Fairy Maiden Cave

Fairy Maiden Cave

Located in the Xianqiao Scenic Area. On the north side of Longhu Lake, about 3 kilometers from the reservoir dam, it is an L-shaped wonder cave.

Inside the cave, there is a three-story structure made of brick, wood, and stone, mainly used for Taoist activities. The second floor houses three stone tablets, all carved during the Qing Dynasty. The ones on the left and right are scenic inscriptions, while the middle one bears an imperial edict from the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, titled “Imperial Decree Honoring the Chaste and Martyred Maiden Li,” which posthumously honored Li Yulian as a chaste and virtuous maiden. Due to the passage of time, some of the characters have become blurred. The third floor is filled with curling incense, enshrining the Three Pure Ones at the center and a statue of the Fairy Maiden on the right.

Fairy Maiden Cave was first discovered in the first year of the Xuantong reign and officially developed during the Xianfeng era. According to legend, in the Xinyou year of the Xianfeng reign (1861), Miss Li Yulian, the daughter of Li Gong’ao from Linhai, Taizhou, took refuge in the cave. In the Jiayin year of the Tongzhi reign (1864), she chose to leap off a cliff to her death rather than be abducted by bandits. At the moment of her death, she sat upright in the lotus position, calm and composed. Upon learning of this, Emperor Guangxu issued an edict honoring her as “chaste and martyred” (zhēnliè). Later, people revered her as the “Fairy Maiden” and renamed the cave “Fairy Maiden Cave.” A memorial tomb for the Fairy Maiden was built at the site where she died.