The amazing thing about loess deposit is that it has exceptional
cohesive strength, and it forms cliffs with nearly vertical faces.
Permanent dwellings are built by excavating into the soft soil.
Its chief enemy is of course water which destroys its cohesive
bound, and is therefore extremely erodible.
That is why we do not find many remnants of such deposits
anywhere else in the world except in this arid region.
Loess gullies are usually over a hundred meters deep.
The grandeur of this cliff is best appreciated by comparing it to
size of the people inhabiting it.
In winter, after harvest, town's people gathered
leisurely to be entertained by a traveling opera troupe.
Without charging admission tickets,
how do you suppose the performance is financed?
An opera of regional flavor
Picture source: YRCC, Huanghe Feng,
Yellow River Pub House, 1996.