Laojun Mountain–Jiguan Cave Scenic Area

Laojun Mountain–Jiguan Cave Scenic Area

The Laojun Mountain–Jiguan Cave Scenic Area is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

Scenic Area Ticket: 90

Opening Hours:

Ticket Price: 70 RMB per person; residents of Luanchuan (with ID card) enjoy a discounted price of 40 RMB per person; during the Peony Flower Festival (April 10 to May 10), 80 RMB per person.

Address: 3 kilometers west of Luanchuan County, Luoyang City, Henan Province (Map)

Phone: 0379—66890998

Fax: 0379—66890271

Three kilometers west of Luoyang’s Luanchuan County, at the northern foot of Junshan Mountain, stands a steep, solitary peak that resembles a rooster raising its head and crowing loudly, with the summit looking just like a rooster’s comb. The scenery is beautiful, and within the mountain lies a naturally formed underground karst cave, deep and mysterious. The mountain is named after its shape, and the cave after the mountain, hence the name Jiguan (Rooster Comb) Cave.

Jiguan Cave was discovered during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era. The old “Luanchuan County Annals” described it as: “Jiguan Cave has four chambers, like the dens of dragons and snakes,” “bats abound, with dangers lurking everywhere,” “woodcutters, armed with knives and sticks, entered in groups holding candles,” “deep and mysterious, they feared and turned back.” Hiding within the vast mountains, Jiguan Cave donned a mysterious mask, steadfastly refusing visitors, thus becoming cut off from the world.

Jiguan Cave is hailed as the “Number One Cave of the North.” In the height of summer, Jiguan Mountain is covered in green, lush and vibrant. As we climb the 318 stone steps and stand at the serene entrance of Jiguan Cave, we are all drenched in sweat. But upon entering the cave, the cool breeze that greets us is refreshing, instantly dispelling the summer heat. Once inside the colorful and magnificent world of stalactites, it already feels quite chilly.

Inside the cave, the path winds and turns, leading to secluded spots. The layout of the sights is varied, with stalactites in all kinds of unique shapes and postures. The cave is rich in tourism resources, featuring a total of 168 scenic spots. Especially notable are 88 attractions such as “Immortals Greeting Guests,” “Goldfish Ferrying an Immortal Elder,” “Imperial Concubine Bathing,” “Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Moon,” “Dolphin Playing with a Pearl,” “Carp Playing in Water,” and “Eight Immortals Worshiping Buddha,” all with peculiar postures and lifelike appearances.

Jiguan Cave is a natural limestone karst cave, geologically referred to as a karst landform. According to experts, it formed during the early and middle Pleistocene epochs, with many of its features taking shape as early as 60,000 to 70,000 years ago. As early as the Qing Dynasty, adventurers explored its depths, but due to the cave’s profundity and peril, they turned back in fear.

Jiguan Cave is 1,800 meters long with a viewing area of 23,000 square meters, consisting of eight major scenic zones connected in sequence: “Jade Pillar Pool,” “Colorful Splendor Hall,” “Layered Curtain Palace,” “Cave Heavenly River,” “Jade Pool Palace,” “Hidden Beauty Pavilion,” “Carefree Palace,” and “Stone Forest Gate.” The cave winds and twists with secluded paths, the layout of its sights varying in density, and the stalactites come in all shapes and forms—some resembling wandering immortals, reclining Buddhas, birds, or beasts; others like bamboo shoots, dense forests, bamboo curtains, or drapes. Every sight is vivid and lifelike. Vast stone curtains resemble musical instruments; when lightly tapped, they produce clear, melodious sounds with lingering echoes. The crystal-clear river flowing through the cave, with its “ding-dong” sounds, adds endless vitality to the serene Jiguan Cave.

Jiguan Cave boasts abundant tourism resources, with a total of 168 large and small scenic spots, especially the 88 attractions such as “Immortals Greeting Guests,” “Turtle Ferrying an Immortal Elder,” “Imperial Concubine Bathing,” “Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Moon,” “Dolphin Playing with a Pearl,” “Carp Playing in Water,” and “Eight Immortals Wishing Longevity,” which are favored by tourists for their peculiar postures and lifelike appearances.

Jiguan Cave holds extremely high archaeological and scientific research value. The cave is densely packed with stone flowers, stone flags, stone waterfalls, stone curtains, stalactites, and stalagmites. Scientific data shows that some longer stalagmites formed as early as 184,000 years ago. By examining the internal structure, layered formations, and deposited materials of the stalagmites, information about ancient climate, environment, and geography can be studied. Additionally, there are stone shields and lotus basins whose structural origins, characteristics, and shapes are rare worldwide, possessing significant archaeological and research value.

The temperature inside Jiguan Cave remains constant at 18 degrees Celsius year-round. In the harsh winter, warm air greets visitors, creating a cozy atmosphere, while in the scorching summer, cool air invades, refreshing and pleasant, earning it the title “natural air conditioner.”

