Ma Heping, a 40-year-old farmer in Yan'an of the province, built a cave in 1999 that looks the same as other caves from the outside, but has entirely different indoor functions.

It is a two-storey cave with rooms used for different purposes. The first floor is used as the living area, the second for bedrooms. Ma also installed a solar energy device on the roof of the cave, and hot water is available all day long.

"It's quite comfortable living in this new cave, it's much brighter than the old one. I can also take a hot bath and have solar heating," he said.

The Loess Plateau, the home of the caves, was the seat of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party between 1935 and 1948.

Local people in Yan'an have always lived in teh caves because they are warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Modern cave builders have also found solutions to the problems of ventilation and daylight. The first batch of 40 new-type caves has been built at a cost of 150 yuan (US$18) per square metre.

Wu Liangyong, a well-known Chinese architect, said the new caves bear the characteristics of modern buildings while preserving the unique features of local residences.

(Xinhua News Agency 06/21/2001)