Guyaju Caves

Guyaju Caves are the ruins of a cave complex that may have served as dwellings for a fortified community situated in a valley near present-day Dongmenying, Yanqing District, Beijing, China [1]. The cave rooms are packed close to each other and in some places are cut at different levels of the same cliff face, giving the appearance of a multistory building [1]. A Chieftain's Palace is located at the bottom of one of the rock faces of the complex [1]. This more elaborate residence has 8 rooms and is supported by columns cut from the rock [1]. The ancient cliff dwellings of Yanqing were first discovered in 1984 during a cultural relics survey conducted by the Yanqing County Cultural Relics Administration, and the date of their excavation was inferred to be between 1000 and 2000 years ago, but the exact date has not been determined [1]. The site can be divided into two parts, the front ditch and the back ditch, all of which sit east to west and cover an area of 1.5 square kilometers [1].