Yinhuadong Cave

Yinhuadong Cave

Yinhuadong Cave

Jiangle’s Yinhuadong Cave is situated in Shicun Village, Muyuan Township, about 18 kilometers southeast of the county seat, within the Lime Mountain. It lies roughly 13 kilometers from Yuhuadong Cave and shares the same karst origin. The total area of the cave is around 300 square meters. Inside, numerous stalactites rise from the walls, and passageways twist and turn in every direction. Legend says that during the Tang Dynasty, an emperor visited the cave and lost two treasures there: a soul-retrieving belt and a golden carrying pole. Due to the darkness inside the cave and the nearly burnt-out pine resin torches used for lighting, he had to leave in haste. Later, officials and nobles rushed to explore the cave in search of these treasures, which troubled the local residents so much that they eventually sealed the cave entrance with glutinous rice cakes and stones. Since then, Yinhuadong Cave was lost to the world.

In 1980, during a place-name survey, a Tang Dynasty Tianbao-era copper coin was excavated near the cave’s entrance. Soon after, a rear cave entrance was discovered, hidden beneath cliffs and overgrown with thorny bushes and vines. Surrounded by lush bamboo and trees, and flanked by deep, mysterious rock formations, the site could only be accessed by climbing trees and pulling on vines. The cave passage winds and twists, ascending and descending, with narrow sections where one must stoop and inch along the walls, while wider areas can accommodate over a thousand people. Inside, stalactite pillars jut out, rugged rocks stand precariously, and springs drip like pearls, creating a scene of eerie wonder—some formations resemble rearing, maned horses, others like golden roosters singing proudly, all strikingly lifelike. In 1992, the Jiangle County government invested in renovating Yinhuadong Cave and officially opened it to the public.