l mistero più fitto circonda le oltre cento grotte che si aprono su una parete a strapiombo, in una gola del distretto di Yanqing.

Non si conoscono documenti scritti sulle origini o sulla storia del complesso di grotte di Guyaju, presso la città di Zhangshanying, 92 km a nord di Beijing. Esse costituiscono il più ampio complesso di case rupestri che si conosca in tutta la Cina.

Le grotte formano una specie d'alveare, con vani di diverse dimensioni e forme, dotati di porte, finestre, cucine e ripostigli, come nelle case costruite.

Le stanze rettangolari sono di dimensioni variabili da 3 a 20 metri quadrati. Alcune sono collegate tramite passaggi verticali, altre con passaggi o corridoi orizzontali. Alcune "case" comprendono due o tre stanze, mentre altre sono costituite da una singola camera.

ENGLISH VERSION

BODY RUPESTRIAN DISCOVERED IN CHINA

the mystery surrounding the more dense over a hundred caves that open on an overhanging wall, in a gorge in Yanqing district.

There are no known written documents on the origins or the history of the complex of caves Guyaju, near the town of Zhangshanying, 92 km north of Beijing. They constitute the largest complex of cave houses which is known throughout China.

The caves form a kind of hive, with rooms of different sizes and shapes, with doors, windows, kitchens and storerooms, as the homes built.

Rectangular rooms vary in size from 3 to 20 square meters. Some are connected by vertical passages, others with horizontal passages or corridors. Some "case" of two or three rooms, while others consist of a single room.

The visitors are amazed to see these homes furnished with tables, stools and even a kang (traditional bed heated from below), all carved or engraved into the living rock.

If there were written or painted murals, they have disappeared and have left historians to scervellarsi to find out who lived here and when.

Some scholars think that the troglodyte complex dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), while others attach to the Liao Dynasty (916-1125 AD). Still others think it was a refuge for bandits, or a military fortification, or a shelter from the tribe Xi in times of war.

However, most scholars favors a date of about 1000 years ago. The most curious fact is that these caves are located a stone house with two floors, supported by six pillars decorated with intricate carvings.

In one wing there is a room with lighting lamps, stoves, dividers and mangers, all made of stone. Windows and doors closed to prove beyond doubt that the space was formerly inhabited.

The different floors are connected by stairs and landings carved in stone, from which visitors can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views on the throat.