Troglodyte settlements on the Loess Plateau of China: Challenges to sustainable tourism-oriented development

Troglodytism is one of the most representative cultural expressions of geoarchitecture. On the Loess Plateau of China, several significant examples of this approach to urban development can be found. Sometimes abandoned, sometimes still inhabited, cave settlements are precious examples of living heritage in rural and internal areas, which are at the risk of disappearance. Tourism is one of the strategies to revitalize these settlements, but it might be both an opportunity and a risk. A balance between conservation and development must be found, and a paradigm change is needed. Chinese cases can serve as a reference for solutions for this type of cave heritage, on which a debate has only recently begun at a global scale. This study introduces the classification of cave settlements based on the Underground Built Heritage theoretical approach. Chinese cases in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces are illustrated on a comparative level. Tourism-oriented reuse and enhancement practices are analyzed and discussed in the context of national and international scenarios. In addition, criticalities and opportunities for the future are illustrated.