Sino Spelunking: Exploring China’s Diverse Caves

Sino Spelunking: Exploring China’s Diverse Caves
May 17, 2014 By Kate Williams , eChinacities.com

Ever wonder how the cavemen lived? You’re in luck. China is home to numerous caves of varying sizes, located throughout the country. Whether you’re a novice joining a tour group or an adventurous explorer looking for your next expedition, China has got you covered year-round. The list below covers some of China’s well-known and lesser-known “show caves”, fully equipped with colorful illuminations and well-informed tour guides, as well as several caving sites for those that prefer a little more adventure and a lot less fluorescent lighting.

Well-Known Show Caves

Tenglong Cave
Photo: chinadaily.com.cn

1) Tenglong Cave
Tenglong Cave (腾龙洞), also known as Soaring Dragon Cave, is located in Lichuan City in Hubei Province. This cave system is comprised of a dry cave and a river cave, with the latter serving as the source of the Qingjiang River. The cave is toured in open-top electric vehicles to get the full effect of the magnificent sights and cascading waterfalls. Theatric performances are put on for visitors at the end of the tour. This large and marvelous show cave has been open to tourists for many years and is reportedly one of the largest caves in the world. The best time to visit Tenglong Cave is April and May, although it’s open all year.

Add: Tenglong Cave Scenic Area, 7 km from Lichuan City, Hubei Province
地址:湖北省利川市内,腾龙洞风景名胜区 (距利川市城7公里)
Price: 120 RMB (non peak-season), 180 RMB (peak-season)
Hours: 08:00 to 17:30
Getting there: from Lichuan Railway Station (利川市火车站), there is a tourist bus to Tenglong Cave Scenic Area (腾龙洞风景名胜区)

2) Xueyu Cave
Discovered in the mid-nineties, Xueyu Cave (雪玉洞), also known as Snow Jade Cave, is over 1,644 kilometers long. The cave is located in Chongqing Municipality near the city of Fengdu. It is one of the youngest caves in China and has a unique geographic position near the banks of the Yangtze River. Most of the stalactites in the cave are white and resemble jade, giving the cave its name. A tourist route stretching more than 725 miles has been constructed for viewing the cave. The best time to visit Xueyu Cave is during the winter and spring months (December through May).

Add: Xueyu Cave Scenic Area, near Sanjian Township in Fengdu County, Chongqing
地址:近郊重庆丰都县三建乡,丰都雪玉洞景区
Tel: 023 7063 7999
Price: 70 RMB
Opening hours: 08:00 to 17:00
Getting there: from Chongqing's Chaotianmen Long-distance Bus Station (朝天门长途客运总站), a bus departs every 30 minutes to Fengdu County (丰都). Once there, take the Xueyu travel line (雪玉洞旅游专线车) directly to the scenic area for 5 RMB.

3) Reed Flute Cave
Reed Flute Cave (芦笛岩) is a cave system with stunning rock formations, stalagmites and stalactites. The cave got its name from the grass reeds growing near it, from which flutes are made. The location near the popular tourist destination of Guilin in Guangxi Province makes it a must-see for all tourists alike. The tour takes around one hour and is full of fascinating sights and dramatic lighting. And if you’re interested, foreign-language speaking guides are available as well. When you’ve finished in the cave, there is also a park located on-site with walking paths, pavilions, ponds, bridges and beautiful plant life. The best time to visit Reed Flute Cave is during the autumn months, although it’s open all year.

Add: Reed Flute Cave Scenic Area, Ludi Lu, Diecai District, Guilin (7km northwest of city center on south side of Guangming Hill)
地址:桂林市叠彩区芦笛路,芦笛岩景区(桂林西北7km的光明山的南边
Tel: 077 3289 1758
Price: 90 RMB
Opening hours: 08:00 to 17:30
Getting there: take bus No. 13 to Reed Flute Cave scenic area (芦笛岩景区)

Lesser-Known Show Caves

Million Year Ice Cave
Photo: yalyw.com

1) Million Year Ice Cave (万年冰洞)
This three million year-old cave is located in north China’s Shanxi province. The cave is more than 100 meters long and stays frozen year-round. If you visit during the summer, be prepared for cold temperatures; if you visit in the winter, well, you already know what you’re in for! The cave's stalactites, ice columns, and frozen waterfalls are illuminated with colorful lights letting them glisten like diamonds. The intricate icicles hanging from the cave ceiling are truly a sight to behold. The cave is divided into five levels, accessible by ice stairs, allowing visitors diverse views of the interior. 

