Phoenix Perch Cave

Phoenix Perch Cave

Phoenix Perch Cave is located on the southwestern slope of Xiaobao Tuo Mountain (also known as Xiaqin Mountain), at the northern end of the Fushui Reservoir dam. It earned its name from a rock on the cliff that resembles a phoenix perched there. In the seventh year of the Ming Dynasty’s Chenghua era (1472), imperial censor Wang Bin visited the cave and remarked, “A phoenix may perch in bamboo, but I’ve never heard of one perching on a cliff.” He also observed the cave’s “endless ebb and flow of white clouds from dawn to dusk,” and thus inscribed the three characters “White Cloud Cave” (白云洞) and hung them above the cave entrance. Upon hearing this, local villagers, fearing the stone phoenix might fly away, planted dark bamboo all over the mountain and continued to call it “Phoenix Perch Cave.”

Phoenix Perch Cave is a limestone karst cave, exceptionally deep and mysterious, with its full extent still unexplored. The first four sections that have been surveyed stretch approximately 200 meters in length, cover an area of about 2,000 square meters, and enclose a volume of roughly 16,000 cubic meters. Inside the cave, stalactites and stalagmites take on shapes resembling humans and objects, displaying a myriad of forms and vibrant colors. Visitors often describe the cave as a truly unique “fairy grotto” or “Penglai paradise.”

Standing before the cave, visitors are greeted by a breathtaking view of picturesque mountains and waters, a scene worthy of poetry and painting. About 10 meters to the left of the cave entrance stands a temple named Phoenix Perch Temple, after the cave. Though modest in size, the temple is exquisitely designed, tranquil, and nestled in serene surroundings. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it flourished most splendidly, attracting a continuous stream of visitors and worshippers. The temple not only offered vegetarian meals and tea to guests but also provided writing materials for poets and scholars to compose verses inspired by the scenery. The cave entrance resembles an ancient city gate, and looking up at the ceiling, one can see formations such as “The Red Phoenix Facing the Sun,” “The Jade Rabbit in the Moon Palace,” “The Golden Rabbit Announcing Dawn,” and “The Sea Turtle Basking on its Back,” all suspended in midair. Examining the cave walls more closely reveals vivid depictions of “Primitive Tribes,” “Two Horses Competing for the Path,” “A Golden Cat Catching a Mouse,” “A Mother Cow Nursing Her Calf,” and “A Bear and Lion Playing Together.”

Descending the steps, you enter the second section. Inside, flickering lights dot the cave like stars in the night sky, casting an ethereal and mystical glow that makes you feel as if you’ve entered a heavenly realm. There’s “Three Stars Supporting the Moon,” its light soft as water; “A Rhinoceros Gazing at the Moon,” with lively expression; and “Li Bai the Poet Sleeping Drunk Under the Moon,” lying on a stone pillow.

Entering the third section, the space suddenly opens up into a grand, circular hall. The hall has a diameter of 24 meters and a height of 40 meters, with a domed ceiling and flat floor, capable of accommodating a thousand people. At its center stands a large screen 8 meters wide and 10 meters tall, known as the “Immortal’s Screen.”

“The deeper you go, the harder the passage, yet the more marvelous the sights.” The fourth section features a network-like layout, with winding paths and ever-changing cave scenes that resemble a labyrinth. Towering stone pillars, hanging stone flowers, bizarre rock formations, and intertwined structures compete in splendor and beauty. Truly, every step reveals a new wonder, overwhelming the senses.

Phoenix Perch Cave is truly one of the world’s great wonders. Within this single cave are encapsulated the heavens, earth, sun, moon, seasons, human stories, buildings, tools, birds, beasts, and scales—no wonder the Qing Dynasty scholar Xiang Xianxun inscribed the bold characters “Little Heaven” (小有天) and hung them above the cave entrance.

Phoenix Perch Cave houses numerous ancient inscriptions and stone carvings. Among them is an inscription from the first month of the first year of the Yuanyou era in the Northern Song Dynasty (1078), left by an individual (the name is now unrecognizable due to damage).

There is also an inscription from the fifth year of the Zhizheng era in the Yuan Dynasty (1345) by the imperial censor Dahan Buha. As for the Ming and Qing dynasties, the number of stone carvings is too numerous to count. Many inscriptions on the cave walls are faint and difficult to trace, but they are certainly relics from at least the Song Dynasty or earlier. These inscriptions feature a variety of scripts—including regular, running, cursive, clerical, and seal scripts—some bold and vigorous, others delicate and graceful, some reverent, others bold and unrestrained. Despite their diverse styles, all demonstrate exceptional calligraphic skill, with some even ranking among the finest works. Numerous poems and literary works inspired by Phoenix Perch Cave have been composed through the ages, many of which are exquisite. Examples include the Qing Dynasty poet Huang Zhen’s “Visiting Phoenix Perch Cave,” Ming imperial censor Wang Bin’s “Inscription on White Cloud Cave,” Ming poet Qin Ao’s “Visiting Phoenix Perch Cave,” and Qing scholar Chen Zhice’s “Visiting Phoenix Perch Cave”—all considered masterpieces.

Phoenix Perch Cave and Phoenix Perch Temple, with their tranquil surroundings and magical cave scenery, have attracted many eminent monks and scholars to meditate and live in seclusion here.

Today, Phoenix Perch Cave has been refurbished and enhanced, with new pavilions added in front, drawing an endless stream of visitors.