25 Photos of Zhongdong, China’s Last Cave Village

China's last cave village is a tiny isolated community tucked away in Guizhou Province's mountainous region, but despite its small size and extreme poverty, it's not going anywhere.

By Daniel Bonfiglio

Published 5 months ago in Wow

China's last cave village is a tiny isolated community tucked away in Guizhou Province's mountainous region, but despite its small size and extreme poverty, it's not going anywhere.

Zhongdong only houses 18 families and about 100 people, but the 160-foot high, 750-foot deep cave is not a home many of them are willing to give up.

Zhongdong was founded in 1949 when the Chinese Civil War drove people out of urban areas in search of safer living. The cave provides shelter from the elements, natural drinking water, and a consistent comfortable living temperature. However, the agrarian society struggles from a difficult farming environment, and a lengthy hike from any form of society.

Zhongdong is mostly self-sufficient, but the community sits well below the international poverty line, and farmers struggle to sell their goods. In an effort to eradicate poverty, China has repeatedly offered and built Zhongdong residents new homes and farms, but the cave dwellers have repeatedly refused to move. It's their home, and they're not going anywhere.

You can check out more cool photos and information about Zhongdong in this Goldthread article and in Bryan Denton's portfolio.

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Many houses don’t have fully constructed roofs, since they are covered by the roof of the cave.
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“Most of Zhongdong’s residents live below the poverty line.”

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“Most of the houses in Zhongdong are made of wood and bamboo.”
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“Zhongdong is located inside a national park popular with hikers, but its inaccessibility means few people visit.”
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“Despite the difficulties, few Zhongdong residents want to move out.” One man even moved back after moving away.

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“Wu Baozhen with her children. She is one of the village’s few young parents.”
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The town's school, which was provided by outside investment, has since closed down.
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Villagers have to hike for three hours one way to reach the closest shop.
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Residents use wood-fires to heat their homes and cook.
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The cave is 750 feet deep.

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Locals grow their own crops to sell.
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A child returns home after a week at boarding school. As is the case in many communities in rural China, many children spend significant time away from home at school.
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“The partially constructed terminus of a cable car that was scheduled to open last year, in Zhongdong, China. Built by a private investor with an eye towards making it easier for tourists to reach the Zhong cave, the cable car would have cut the roughly one-mile, one-hour hike to the village significantly. Some local residents say that the investor ran out of money, halting the project's completion.”
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Most residents wear clothes provided by the government.
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“The interior of the Zhong cave illuminated by resident's electric lights after sunset.” These were donated by an American visitor.
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