Living on volcanic craters, cliffs... Have you ever seen these extraordinary settlements? World | Cliffs | Residences
The reproduction and reproduction of human beings cannot do without the comfortable environment of nature. But on Earth, some less livable places also have human footprints, such as volcanic islands, cliff edges, etc; There are also some residences derived from the unique geographical environment of the local area, which are a kind of "tailored to local conditions" originating from nature, such as caves, water surfaces, etc. What kind of experience is living in an unusual place?
Set your home on a volcano and cliff
The filming location of the movie "Your Name" is a paradise like place with a beautiful name called Qingzhi Island. But this small island is a rare island formed by a double volcanic crater, located in the southern part of the Izu Islands in Japan. It is incredible that there is also a small village that coexists with a volcano, and the island has a permanent population of about 200 people.
Qingzhi Island is a volcanic island formed 3000 years ago by the eruption of an underwater volcano, cooling magma and accumulating rock debris. Places with volcanoes indicate that geothermal resources are relatively abundant. The residents of Qingzhi Island use geothermal resources to boil water, cook, and even soak in hot springs, making the volcanic island a "big kitchen". The scenery of Qingzhi Island is also very beautiful. Volcanic ash forms fertile soil, the island is covered with dense vegetation, and the mountains and forests provide a natural oxygen bar that can breathe rare fresh air in the city.
However, for the safety of the island residents, the helicopters here are on standby at any time. Once a volcanic eruption displays a warning sign, helicopters will quickly evacuate residents safely.
Cliff Village located in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province
Not only volcano craters, but also human figures have appeared on cliffs. There is a famous cliff village in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, with an average elevation of about 1500 meters. Villagers must pass through a cliff with a vertical height of 800 meters to enter and exit, and every step of their journey feels like a martial arts movie is being staged.
Cliff Village, also known as Atuler Village, is related to the Atuler family. Liangshan Prefecture is located deep in the mountains, and the first people to survive here were the Atu family who lived in seclusion here to avoid war. Most people cannot climb cliffs, but here there is plenty of land, suitable climate, abundant resources, and self-sufficiency in daily life. Later, the descendants of Atu have been thriving here for generations, gradually forming villages.
Seven years ago, the local government built an 800 meter "sky ladder", also known as a long steel ladder, along the mountain path, replacing the previously unstable and dangerous rattan ladder. Currently, there are still over 70 households living in the village, who have to climb the "ladder" every day. After the completion of the "Heavenly Ladder", the cliff village, which was not easy to survive, became a world-renowned internet famous village.
"Cave dwelling" has its own unique cave
There is also a kind of home with its own unique cave. As the junction of Eurasia, Türkiye has many natural and geographical landscapes, the most famous of which is the cave.
The Cappadocia region is covered in stone forests, with many towering "pillar forests" scattered between the gullies and valleys. There is a small town called Graeme in the local area where people live in caves. These cave dwellings have unique geographical advantages, are easy to excavate, and are warm in winter and cool in summer, making them suitable for living. The locals carved stones into their ideal homes and created stone cave courtyards with different shapes based on the shape of the stones. Many residents even build their houses within a giant rock. With the improvement of the level of chiseling, the local people's stone caves have been able to carve out modern home furnishings such as restaurants, kitchens, bedrooms, gardens, etc.
Cappadocia was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1985. This used to be a part of the ancient Silk Road, but now it has become a popular tourist destination. Many people will have a "cave hotel experience" on their travel list to Türkiye. Each room in the hotel is carved from stone pillars, maximizing the restoration of the local cave life.
Cappadocia Scenery
A special residential area tailored to local conditions, with large trees in addition to caves.
In Papua Province, New Guinea, Indonesia, there is a globally recognized arboreal tribe - the Coroway tribe, who live in remote forests. The living environment here is humid, and in order to avoid the wild beasts and insects and ants in the forest, they choose to place their homes on trees. The height of a treehouse from the ground is usually between 6 to 12 meters, and from a distance it looks like a floating house in the air.
