Seven Years to Build a Home Inside a Mountain

In Sichuan, China, a remarkable feat of self-built architecture has taken shape over seven years. A man, leveraging his background in coal mining and construction, embarked on an ambitious project to carve a two-storey family home directly into a raw sandstone cliff. He began excavating the lower level, carefully supporting the ceiling with a central pillar before shaping it for stability.

Water ingress presented significant challenges, requiring extensive sealing and reinforcement efforts. Heavy storms tested the resilience of his drainage systems, forcing continuous improvements. Bringing utilities to the remote location involved manually running electrical cables and establishing a water supply from a distant spring.

The excavation progressed to create living spaces, an outdoor kitchen, and an external staircase. A major engineering hurdle was the construction of an internal staircase connecting the two levels, requiring precise calculations for a successful join.

After a two-year hiatus due to unforeseen personal matters, the man returned to find nature had reclaimed parts of the property. He then undertook extensive repairs and upgrades, including a new septic system and enhanced kitchen facilities.

The completed home now integrates essential modern amenities such as electricity, running water, bathroom facilities, Wi-Fi, and heating, alongside creatively carved furniture and workspaces. The upper floor remains a work in progress, with continued expansion planned for his children's area.