Zhanggong Cave

Zhanggong Cave

Zhanggong Cave is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Zhanggong Cave is an ancient limestone karst cave located in Yufeng Mountain, about 20 kilometers southwest of Yixing City. The cave has long been renowned as a sacred Taoist site. Since the Tang Dynasty, many eminent scholars and travelers have visited, leaving behind numerous poems and stone inscriptions.

Inside the cave, there are the majestic Haiwu Grand Hall and the splendid Sea King Hall. The Sea King Hall is the essence of the cave, with countless stalactites covering the ceiling. The hall is often shrouded in mist, making visitors feel as if they are in an underwater palace. Around the Sea King Hall, there are many smaller caves such as the Water Nose Cave, Chessboard Cave, Cave-in-Cave, and Seven Orifices Cave, all twisting and turning with endless mystery. Within the main hall and smaller caves, there are also scenic spots such as the Sky Bridge, Majestic Lion, Reflection of Blue Sky, Well View of the Sky, Carp Playing in Water, and Glimmer of Light. Climbing the cloud ladder from inside the cave to the mountaintop offers a view of the cave's interior as well as a distant panorama of the misty Taihu Lake.

According to Taoist records, during the Spring and Autumn period, the Taoist master Gengsangchu once lived in seclusion in the cave and wrote the "Nine Chapters of Gengsangzi." During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling and in the Tang Dynasty, the legendary Taoist Zhang Guolao also practiced Taoism here. In the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong decreed the construction of the Dongling Taoist Temple next to Zhanggong Cave and personally inscribed its plaque. It was later rebuilt into the Tianshen Wanshou Palace in the Song Dynasty and converted into the Chaoyang Taoist Monastery in the Qing Dynasty. Zhanggong Cave features cave-within-cave structures, with large caves enclosing smaller ones, each unique and marvelous. Ascending from the Sea King Hall via the “Cloud Ladder” and “Sky Bridge,” and exiting through the “Sky Cave,” you reach the summit of Mengfeng Mountain. The rock walls bear inscriptions by Yang Weizhou of the Yuan Dynasty. At the top of the cave is the “Lake-View Pavilion,” which offers a distant view of the sails on Taihu Lake. The lower cave resembles a grand hall, known as the Haiwu Grand Hall. The Sky Cave centers around the Heavenly Master Platform in the Sea King Hall, with its opening facing the sky, hence named the “Facing-the-Sky Cave.” Adjacent to Zhanggong Cave is the Yuquan Cave, over 300 meters long. Following the winding waterway downstream, you’ll find four stone halls with varying sceneries. The stalactites and stalagmites are crystal-white, resembling icicles hanging from the ground or jade shoots reaching the sky. The stream flows out of the cave and converges into the Sweet Spring Pool. During the Ming Dynasty, Shi Ji built the Sweet Spring Retreat and erected the Sweet Spring Stele here. With two caves on one mountain in close proximity, each offering distinctive sights, this is truly a rare wonder in the world.

The Dongling Taoist Temple was rebuilt in March 1995, adjacent to Zhanggong Cave. It covers a construction area of over 1,500 square meters and an overall site area of nearly 10,000 square meters. From the mountain foot to the summit, there are successive gates and towering halls with red walls and dark tiles, set against lush greenery. It includes eight halls such as the Lingguan Hall, Jade Emperor Hall, Heavenly Master Hall, and Three Pure Ones Hall, with 29 luminous deities enshrined within.

Address: Zhang Taigong Village, Hufu Town, Yixing City, Wuxi

Type: Cave · Geological Landform · Taoist Temple

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visiting Time: 3–4 hours

Tel: 0510-87478808

Official Website: http://www.zhanggongdong.com

Opening Hours:

Summer: 7:30–17:00; Winter: 8:00–16:30

Ticket Information:

Entrance ticket: 70 RMB (includes cave and pottery bar); Combo ticket: 160 RMB (includes 70 RMB entry ticket plus rafting and underground river).

Zhanggong Cave combo ticket (cave, rafting, underground river adventure, pottery workshop): 110 RMB.

Adult Ticket

[Adult] Ticket + Cave + Underground River Adventure + Bamboo Rafting + Pottery Workshop: 110 RMB (Online pre-order: 99.9 RMB)

Single Ticket

[Single] Ticket + Cave + Pottery Bar: 70 RMB (Online pre-order: 60 RMB)

[Single] Ticket + China Yixing Ceramics Museum: 65 RMB

[Single] Ticket + Bamboo Rafting + Pottery Workshop + China Yixing Ceramics Museum: 130 RMB (Online pre-order: 104 RMB)

Student Ticket

[Student] Ticket + Cave + Pottery Bar: 35 RMB

[Student] Ticket + Cave + Underground River Adventure + Bamboo Rafting + Pottery Workshop: 80 RMB