Due to the special living environment, people in the local tribe have learned to climb trees since childhood, and this self-protection method has been passed down for many years. The Korovi people originally lived a secluded life until the 1970s when scientists discovered traces of their lives in this jungle, allowing them to establish contact with the outside world. Some of them no longer live in trees, but still live a life of hunting and fishing in the forest.
Living on the lake from birth
In Cambodia, some people live on the lake from birth, with houses and gardens floating on the water. A boat can tow away all their belongings. 700000 people have settled down on the vast and picturesque Donglisha Lake, a water village known as "Floating Village" by the outside world.
Donglisha Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The houses on the water are of different grades: the worst is a small fishing boat, the slightly better is a thatched cottage woven from palm leaves or bamboo poles, and the best houses are wooden houses painted with bright colors. The majority of people in Fu Village make a living by fishing. In order to adapt to the large water level difference of Donglisha Lake, the villagers of Fucun built a high footed house with wooden stilts. During the rainy season, the house hangs high on the ground and enters the room through a nearby staircase. During the dry season, houses are close to the water surface, and the water level also decreases accordingly, with boats being their only mode of transportation. Swimming is an essential skill for everyone to survive.
A relatively luxurious "water house" in Fu Village
With the development of tourism, more and more people are aware of the existence of Fu Village. In order to receive tourists, the people of Fucun have started a new life. They have built water football fields, barbershops, clothing stores, and started a seafood business, just like living on land.
In the ancient city of Phoenix in Hunan, China, there are also many "water houses" living there. Compared to the floating of Cambodian floating villagers, the stilted buildings here are only built near the water, and people's travel is not restricted.
The western part of Hunan is on the edge of the the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, which is mostly mountainous. Flat land resources are mostly used for farming, which is very precious. So, the Tujia people living here began to build houses on the slopes, and in order to reduce excavation and increase the usable area, hanging foot buildings became the preferred form of residential buildings. Using locally abundant cedar trees can support a stilted building. The bottom floor is not inhabited by people and is generally used to raise poultry, place some agricultural tools and heavy objects; The second floor is the place for drinking, eating, and living, with bedrooms and a living room.
The painter Huang Yongyu who passed away recently came from the ancient city of Phoenix. He not only painted stilted buildings, but also participated in the design and material selection. This kind of residence with hometown characteristics has become a nostalgic refuge.
Xiangxi Hanging Foot Tower in Phoenix Ancient City
There are also human figures in extreme regions
Comfortable places are suitable for human habitation, but on Earth, there are still a small number of people living in environments with extreme climates.
The hottest human settlement on Earth is a small village in Mali, Africa - Alawan. It is located in the center of a desert, with an average summer temperature of 46 ℃ and an average annual rainfall of only 45 millimeters. This village has over 300 residents living here for a long time. It serves as a transit point for salt mines in northern Africa and cities in southern Africa, providing a resting place for caravans traveling north and south. Residents can also earn income by serving caravans.
Oymyakon, Russia has been rated as the coldest human settlement on Earth. The average temperature in winter here is as low as minus 50 ℃, with the lowest temperature reaching minus 71 ℃, second only to Antarctica in terms of coldness. The average temperature is below freezing for 7 months of the year, and there are only 3 hours of daylight per day in winter. In this extremely cold environment, houses are mostly covered with ice and snow, and doors and windows need to be equipped with four or five floors. The local area is unable to grow vegetables and fruits, and people mainly eat frozen fish, beef, milk, etc.
In the southern Atlantic, there is an isolated volcanic archipelago called Tristan da Cunha, which is the most remote settlement in the world, located about 3000 kilometers from the nearest African continent. This archipelago belongs to British territory, with only over 200 permanent residents living mainly on the main island. They make a living by growing vegetables, fruits, and fishing, and earn income from fishing resources. There is no airport on the island, only small boats that connect with South Africa. There are only 60 days of boat traffic each year, which makes the islanders have little contact with the outside world.
