Chinese media have been fascinated by the story of a woman who allegedly lived in a cave in Enshi City, Hubei for six years. What makes the story even more unusual however is that the woman is not a primitive person living completely cut off from civilization; the woman is in fact a local villager and is called Ren Guoying. She even has a husband and children who bring her grains and vegetables.
Nobody knows why exactly she moved into the cave, not even her husband. According to locals, Ren always seemed very normal and the family got on well together. However, in 2007 the family moved away from their home to a new house five kilometres away. Not long after, Ren Guoying suddenly decided to leave her new home, eventually settling in a cave overlooking her former residence.
Understandably, Ren’s family think her decision to live in a cave is totally weird. Nevertheless, they decided to support her by sending her food on a regular basis. According to reports, her children are a little less forgiving and feel hurt by the fact that they’ve had to grown up without a mother. Despite it being six years, the family hopes to persuade her to move back into the family home and live life like a “normal” person.
Source: gmw.cn
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Keywords: cave woman in Hubei
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We clearly don't have the full story here, but I'll bet there is some rhyme and reason to the woman's "madness". Sheer speculation due to lack of information and responsible reporting: (1) The woman was born and grew up in a house in her local village long before the area was "modernised". (2) The house she was born in, grew up in, and loved was razed by the government to make way for a highway or a hi-rise. Ergo, her family and she were forced to move to a remote area 5 kms away. And in rural China, 5 kms is a long way. (3) She chose to stay in her "native land" because she couldn't cope with the displacement. Okay. That is simple conjecture. But think about it. What are the reasons the woman chose to live in a cave "overlooking her former residence"? Surely not because she's a big fan of cave-dwelling, unless of course, the cave was a safe and comfortable childhood play ground for her and her friends. But. It is somehow, in the woman's mind, attached to her home. And home is where the heart is, right? An aside: In the 19th C, when the U.S. government forced most native American Indian tribes to "relocate" from their native lands to reservations (some not too far away from the homeland), wars broke out; depression, alcoholism and suicide on reservations set in; and 20,000 years of indigenous culture ultimately died thanks to government policy. (Some of those Amerindians lived in caves before they were "domesticated" and put in shantytowns and "learned" Western ways.) On a personal note: My older brother, no longer able to afford to pay the mortgage on his modest home due to outstanding hospital bills, was evicted by the Spanish government - by force. He refused to leave, chaining himself to a steel support beam in the living room. It took a chainsaw and a construction crane to pry him from his beloved home of years. He was delivered to a "new home" some kilometers away from his "former residence". He committed suicide six months later, absolutely distraught over losing his home. I guess what I'm saying is there is nothing fascinating or weird or funny about the story of the woman living in the cave. She has her reasons and no one, I'm pretty certain, has bothered to ask her. Sorry. Don't mean to get all moral and maudlin on the esteemed and learned commentators of the so-called "article" above. Just saying: It's not only China where people are attached to their homes. And how they deal with it.
Sep 15, 2013 12:41 Report Abuse
If her living in a cave worries her family, then what do they think of her dressing as a bat and beating up criminals at night?
Sep 13, 2013 23:21 Report Abuse
Caves are great in Summer. Always cool and the same temperature. Nice if you can get it..... Forgot to read the article. is it about living in caves?
Sep 13, 2013 22:12 Report Abuse
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