Liangping Panlong Cave

Liangping Panlong Cave

One of China’s Four Great Ancient Panlong Caves — Panlong Cave

Panlong Cave is one of China’s four great ancient Panlong caves. The thousand-year-old ancient post road “Shudao,” known for its treacherous paths, complements the beautiful surrounding landscapes, telling travelers from near and far countless magical tales — such as Lu You’s three visits to the village girl in Panlong Cave and Zhang Xianzhong’s three battles at Liangshan.

Panlong Cave is located in Panlong Town, Liangping District, Chongqing, adjacent to National Highway 318. It is 12 km from the county town, 13 km from the Chongqing-Yichang Expressway, and 20 km from Liangping Railway Station on the Dazhou-Wanzhou Railway. As a cave landscape, it is one of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Liangshan” and was historically known as the “Ancient Panlong Cave.” The cave is divided into a water cave and a dry cave. These two sections are arranged vertically, with the water cave featuring perpetually flowing azure waters and unfathomable depths that remain unexplored to this day. The dry cave contains two stone formations coiled together in the shape of a dragon, alongside a misty spray cliff. Hanging at the cave entrance is a tongue-shaped stalactite approximately 10 meters long, strikingly lifelike and vivid. Coupled with the numerous sharp, glittering stalactites surrounding the entrance, they resemble a living dragon baring its fangs and opening its massive jaws as if ready to devour something huge — an awe-inspiring sight. Inside the winding cave, stalagmites and stalactites take on a myriad of forms, resembling a dragon’s lungs, liver, gallbladder, and heart, crafted so realistically that it looks as though a dragon is coiled within the cave. The cavern is profoundly deep and labyrinthine, with numerous branching passages, and to this day, no one has been able to determine its full length. According to historical accounts from visitors, the cave features twelve “thresholds,” including the “General’s Pillar,” “Chicken Coop Gate,” “Chest-Out Rock,” “Duck Shoal,” and “Golden Basin.” During the Three Kingdoms period, the Shu general Zhang Bian once lived in seclusion here and practiced Taoism. After his death, he was honored as the “True Man of Beneficence.” The Southern Song poet Lu You passed through this area and left behind the legend of his three visits to Panlong Cave. Additionally, the cave preserves many historical inscriptions and cliff carvings from notable figures.

Address: Panlong Town, Liangping District

Scenic Area Inquiry Phone: 023-53651188