village piled up by stones

There is a medium-sized fishing village named Shitang in the coastal area of east Zhejiang Province. Although it can not compete with the delicate and elegant West Lake or the picturesque Shaoxing with small bridges, flowing rivers and cottages along the rivers, its buildings are still with distinctive characteristics. The stone cottages, built tier upon tier on the cliff by the sea, look simple, rustic and dignified in style. Climbing up the mountain top by the sea, you will see the cliffs right in front of you and the white wave carried by the sea breeze striking against the dark cliff furiously. Looking back, you will get a bird's-eye view of the whole village: from the center of the long and narrow valley, dense stone cottages lined up along the chine on both sides of the mountain. The zigzag streets are bustling with fishermen carrying their nets, peddlers carrying their loads on a shoulder pole, and mothers bargaining in the market with kid in their arms. You cannot hear what they are saying, but you will feel that it is indeed a very bustling street. The most attractive of Shitang, however, is its buildings. Due to the geological conditions, there is hardly any flat ground suitable for building cottages, which, therefore, have to be built according to the mountain features. Another distinctive feature of the buildings is that they are built with stones. Shitang had neither clay nor kiln, but only stones all over the place. The brown stones are firm, strong and solid. They are cut piece by piece and piled up into cottages so that the fishermen can remain safe and sound when typhoon hits the place every summer.