Shaoshan Dishuidong (Dripping Water Cave)

Shaoshan Dishuidong

Shaoshan Dishuidong is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Introduction: Dishuidong is located in a narrow valley about four kilometers west of Mao Zedong’s bronze statue. The cave area features emerald peaks, lush forests, bamboo groves, wildflowers, grasses, fluttering butterflies, and singing birds — a naturally elegant and pristine landscape. The Mao Family Genealogy praised it: “A hook-shaped stream beside a fist-sized hill, a crouching tiger and coiling dragon dwell here; such refined beauty gathers unnoticed, a stone bridge locks the layers of gates.” In June 1959, Mao Zedong returned to his hometown after 32 years and swam in the Shaoshan Reservoir near the mouth of Dishuidong. In a moment of inspiration, he remarked to Zhou Xiaozhou, Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee: “Xiaozhou, build a few thatched cottages in this mountain valley. I’ll come live here when I’m old. The Central-South Bureau could hold some small meetings…” This led to the construction of the Dishuidong Villas. The villas were built starting in 1960, with architectural styles similar to those of buildings in Beijing’s Zhongnanhai. In June 1966, Mao Zedong visited Shaoshan during an inspection tour to the south and stayed in Building No. 1 for 11 days. On July 8 of that year, while in Wuhan, he referred to the place as “a cave in the West.” In 1970, the Heroic Company of Ouyang Hai built a 100-meter-long air-raid shelter behind the villa. One side of the shelter houses military facilities such as a seismic-proof room and command center. Both ends of the shelter are equipped with thick, nearly foot-thick, several-ton iron doors with automatic controls. Even if an atomic bomb were detonated outside, the shelter's command system and the people inside would remain unharmed. The Dishuidong Scenic Area consists of three core parts: the villa complex centered around Building No. 1; the Huxieping Landscape Series to the west, featuring Mao Zedong’s ancestral tomb, a tiger sculpture, Tiger Pavilion, and the clear sounds of dripping water; and the Longtoushan Landscape Series to the east, featuring the tomb of Mao Zedong’s great-grandparents, the Three-Tiered Dragon Spring, the Galloping Dragon Spring Pool, and the Guanyin Overlook. The Dishuidong landscape combines the marvels of nature with significant cultural elements, earning fame both domestically and abroad, and attracting streams of visitors. Party and state leaders such as – and – have visited with delight. Over the past 20 years since this “Western Cave,” hailed as the “Pearl of Hunan’s Landscape,” opened, it has received over 15 million domestic and international visitors. The renowned party history expert Feng Wenbin praised the scenery of Dishuidong: “A spiritually exquisite land in Sanxiang, the cave holds a world apart.”

Address: China Shaoshan Scenic Area, Shaoshan City, Xiangtan, Hunan

Tel: 0731-55685184, 0731-55650066

Opening Hours:

April 21 – October 10: 7:30–18:00; October 11 – April 20 of the following year: 8:00–17:30

Xiangtan Shaoshan Tourist Area

Former Residence of Comrade Mao Zedong

Shaoshan Martyrs' Cemetery

Mao Zedong Memorial Park (Scenic Park)

Shaoshan Mao Clan Ancestral Hall

Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Hall

Mao Zedong Relics Museum

Shaoshan Mao Jian Ancestral Hall

Shaoshan Mao Zedong Poetry Stele Forest

Shaofeng (Shaoshan Peak)

Dripping Water Wonderland

Shaoshan Mao Zedong Private School on the South Bank

Statue of Young Mao Zedong

Mao Zhen Ancestral Hall

Shaoshan Mao Zedong Bronze Statue Square

Shaoshan Songshan Building No. 1

Mao Zedong Library

Tomb of Mao Zedong’s Parents