Yuzhou dikengyuan

Dikengyuan is also known as tianjingyuan. It is known locally as "tianjingyuan", "diyinkeng" and "Diyao". It is a legacy of the cave dwelling style of ancient people. It is known as the "underground courtyard" in northern China. It is said that it has a history of about 4000 years. Dikengyuan is distributed in Sanmenxia County of Henan Province, yuncheng county of Shanxi Province, Qingyang County of Longdong County of Gansu Province and some areas of Shaanxi Province.

In fact, the structure of the dikengyuan is to dig a rectangular or square earth pit with a depth of 6-7 meters and a length of 12-15 meters down on the flat land as a courtyard, and then dig 10-14 caves on the four walls of the pit, with the engineering quantity of about 2000 earthwork. The cave is about 3 meters high, 8-12 meters deep and 4 meters wide. The walls below 2 meters are vertical, and the top is arched. One of the caves is cut into a slope to form a stepped arc passage leading to the ground. It is a passage for people to travel. It is called the cave and the entrance to the underground courtyard.

Dikengyuan is located at the edge of the Loess Plateau. The soil layer is thick and hard. The cave is also a natural temperature regulator. It is warm in winter and cool in summer. In particular, it is simple and cheap to build. For the poor mountain people in the past, such a building is ideal. Therefore, dikengyuan has been loved by people in the mountainous areas of western Henan on the Bank of the Yellow River for thousands of years. This is the deep attachment between people growing in the Loess Plateau and the loess, and the endless blood of the Loess people from generation to generation.

Address: Miaoshang village, Xizhang village, Shan county, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province

Longitude: 111.212837

Latitude: 34.613963