Many of the houses in the village are very simple and were built many years ago. They do not have central heating systems as apartments in the big city do. Some of the houses have stoves that burn wood or coal, but not all do.
Thousands of years ago, Chinese people discovered a clever way to stay warm during the harsh winters: the kang bed-stove. The kang is a raised platform made of brick or ceramic that is built inside the house. There is a stove built under the kang. The heat from the stove is then trapped by the brick or ceramic. During the day, family members put pillows down and sit on the warm kang to relax or to eat a meal. At night, they lay down blankets and sleep on the kang. I had the best sleep of my life on a kang. The next morning when I woke up, I did not want to get off of the kang because I was so warm and comfortable!