Add: Madigou Village, Ningwu County near Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province
地址:山西宁武靠近忻州的马地沟村
Price: 50 RMB
Hours: 08:00 to 17:00
Getting there: The easiest way to get there is to take a train to Taiyuan to Ningwu and then hire a driver to take you to the cave site, which is about 50 km west of Ningwu in Madigou Village (麻地沟村).

2) Shuanglong Cave
Shuanglong Cave (双龙洞), also known as Double Dragon Cave, is located in Zhejiang province. The cave was named after two huge stalagmites, resembling dragon heads, located behind the cave entrance. This cave is interesting in that, due to low hanging stalactites, it must be entered by lying flat in a boat. Double Dragon Cave has carried a special significance for Taoists for more than 1,700 years, and while touring the cave, you will find an array of Taoist inscriptions covering the walls. Double Dragon Cave consists of two chambers with a river that flows through both chambers and out of the cave to fill a mountain lake.

Add: Double Dragon Scenic Area, Wucheng District, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province
地址:浙江省金华市婺城区双龙洞景区
Price: 90 RMB
Hours: 08:30 to 16:30
Getting there: Take a bus, train or fly from Hangzhou or Yiwu to Jinhua, and from there take a taxi to the scenic area for about 40 RMB 

3) Taiji Cave (太极洞)
Taiji Cave, meaning “Cave of the Supreme Ultimate” is located in Stone Dragon Mountain, where the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui meet. This 200 million year-old cave has religious significance and is divided into wet and dry layers, representing the yin and yang of Chinese philosophy. The cave is located on a hill and is reached by cable car. The area of the cave open to the public extends 140,000 meters and is divided into 19 halls with more than 300 scenic spots. The wet portion of the cave is toured by boat and features a dazzling array of colorful lights.

Add: 38 km north of Guangde County, Anhui Province
地址:距安徽省广德县城38公里,广德太极洞风景区
Price: 60 RMB (Cable Car 25 RMB)
Hours: 07:00 to 18:00
Tel: 056 3685 0196
Getting there: take a bus from Shanghai or Nanjing to Guangde County ( 广德县). In Guangde, take one of the numerous minibuses to the Taiji Cave Scenic Area (广德太极洞风景区) for 5 RMB
Exploration-Style Caves

Shuang River Cave
Photo: suiyang.cn

1) Shuang River Cave
The Shuang River Cave (双河洞) is reported to be the longest cave in China and the 20th longest in the world, measuring at least 100 kilometers in length. It is located in Guizhou province and is a notable site for cave expeditions. The cave contains numerous waterfalls and at least three underground rivers, some of which contain cave shrimp and fish. The cave can be accessed through one of more than 30 entrances. If you have a fascination with discovery and are up for an adventure, this is definitely the place to visit.

Add: Shuanghe Village, Wenquan Town, Suiyang County, Zunyi City, Guizhou
地址:贵州省遵义市绥阳县温泉镇双河村
Price: 70 RMB
Opening hours: 08:00 to 18:00
Getting there: Take a bus or train to Suiyang County (located between Guiyang and Chongqing), from there, hire a driver to take you to the Shuang River Cave (双河洞).

2) Zhongdong Cave Village
Zhongdong (中洞), meaning “Middle Cave”, is a village also located in Guizhou province. The village is reported as the only place in China where people dwell inside a naturally occurring cave year-around. The cave village even has a school! Imagine what a learning experience that would be.  The cave is inhabited by members of the Miao ethnic minority, who have preserved a sustainable life by producing their own food locally to support themselves. The limestone cave lies 1,800 meters above sea level, making it difficult to reach. In addition to the middle cave, there are two other uninhabited caves in this system for exploration.

Add: Ziyun Miao and Buyei Autonomous County, Anshun City, Guizhou Province
地址:贵州省安顺市紫云苗族布依族自治县
Price: N/A
Opening Hours: N/A
Getting there: The trip takes four hours by hired car from Guiyang (贵阳) followed by more than an hour hike to reach the village

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Keywords: China caves China cave tours China spelunking

2 Comments

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate.

instantkarma

great story thanks Katie I've been to the Reed Flute Cave Also I went rafting thru caves out the back of Nanning near the Vietnam border. Gulong Shan Valley is located 30 kilometers south of the town of Jingxi County. We had to walk a bit in the middle past a great waterfall too.

May 17, 2014 10:57 Report Abuse

sharkies

Some of these caves would be nice to see but getting to them involves travelling on dodgy Chinese buses on treacherous roads with reckless drivers. No thanks.

May 17, 2014 09:34 Report Abuse