The Three-Passage Cave

The Three-Passage Cave

The Three-Passage Cave is located to the west of the People's Government seat of Pingshan Township in Tianlin County, approximately 12 kilometers from the township government. It gets its name because the Baile River flows beneath the cave for the third time. The cave entrance has a diameter of about 40 meters, with clear streams murmuring gently as they flow into the cave, reflecting the green mountains.

The cave is divided into an upper and a lower section. The upper cave can be accessed via bluestone steps outside the cave. The lower cave also has a wooden ladder leading up to the upper cave. The upper cave is spacious and flat, able to accommodate tens of thousands of people. It is further divided into a bright (lit) section and a dark (unlit) section: the bright section features a “skylight,” allowing distant views of the landscape; the dark section winds its way straight through the mountain’s core. In 1895, Yunlian Temple was built in the bright section, consisting of three temple buildings, while several Dingmu Buddha statues were enshrined in the dark section. The evening drums and morning bells echo through the quiet valley.