The Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave

The Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave

The Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave is a classic red tourism destination.

The Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave is located on the mountainside northeast of Zhangjia Village, Yaofan Township, Yiyang County.

Ancient geological movements, water erosion, and the scouring of ice ages have created this miraculous natural karst cave.

The Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave is not only a stunning natural landscape but also a site of great commemorative significance. On February 14, 1931, while the people in the Yaofan area were immersed in the joy of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, two regiments of the Nationalist Party's 55th Division were intensifying their frenzied "encirclement and suppression" of the Soviet area around Yaofan. The enemy attacked fiercely, and over three hundred local Soviet officials, members of the Red Guards, wounded Red Army soldiers, and residents retreated into a limestone cave behind Meijia Village to resist the brutal siege. The cave was situated in a perilous location, easy to defend but hard to attack. After several days of bombardment proved ineffective, the enraged and utterly ruthless enemy resorted to releasing poison gas and smoke into the cave. Not a single one of the over three hundred soldiers and civilians inside surrendered, holding out until the very last moment. The several-hundred-meter-long cave was filled with the remains of the martyrs.

In 1950, a southern condolence delegation from the Party Central Committee came to Zhangjia Village to mourn the martyrs. With approval from the higher-level People's Government, the cave was renamed the "Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave," and a monument was erected to commemorate this tragic history.

Preliminary explorations indicate that the Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave stretches over 700 meters in total length, covering an area of several thousand square meters. It is divided into seven passes, each connected by low or narrow passages, with each pass featuring its own unique scenery.

Crawling through a narrow entrance into the cave, you instantly feel as if you’ve stepped into an artistic palace spanning nearly a thousand square meters. In this grand and lofty hall, the decor is magnificent. Following a winding path downward, you’ll see a pair of stalagmite candles on the right, along with a statue of the God of Longevity and an incense burner. The hall is over 10 meters high, with stone lotuses hanging from the ceiling like splendid chandeliers. To the left, another cave suddenly opens up, twisting inward and exceptionally serene. After walking a short distance, you suddenly hear the sound of flowing water growing louder as it approaches—a subterranean river that has been rushing day and night, its origins and destination unknown. Moving from the first pass to the seventh, each passageway is narrow. Some are nearly 30 meters long, others just a few. Each pass feels as if it’s a strategic chokepoint where a single person could hold off thousands.

Following the softly murmuring stream, it feels as though you’re walking through a corridor of art, with constant surprises and a sense of profound mystery tugging at your excited heart. The surreal ceiling, the diverse rock reliefs, the hanging or standing stalactites, and the terraced fields—each just a few square feet in size—are incredibly charming, sparking the imagination as if they were miniature replicas of the Loess Plateau.

On this masterpiece crafted by nature, resembling figures and beasts, flowers and plants, as if inlaid with jade and precious stones, the ornate carvings of pavilions and towers are all so crystal-clear, smooth, and radiant—like exquisitely carved fine jade.

Upon entering the seventh pass, a beautiful, flowing painting greets you like a breeze. A waterfall several meters high seems to cascade down from snowy peaks and cloud tops, only to be suddenly blocked by rocks midway, splashing into layers of droplets and forming a three-tiered waterfall. This creates one of the most colorful and spectacular scenes in the Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave.

The magical Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave still holds many secrets waiting to be uncovered. In the crisscrossing, as-yet-undiscovered deep caves, there are surely many wonders beyond imagination.

The Three Hundred Martyrs' Cave is a masterpiece of nature and a treasure of humanity.