Welcome to Chinese Earth Sheltered Dwellings. This page provides a brief view of Chinese vernacular architecture, specifically earth sheltered dwellings.

Few buildings in China exist that were built prior to the 1300's because many early buildings were built of insubstantial construction of wood and rice paper and others were destroyed during wars and invasions. Of the remaining historic structures, there are a few examples of earth shelters. Man-made cave dwellings have been used as shelter in China since 2,000 BC. Today there are an estimated 40 million Chinese living in cave shelters.
   



Intro - Primitive - Platform - Pitcave - Pitcave2 - Other - Bibliography - Links

Non-Western Architecture


Completed in partial fulfillment of Arch 499, Non-Western
Architecture at the University of Idaho, Spring 1999.