In 19XX, it was designated as a “Provincial Scenic Area” by the Henan Provincial Government, in 19XX it was awarded “Top Ten Tourist Attractions in Henan Province” by the Provincial Tourism Bureau, and in 19XX it received honors such as “Advanced Unit in Scenic Area Management,” “Model Window for Civilized Service,” and “Provincial Advanced Unit in Scenic Health Standards” from the Henan Provincial Construction Department.

Mu Qing, former president of Xinhua News Agency, inscribed the name “Number One Cave of the North” for Jiguan Cave. Professor Zhu Xuewen, president of the Cave Research Association of the Geological Society of China, gave the authoritative praise: “Its landscape is magnificent, truly deserving the title of the Number One Cave in the North; its formation is unique, indeed the first Dragon Palace in China.”

Jiguan Cave mainly consists of six chambers—Jade Pillar Pool, Waterfall Rock, Leaning Tower Hall, Layered Curtain Palace, Jade Pool Palace, and Hidden Beauty Pavilion—as well as an underground river, the Cave Heavenly River. Stalactites, stone forests, stone towers, stone curtains, and stone pianos formed by the natural dripping of limy water fill the chambers and walls. Under the glow of colorful lights, they appear either pure white or resplendent, making the entire cave resemble an exquisitely carved sculpture hall, or even a mythical crystal dragon palace and a mirage-like, mystical earthly paradise.

Upon entering Jade Pillar Pool, a group of immortal elders dressed in flowing robes and with long, white hair and childlike faces “block” the path. All have kind expressions and amiable smiles, seemingly warmly greeting visitors or eagerly pointing the way. Their lifelike and vivid faces instantly transport everyone into a fantastical mythological realm. Entering the Waterfall Rock area, the gurgling spring water and murmuring streams of the underground river add vitality and charm to this celestial cave. The winding corridors inside the chamber alternate between being as spacious as a luxurious art stage and as narrow as barely allowing one person through, with steep drops that truly let visitors experience the thrill of underground rock climbing. Following the sound of trickling water, the path twists and turns, with the scenery changing at every step. The deeper you go, the quieter and more enchanting the cave becomes: Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Moon, Dolphin Playing with a Pearl, Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Thousand-Year Kiss, Carp Playing in Water, Old Man Holding a Peach… Beneath Waterfall Rock, a Milky Way of jade pours down like a curtain or mist; Layered Curtain Palace features thousands of folds and myriad curtains; the Hanging Sky Canopy shimmers with radiant light, like flaming sunset clouds; the Leaning Tower Hall contains delicate and towering stone towers. Even the surrounding walls and ceilings are filled with shadowy caves and numerous sights. Upon closer inspection, every stalactite seems imbued with spirit and charm, sparking endless imagination and awe. Most wondrous are the stone flowers formed by calcite crystals on the ceiling, resembling coral, rime frost, or icicles—crystal clear, gleaming brilliantly. At this moment, facing these great works of the “Hand of God” and listening to the guide recount these enchanting legends, no one can help but marvel at nature’s extraordinary craftsmanship.

The underground river is the lifeblood of the cave. The ceaselessly flowing Cave Heavenly River gives Jiguan Cave dynamism and vitality. The power of water droplets solidifying into stone has, over hundreds of millions of years, created today’s breathtaking scenery and continues to shape even more magnificent wonders. Listening to the sound of water in Jiguan Cave is a transcendent experience. Holding your breath and listening carefully, it’s as if you’re hearing celestial music, the sounds of heaven, giving you a surreal feeling.

The most memorable sights are “Thousand-Year Kiss” and “Kiss for a Thousand Years,” located just a few meters apart and echoing each other. “Thousand-Year Kiss” features two opposing stalactites just two or three centimeters apart, with water still dripping, but experts estimate it will take another 80 years for them to touch. The other pair of “lover stones” split in half from aging, resembling a man and woman in an embrace, hence named “Kiss for a Thousand Years.”

Wandering through Jiguan Cave’s enchanting artistic maze, immersed in a dreamlike fairyland of palaces and pavilions, the Creator allows people to feel the profound beauty of silence while also seemingly helping them understand a kind of zen truth and philosophy: those uniquely shaped, lifelike masterpieces of stalactite sculpture art are the result of the Creator’s meticulous carving over hundreds of millions of years with miraculous hands. Though the process of creating beauty is lonely and lengthy, enduring the shifts of time, it astonishes the world the moment it appears. From this, it’s not hard to realize that true beauty, like water droplets forming stone, is achieved drop by drop and accumulated over time—it cannot tolerate any impatience or materialism. True beauty, like the phoenix rising from the ashes, is only immortalized after being baptized through trials—this applies to creating material beauty, and even more so to nurturing artistic and spiritual beauty.