Guangde Cave Heaven Scenic Area

Guangde Cave Heaven Scenic Area

Guangde Cave Heaven is located in Jiexi County, Jieyang City, Guangdong Province, on the mountainside of Tiger Ridge (Tiger Mountain), about 2 kilometers northeast of Hepo Town, the county seat of Jiexi. The scenic area is covered with ancient towering trees and features numerous massive rocks and deep ravines. A developed section of the area is a tens-of-meters-long stone cave called “Bie Dongtian” (Another Heaven), which leads to Guangde Nunnery from its entrance. It is a marvelously natural wonder, a breathtaking scene crafted by nature. Tiger Peak stands majestically over the region, shaped like a fierce tiger. The slopes here are lush and green, with tall, dense trees that block out the sun, eliminating all summer heat.

Guangde Nunnery was renovated in the 45th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1780). The structure of the nunnery is made of earthen and lime plaster walls with wooden frames, covered with glazed tiles. It has two stories, with meditation rooms on both sides. Inside the nunnery, statues of the three bodhisattvas—Guanyin, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri—are enshrined.

“Bie Dongtian” may have been developed alongside the temple and nunnery. The newly developed stone caves, pavilions, and architectural features such as the “Dragon Spouting Water” and “Dripping-Water Guanyin” make the scenery even more enchanting.

Guangde Nunnery is a building with earthen-lime-sand walls and a tiled roof, divided into upper and lower halls, with a courtyard in the middle. It houses statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the Eighteen Arhats. A natural spring inside the nunnery flows continuously. Devotees always wash their hands and faces here before ascending to the main hall to pray and offer incense, as a sign of sincerity. The spring water also provides drinking water and is used for brewing tea for both the residents of the nunnery and visitors.

On the large rock to the right of the nunnery, there is a small shrine dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva, locally known as the “Goddess of Birth.” About a hundred meters to the left of the nunnery, there is a massive rock extending outward, forming a cave that can accommodate dozens of people. This is called “Old Nunnery,” the former site of today’s Guangde Nunnery. Around the old and new nunneries, oddly shaped rocks rise in great numbers, with crisscrossing caves under the rocks—twisting, deep, and unfathomable. Springs flow through crevices, shaded by green trees, accompanied by the sounds of insects and birds, resembling a paradise on earth.

The four major wonders of Guangde Cave Heaven are the wonder of the mountain, the wonder of the rocks, the wonder of the water, and the wonder of the caves.

Xidong Village: Located in the eastern part of Hepo Subdistrict, Xidong Village is an urban village within Hepo. It administers five natural villages: Fengdong, Fengxi, Hefu, Hekeng, and Gongshì. Currently, Xidong Village has a population of over 3,000 people, with more than 500 households, over 50 acres of arable land, and 1,009 acres of mountainous land. The village collective economic income is 57,000 yuan per year, with a per capita net income of 5,764 yuan per year. Xidong Village has one Party branch secretary, one village committee director, a total of five village cadres on the committee, and currently 44 Party members. The main sources of income for villagers are running individual small businesses and working or doing business outside the village. ... Xidong Village detailed information++