. I’ve not seen any other cave design that lets in more light, like for example a skylight.
High quality caves have a roof of concrete, called shotcrete, under pressure and shot into the earth, which hardens to a stiff crust. More layers of concrete are added until there is sufficient dimensional stability. This layer of concrete is then smoothed out and tiled. A traditional concrete pad is used for the floor, which is then tiled. I would doubt that you would be able to seal out all water infiltration, as concrete does seep water as well. Still, better than packed dirt covered with paper.
Any type of skylight would require more complex construction and would be a direct method of water infiltration. A skylight would also be able to let your neighbours eavesdrop on your conversations when you are in your cave.