Hole is where the heart is for Chinese cave dwellers
High in the hills of southwestern China's Guizhou province, 18 families live in the most unusual of houses - a natural cave.
Despite having electricity, life in Zhongdong village is very cut off with the nearest town some three hours away.
However all of that is set to change with the local tourism authority finally opening a 15 million yuan (£1.7 million) cable car that will be free for the cave's residents.
An unusual home: A woman walks through the village of Zhongdong where 18 families live inside a natural cave
Isolated: The only access to the outside world is a footpath winding through Guizhou province's mountain terrain
Tiring trip to shops: Villagers are forced to walk three hours to the nearest town before making the three hour journey back
It's claimed that the cave is China's last cave village.
The families' only access to the outside world is via a footpath winding through Guizhou province's mountain terrain.
However on May 1, their lives are about to chance with free access to a cable car.
The new addition will be a relief for villagers who have to carry all food and other products that the are unable to grow themselves up the mountain.
Even large furniture items are carried the three-hour-long slog up with mountain.
Despite the positive changes to their way of life, some residents are weary of the new cable car.
22-year-old Wang Xingguo feels that the cable car will not be convenient as they will not be allowed to bring poultry into the cabins.
He said: 'They said they'd build us a road 15 years ago but then they discovered this was a place they could make money off and so chose not to build it.'
An easier way of life: Many villagers are optimistic about the opportunities the cable car brings to the village
Modernising the cave: A man stands in front of the door of his shop located inside the cave which also has electricity
Country life: There are also concerns that the cable car will bring tourists to the cave which would damage their livlihood
However other villagers such as Wei Xiaohong hopes the new transportation will bring the young people back who originally left for larger cities to find work.
The cave used to house a school which had 200 students from across the region. However it was closed by authorities some time ago.
Wei's 12-year-old son has to walk two hours to class.
The development company manager surnamed Luo has promised that the village will be completely revitalised with houses repaired and the primary school restored.
He says: 'In five years, we will have reproduced some of the original buildings and recreated the primitive life of the men out farming and the women at home doing housework for the tourists to visit.'
However a hiker visiting the cave at the time said that he would not take the cable car once it was finished as it 'damages this place and its original style.'
Simple: Food and other goods have to be carried all of the way up the mountain unless they can be grown in the cave