White Dragon Cave in Wudalianchi

White Dragon Cave in Wudalianchi

White Dragon Cave, also known as the Underground Ice River, is located on the northwest side of Dongjiaodebu Mountain in the eastern part of Wudalianchi Town. It is a lava ice cave mainly dominated by frost and snow. The scaly cave walls are adorned with various thorny lava stalactites, all covered in frost and icicles, while the cave floor contains an ancient ice river frozen for thousands of years, maintaining a constant temperature of about minus 5°C. The cave stretches 515 meters in length, making it the longest volcanic underground lava tunnel discovered in China to date. The cave floor is covered with stepped, slope-like ice formations that are smooth as a mirror. At the end of the cave, there are two massive lava pillars believed to be where the white dragon was chained, hence the folk name “White Dragon Cave.”

The cave floor holds an ancient ice river frozen for millennia, with temperatures around minus 5°C year-round. It presents a completely different style from the Crystal Palace—an ancient volcanic underground ice river where “one is an icy sculpture of colorful crystal clarity, the other a frigid, perilous ice river rimed with frost.” With a total length of 515 meters, 374 meters have been developed for tourist viewing.

White Dragon Cave is an underground cavern that has retained its most pristine natural features. Its floor features a stepped, slope-like terrain covered by hundreds of thousands of years of ice, smooth as glass. At the cave’s end stand two large stalagmite pillars resembling banyan trees, appearing as the legendary spot where the white dragon was bound. Known among locals as “White Dragon Cave,” it is the longest volcanic underground lava tunnel discovered in China so far.

The formation of White Dragon Cave was an extraordinary geological process. During the eruption of the Jiaodebu Volcano, the surface layer of the massive lava flow solidified, while the still-fluid lower part continued to move forward over the island-like permafrost. As the rear lava supply dwindled, it resulted in a winding, serpentine underground lava cave. The scaly cave walls feature various thorny lava stalactites. Under the heat in the hollow space, moisture from the permafrost forms a misty vapor that converges into trickling underground streams. As the lava cooled and temperatures gradually dropped below zero, and once stabilized at around minus 12°C, the mist, frost, and flowing water eventually froze solid.

The Underground Ice River is divided into eight cave sections, containing over 9,600 cubic meters of ice with varying thicknesses of 2–3 meters. The area open for tourist viewing spans 1,950 square meters, while the adventure section covers 1,250 square meters.

According to geological maps, this lava tunnel resembles a giant dragon poised to take flight, twisting and turning through the bends and turns of the underground ice river. With slopes ranging from 5° to 13° to 35°, several sharp turns exceeding 90° add an air of mystery and adventure to the Underground Ice River.

The ice river features significant elevation drops, such as the “Three Falls of the Ice River,” which descend nearly twenty meters step by step. Inside the cave, there are 46 stalagmite pillars and 24 large recumbent “ox-rock” boulders.

During a volcanic eruption, scorching heat and molten lava flows surged like liquid iron, so why, after forming lava caves, did they transform into this ice cave with a constant temperature all year round? Ice and fire are naturally incompatible, yet here they coexist in perfect harmony, creating this spectacular wonder of a volcanic ice cave.

In this transition from heat to cold, the ice cave represents the calm reflection after the volcano’s ferocity and rage. Of course, this reflection isn’t dull or monotonous—the tranquility after fervor is an even more magical and thought-provoking realm.

A cultural relic survey conducted in 1976 identified 10 Neolithic sites within the territory of Wudalianchi City (formerly Dedu County), proving that humans were active here as early as 4,000 years ago.

During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the area now known as Wudalianchi City was inhabited by the Sushen people, later becoming part of the Suimo region. In the Qin and Han dynasties, it belonged to the Han Suimo or Wuhuan territories, and during the Three Kingdoms period, it was part of the Northern Fuyu region. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was inhabited by the Heishui Moshe tribe. During the Liao Dynasty, it fell under the jurisdiction of the Dongjingdao Shiwang Mansion, home to the Wuyan Turkic people. In the Jin Dynasty, it was part of the Shangjing Road and Pu’yu Road regions, inhabited by the Jurchen Wanyan tribe. In the early Yuan Dynasty, it belonged to the Kaiyuan Road of the Liaoyang Provincial Administration, and later to the Puyu Road Wanhu Mansion of the Shuidada Road, forming part of the fief of Wo Chijin. During the Ming Dynasty, it was governed by the Namohe Guard of the Nurgan Regional Military Commission. In the Qing Dynasty, it was part of the Daur-inhabited territory under the jurisdiction of the Buta General’s Office, organized into the Buta Eight Banners, with Dedu being the settlement of the Zhengbai Banner tribe.

Address: 8 km east of Wudalianchi Town, Wudalianchi City, Heihe

Type: Cave, Geological Landform

Recommended Visit Duration: 1 hour