At a seminar held on 7^th May 2026 at Lancaster University, Dr Lihua Shi delivered a lecture titled “Living in the Earth: The Origins, Forms, and Renewal of China’s Yaodong Cave Dwellings” to staff and students from across the disciplines of art, architecture, environmental design, and Chinese studies. The event took place in County South D72 and was chaired by Dr Derek Hird.

Dr Shi, a lecturer in Environmental Design at the School of Art, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, is currently a visiting scholar at Lancaster University’s School of Arts. Drawing on her long-term research into vernacular architecture and ecological design in Northwest China, she explored the historical origins, architectural forms, and environmental significance of the traditional Chinese Yaodong cave dwellings.

The presentation highlighted how Yaodong architecture embodies a sustainable philosophy of building and living. Widely found across the Loess Plateau, Yaodong dwellings are constructed directly into the earth and integrated with the surrounding landscape, enabling thermal efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and minimal environmental impact. Developed over centuries in response to local climatic and geographical conditions, these cave dwellings demonstrate how traditional architecture can achieve harmony between human habitation and the natural environment.

Dr Shi also discussed the contemporary relevance of Yaodong architecture in the context of global sustainability challenges. She argued that vernacular architectural traditions contain valuable ecological knowledge that can inform present-day approaches to sustainable design, low-carbon living, and environmentally responsible urban and rural development. The lecture further explored possibilities for the adaptive renewal of Yaodong dwellings in modern contexts while preserving their cultural and ecological significance.

The seminar prompted lively discussion among attendees on the relationship between traditional knowledge and modern sustainable development. Questions from the audience addressed issues including rural revitalisation, adaptive reuse of vernacular architecture, and the role of indigenous ecological practices in contemporary design education.

Dr Shi holds a PhD in Landscape Architecture and has published extensively on vernacular architecture and ecological landscapes. Her monographs include Construction Techniques of Traditional Chinese Vernacular Dwellings: Yaodong and Ecological Wisdom in Landscape Construction on the Loess Plateau of Southern Ningxia.