Chengde Chaoyang Cave

Chengde Chaoyang Cave

Chaoyang Cave is one of the “Top Ten Scenic Spots of Chengde,” located 20 kilometers from downtown Chengde in Cangzi Township, Chengde County, Hebei Province. According to the Qing Dynasty gazetteer Chengde Prefecture Records, Chaoyang Cave is “thirty-seven li slightly southeast of the prefectural seat. Its rocky hollows are embedded in the cliffs, traversing the mountain’s belly,” and “when the morning sun rises, its rays pierce through the crevices, allowing the sunrise to be seen from across the mountain.” The cave thus got its name.

Leaving downtown Chengde and traveling east along National Highway 101 for about 40 minutes will bring you to the foot of Chaoyang Cave Mountain. It is an earthen hill covered with trees and brush, with a relatively gentle slope, but its summit abruptly rises up, featuring a sheer cliff dozens of zhang high. Chaoyang Cave is located midway up this cliff. Viewed from the front, the middle features a dark cave entrance, flanked by elaborately carved and painted halls tucked among the lush foliage. Tourists come and go, with wisps of incense smoke curling upward, giving off an air of spiritual solemnity. The lower part of the cave entrance is a smooth cliff face that is too steep and dangerous to climb.

Climbing up the stone steps through the mountain path and circling around to the back of the mountain leads you to the actual entrance of Chaoyang Cave—the west entrance. The entrance is rather narrow. After walking through the 60-meter-long dark and deep passageway, you reach the east entrance—also the front of Chaoyang Cave—and suddenly feel as if you’ve entered a bright, open space. The entire Chaoyang Cave is trumpet-shaped, with the east entrance forming the bell end. The main structures are all built on this bell-end opening. Outside the bell end is a platform that is over 60 meters long and about 10 meters wide. The outer edge of the platform is enclosed by a brick flower wall serving as a railing.

Cangzi Township: Cangzi Township is located in the central part of Chengde County, 25 kilometers from downtown Chengde and 27.4 kilometers south of the county seat. It covers a total area of 111.02 square kilometers, governs 15 administrative villages, 114 villager groups, with 2,981 households and a population of 10,679. The total cultivated land area is 16,500 mu. The terrain is higher in the north and lower in the south, with altitudes ranging from 250 to 460 meters. It is a hilly area characterized by a warm temperate semi-arid climate typical of the southern part of the county.

Geographic Advantages

Cangzi Township boasts rare Danxia landform landscapes in northern China, forming unique features in the region such as peculiar peaks, exotic rocks, caves, and sheer cliffs... More details about Cangzi Township ++