Located in Guizhou Province, Songdong is known as China’s Cave Village. The villagers follow a traditional way of life and now live in meager facilities. Although the government is making continuous efforts to relocate them, reports say that the villagers here are not ready to change from their traditional way of life.
Songdong is located at an altitude of 1800 meters (about 6000 feet) above sea level. Therefore, the residents of this place face significant difficulties. In 2008, the government decided to close schools here, declaring that “China is not a society of cavemen”. It was a big blow to the village.
Now children have to travel for two hours and trek back and forth to go to school outside the village. Reports say that the government is now making an effort to improve the infrastructure of the village, but the people here are not ready to fully agree to it.
Songdong resident Luo Dengguang acknowledged their hardships and said of village life, “Life is hard. But this cave protects us from the bitter winter cold and summer heat.” Even though the government officials have repeatedly asked them to leave the village, the villagers are still determined to stay here.
At the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the villagers moved to the cave to hide from bandits. Later that stay continued. Most of the houses in the village are made of wood and bamboo and are located near the entrance of the cave.
Electricity was not available here until the early 2000s. Also, the nearest urban area of Seon is just over an hour’s drive from here.
Last Updated Apr 10, 2024, 5:13 PM IST
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2024-04-10 11:17:02
