Peach Maiden's Labyrinth

Peach Maiden's Labyrinth

Peach Maiden's Labyrinth is located on Dongya Mountain in Dushan Town, Guangde County, Anhui Province. Dongya Mountain boasts picturesque scenery with clear waters and lush forests. On the mountain, there are magnificent structures such as the Lingxiu Pagoda, Dressing Pavilion, and Immortals’ Gathering Pavilion. Also known as Dongya Cave, Peach Maiden's Labyrinth features attractions such as Peach Maiden Greets Guests, Flowing Cloud Waterfall, Peach Pond Moonlight, Cave Mountain Pagoda Reflection, Immortals Painting Gathering, Auspicious Grass Radiance, Mysterious Gate Gorge, Blessed Peach of Longevity, Cable Bridge Viewpoint, Ink Aroma of the Song Dynasty, Ten Thousand Buddhas Facing Heaven, Gateway to the Sky, and more. The karst cave covers an area of 80,000 square meters, with an 1,800-meter-long touring route inside. The cave is filled with bizarre rocks, deep and mysterious, combining ancient charm, spirituality, beauty, and peculiarity, resembling a fantastical illusion that captivates visitors. Walking beneath the cave feels refreshingly cool, and extra caution is needed as one can easily bump into strange rocks and formations.

Peach Maiden's Labyrinth has a long history, attracting countless literati and poets since the Han and Tang dynasties. Su Shi and Yue Fei left stone inscriptions here. When the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, stayed in Guangde, he praised this place as “the most spiritually exquisite under heaven.”

The beauty of Peach Maiden's Labyrinth lies in its natural landscape, highlighted by four wonders: flowing clouds, bizarre rocks, mysterious gates, and secluded gorges, forming a unique natural spectacle full of mystique.

Outside the cave lies a captivating ink painting of southern Anhui’s landscape. In the bright spring of April, the mountainsides and slopes are covered with vibrant peach blossoms. When the spring breeze blows, their fragrance drifts for miles. The bright red blossoms are strikingly beautiful, surrounded by emerald bamboo. In front of the cave lies a serene lake with gentle ripples, and in the middle of the lake stands a small island holding a delicate statue of the Peach Maiden, both lifelike and spiritual. The cave entrance is marked by an ornamental archway-style gate, with the prominent characters “Peach Maiden's Labyrinth” catching the eye. It stands opposite the Immortal Peach, while a 500-meter-long visitor street nearby bustles with traffic, laughter, and animated chatter among visitors.

Stepping through the gate and into the labyrinth, one can admire the enchanting sights up close. “Flowing Cloud Gorge” appears to be built from tens of thousands of Taihu rocks, with a waterfall cascading down from the gorge ceiling, about ten zhang (approximately 33 feet) high, splashing into the Jade Pool below. Mist drifts through the cracks in the rocks like soft silk, giving a feeling of entering a fairyland. Entering “Flying Sky Gorge” feels like ascending a tall mountain and then descending into a deep valley. About a hundred meters long, the gorge walls are steep and sheer, with gaps between them less than a meter wide in some spots, extending over 30 meters — such a spectacular canyon within an underground cave is truly a marvel.

Entering Peach Maiden Pavilion and looking up at the “Heavenly Gate” stirs the imagination and ignites wonder. To the left stands a uniquely shaped large rock slab, resembling the Peach Maiden getting dressed. The pavilion walls feature the Hundred Longevity Diagram and the Myriad Blessings Plaque. Inside the pavilion is a massive “Immortal Peach Stone,” uniquely shaped, with a statue of the Peach Maiden beside it — she holds a tray of immortal peaches, steps on auspicious clouds, and gazes upward as if ascending to heaven. Looking up, a round opening in the pavilion ceiling dozens of meters high reveals blue sky and white clouds — truly a marvelous sight. The key difference between Peach Maiden's Labyrinth and other caves is the scarcity of stalactites inside; instead, it is almost entirely composed of artistically captivating Taihu rocks. It's as if nature itself intricately carved this underground palace of Taihu stones — a rare and breathtaking wonder. The cave is filled with winding paths, crisscrossing in all directions, going up and down, left and right, twisting and turning. Without closely following a guide, you might very well enter but never find your way out.

The first phase of Peach Maiden's Labyrinth includes 16 palace chambers, 24 gorges, 53 gates, and a scenic area spanning 310,000 square meters, with winding paths totaling 5 kilometers in length. Peach Maiden's Labyrinth is truly worthy of its name as a labyrinth. What’s even more remarkable is its “antiquity” — the Guangde County Annals have recorded visits since the Han and Tang dynasties, especially during the Song and Ming periods, when both commoners and celebrities came here. Numerous inscriptions and carvings have been left both inside and outside the cave.

According to written records, this place was originally called “Dongya Cave” or “Feng Family Cave.” When Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty led his army and stayed in Guangde, he visited here out of admiration and praised it as “the most spiritually exquisite in the southeast.” National hero Yue Fei, after achieving six consecutive victories against the Jin army at Niutou Mountain just 2 kilometers away, rested here, dismounted, and entered the cave for sightseeing. Inspired, he wrote the four characters “Scenic Wonder of the South.” After the Qing Dynasty, the site was buried and forgotten. Today, the newly restored Peach Maiden's Labyrinth is world-renowned for its “Grand Canyon within the Cave,” offering a refreshing and unforgettable experience.