Shanzhou Pit Courtyards
陕州地坑院
Underground courtyard houses where “you see no houses when you enter the village, and no people when you hear voices.” Visitors can descend into the courtyards to see cave dwellings and paper-cutting, and even stay in a cave-dwelling guesthouse.
Pit courtyards are square dwellings dug down into the loess plateau, with cave rooms carved horizontally into the four walls. The construction technique is a national-level intangible cultural heritage. The Shanzhou Pit Courtyards scenic area is located around Beiying Village on the Zhangbian Plateau. It preserves dozens of courtyards, which have been developed into folk-culture exhibition courtyards offering experiences such as Shanzhou paper-cutting, drum-and-clapper storytelling and the traditional “Ten Bowls” banquet. Some courtyards have been converted into cave-dwelling guesthouses that stay warm in winter and cool in summer. The site is about 20 minutes by car from the city centre. Check the scenic area's official announcement for ticket prices. The cave rooms are low, and roads across the plateau become muddy after rain, so watch your footing.
Opening hours
Roughly 08:30–18:00 (per scenic area announcements)