Nonghuai Rock

Nonghuai Rock

Nonghuai Rock

Nonghuai Rock is located about 7 kilometers northwest of the county town. It is a limestone cave; several miles into the cave, there is accumulated spring water. In autumn and winter when the water recedes, one can enter with a torch or flashlight. Narrow sections resemble corridors, while wide areas are like halls. Stalactites hang from the ceiling, creating a fantastical scene. The crevices in the rock harbor many large bats. During the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing era, Zhou Pu, the prefect of Shangsi, inscribed the two characters “Nonghuai” on the mouth of the cave. After visiting this cave, many ancient travelers composed poems and essays, inscribing them on the cave’s walls or recording them in local chronicles to praise the cave’s atmosphere. Among the “Eight Scenic Spots of Shangsi,” there was once a line that read: “Nonghuai Rock nobly retains the traces of immortals.” Old records described it as “the finest scenic site in Shangsi.” In ancient times, it was listed as one of the Eight Scenic Spots.