Most bungalows have a cross-section that consists of an inverted V placed on top of a square, but bungalows in Shaanxi generally have a cross-section that is exactly one half of what you would get if a conventional bungalow was cut widthwise. The tradition of building bungalows this way is believed to have originated either from the fact that a bungalow thus built could make almost all the rainwater falling onto the roof flow across the area in front of the house, to the benefit of the house owner, which was vital given Shaanxi's status as a drought-prone region with little rainfall, or from the fact that there had been a shortage of houses in Shaanxi because there were only limited amounts of land but a rather large population there.