Qiweng Garden

Qiweng Garden

Qiweng Garden is located along both banks of the Hun River, between Chuan Ying Gou, about 1.5 kilometers south of Shajianzi Town in Huanren Manchu Autonomous County, and the foothills of Niuti Mountain in Kuandian County. Stretching approximately 15 kilometers in length, it experiences steamy heat in winter like a greenhouse and chilly dampness in summer like an icehouse, with the most noticeable phenomenon occurring on a 1,000-meter-long, 20-meter-wide ridge near Chuan Ying Gou.

The geothermal anomaly zone lies along both banks of the Hun River, between Chuan Ying Gou, about 1.5 kilometers south of Shajianzi Town in Huanren County, and the foothills of Niuti Mountain in Kuandian County. It extends roughly 15 kilometers in length. In winter, steam rises as if from a greenhouse, while in summer, a damp chill prevails like an ice cellar. The most prominent area is a 1,000-meter-long, 20-meter-wide ridge near Chuan Ying Gou. There is a cave here where temperatures range from 0 to 18 degrees Celsius in summer and remain warm and spring-like in winter, between 10 and 18 degrees, creating a striking contrast in ground temperatures.

This magical land was discovered over 90 years ago by an elderly man named Ren Wanshun while he was reinforcing a slope near his home. The old man built a small cave using stones, measuring nearly two feet in length and width, and two and a half feet deep. During the height of summer, whether a person or animal stood just 6–7 meters from the cave entrance, they would find the cold unbearable within just 1–2 minutes. The old man once placed eggs in the cave during summer, and by the next morning, the eggs were frozen and cracked. A glass of water left there overnight would turn into a solid block of ice. The Ren family, having discovered this natural wonder, used simple methods to freeze fruits in the cave to beat the summer heat. Local hospitals, restaurants, and veterinary stations also utilized the cave to store vaccines and bacterial cultures, achieving excellent results. When the harsh winter arrived and the outside world was blanketed in ice and snow, the geothermal anomaly zone remained warm and bustling — loofah vines grew thick and lush, celery, garlic sprouts, and green onions stayed fresh and tender, edge grass remained vividly green, and even cut branches of wax trees and oak sticks sprouted buds and leaves. In 1996, an experiment was conducted where azaleas were transplanted onto the hillside and various flowering plants were sown, all of which bloomed before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival).

There is a cave here where temperatures range from 0°C to 18°C in summer and remain warm and spring-like in winter, between 10°C and 18°C, creating a strong contrast in ground temperatures.