Rongshui Laojun Cave

Rongshui Laojun Cave

Rongshui Laojun Cave is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Laojun Cave, also known as "Zhenxian Rock" or "Lingyan," is located 1.5 kilometers south of Rongshui Miao Autonomous County. The entire scenic area covers more than 10 hectares. There are two karst caves, with cave entrances about 20 meters high, 30 meters wide, and 50 meters deep. Originally, inside the cave there was a naturally formed stalagmite statue of Laozi over 7 meters tall, with white hair and silver beard, lifelike in appearance—this is how Laojun Cave got its name. During the Song Dynasty, Zhenxian Pavilion was built inside the cave, but it has long been destroyed. However, 136 stone inscriptions from the Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods still remain. These inscriptions include records, poems, essays, divinations, plaques, images, and more, featuring scripts in seal, official, regular, and cursive styles. With diverse forms and rich content, they have been highly valued by scholars throughout history. The Ming Dynasty geographer and traveler Xu Hongzu (Xu Xiake) stayed in Rongshui for some time and lived at Zhenxian Rock for as long as 13 days. His main activity during this period was copying and collecting the stone inscriptions in the cave. The famous Qing Dynasty epigraphist Wang Chang, who compiled *Jinshi Cuibian*; Lu Zengxiang, who compiled *Baqiongshi Jinshi Buzheng*; and the renowned official and scholar Xie Qikun, who wrote *Yuexi Jinshi Lüe*, all documented the stone inscriptions of Zhenxian Rock. According to the *Guangxi Tongzhi* (Guangxi General Annals) from the Jiaqing era, quoting the Ming Dynasty’s Cao Xuequan’s *Yudiming Shengzhi*, it is said: “Lingyan Mountain, also called Laojun Cave, was renamed Zhenxian Rock during the Xianping era of the Song Dynasty, and Emperor Taizong decreed that 120 scrolls of his calligraphy be stored here.” Today, the surviving four characters—“Ruiyun, Xijiang, Jingzhong, Yitang”—carved on four stones were works originally preserved in Zhenxian Pavilion at that time.

Laojun Cave is the foremost of the ancient Eight Scenic Spots of Rongzhou, and can be described as a "water-moon cave heaven." The clear and winding Lingshou Stream flows through the mountain behind the cave and runs inside the cave for about 300 meters. Taking a small boat downstream from the rear cave allows you to take in the full view of the cave and admire the cliff inscriptions on the cave walls and the variously shaped stalactites. Towering ancient trees shade the cave entrance, blocking out the sun, and two ancient stone bridges built during the Song Dynasty span the stream at the mouth of the cave. These bridges are beautifully shaped and exquisitely structured, and they can still support vehicle traffic today. Legend has it that Laozi, the Supreme Old Lord, traveled south to Rongling and arrived at this cave, where he was so captivated that he did not want to leave. He told people, “This cave is the most exquisite place under heaven—its rocks and minerals are divine, the stream is pure and deep, and I will no longer journey west beyond the sandy desert. I shall reside here.” He then transformed into stone and remains in the cave forever. That’s how the cave got its name, and it has become one of the Thirty-Six Immortal Caves, sacred sites of Taoism across the country. During the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty, the famous poet and top imperial scholar Zhang Xiaoxiang visited the cave and was full of praise, calling it “the number one true immortal cave under heaven.” Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty stored 120 scrolls of his calligraphy in the cave and ordered the cave to be renovated and named “Zhenxian Rock.” The cave walls are covered in inscriptions, including 17 Song Dynasty steles alone. Among them, the “Zhenxian Cave” inscription written by Wang Zuo, a one-armed general under Yue Fei, features bold strokes and characters half a foot in size. Also particularly precious is the “Yuanyou Party Register Stele” erected by Shen, the great-grandson of Shen Qian, a member of the Northern Song Dynasty’s Yuanyou Faction. The scenery inside the cave is breathtaking, featuring sights such as the Heavenly Pillar Stone Star, Golden Thread Hanging a Gourd, Crane Rock Sunrise, Peaks Gathering in Beauty, and Immortal Elders Playing Chess. There is also a drum-shaped stalactite that rises from the ground—if you gently tap it, it rings like a bell. When the sound echoes upward, the inverted stalactites immediately produce a response, creating a continuous resonance that moves from near to far, deeply touching the heart.

The Laojun Cave scenic area originally had a complete complex of structures including the Three Pure Ones Hall, Imperial Calligraphy Pavilion, Ziwei Pavilion, Bao’en Temple, Suihan Pavilion, Hongyin Tower, Lushi Pagoda, Qingfeng Pavilion, Wangyuan Pavilion, the Five Hundred Arhats, Fengdu Mountain, and the natural stalagmite statue of Laozi. Due to historical reasons, many of these attractions and facilities have been damaged. Currently, relevant departments have begun restoration efforts and have developed new sites such as the Hidden Immortal Cave, Water-Moon Cave, and Goat Horn Cave. They have also built new attractions for sightseeing, including a bonsai garden, peach blossom garden, lotus pond, and a statue of Xu Xiake.

The gardens and religious structures of Laojun Cave were first built during the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, many literati have left behind a wealth of poems, travelogues, stone inscriptions, and cliff carvings—over a hundred in total—making it a precious historical and cultural heritage. Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty personally bestowed 120 scrolls of “Imperial Calligraphy Steles,” which were stored in the cave, and he conferred the title “Zhenxian Rock” upon Laojun Cave. The Ming Dynasty traveler Xu Xiake stayed in this cave for 13 days, the longest he spent in any single cave during his 30 years of travels. He wrote a 5,000-character travelogue vividly describing the landscapes and legendary myths of Laojun Cave. He entered the cave holding a torch to explore its wonders, and encountered a giant python whose head and tail were tucked under rocks blocking his path. He stepped over it, yet the snake didn’t move an inch—an indication of how deep and mysterious the cave is. Standing in the middle of the stream inside the cave, one can see both the front and back entrances of Zhenxian Rock, naturally formed by the surrounding rock. Sunlight shining on the stream at both ends makes it appear as if two bright moons are rising from the water. This spectacular view of the “water-moon cave heaven” moved Xu Xiake to exclaim: “Zhenxian is the best under heaven, and this scene is the best of Zhenxian!” The famous Song Dynasty poet Fan Chengda praised in his *Jia Hai Yan Dong Ji*: “Rongzhou has Lingyan Zhenxian Cave, which is said to rival Guilin.”