Wushan Twelve Labyrinths Scenic Area

Wushan Twelve Labyrinths Scenic Area

“Twelve Peaks of Wushan, Twelve Caves of Baolong.” With the continuous development of the Wushan Twelve Labyrinths Cave Scenic Area, a new rising star in tourism hidden deep within the Wuxia Gorge is about to emerge. It is expected to open to visitors on October 1st next year.

The twelve caves form a striking echo with the Goddess Peak of Wushan.

The Wushan Twelve Labyrinths Caves are located in Maping Village, Baolong Town, bordering the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River to the east and connecting to western Hubei to the west. They are just 8 km away from the Goddess Peak and offer a natural karst landscape integrating valleys, cliffs, caves, water, forests, and rocks. The area combines grandeur, wonder, mystery, danger, beauty, and serenity. The Twelve Labyrinths Cave Scenic Area features majestic peaks, rugged rocks, and evergreen pines and cypresses. In spring, the mountains are covered with blooming flowers and fragrant scents; in summer, the lush greenery is refreshing and pleasant; in autumn, the red leaves are fiery and passionate; in winter, the snowy landscape is enchantingly beautiful. Along the Baolong River downstream from the Twelve Labyrinths Cave, there are dozens of kilometers of cliffs with twelve uniquely characterized shoals. Starting from the Wǔqiū drifting and leisure beach and heading upstream to the most pristine Liángfēng Shoal on the Chongqing-Hubei border, every shoal is a scenic wonder seamlessly integrated with the surroundings. In gentle sections, the water flows gently, while in rapid sections, it surges like wild waves.

The labyrinth caves were formed approximately 2.6 million years ago. The Twelve Labyrinths Cave consists of a main bag-shaped cave and highly irregular multi-layered tubular branch caves. The chambers are diverse and intricate, with the main cave being tall and vertically structured, while the branch caves are smaller and distributed across multiple levels. Inside the caves, there are numerous and uniquely shaped stalactites, as well as mysterious features such as the Sensing Spring, the Shouting Water Cave, the Music Cave, the Western Ox Stone, and a forest of stone pillars. A hundred meters away from the Twelve Labyrinths Cave, on a steep cliff face, there are twelve artificially carved caves. These caves are regularly square-shaped, varying in size and arranged in a single row from bottom to top. Legend has it that they were carved by Lu Ban while building a bridge over the Baolong River. Their true purpose remains unknown. The towering cliffs, hundreds of meters high, are as sheer as if cut by a knife, offering a panoramic view from the top.

Once completed, this scenic area will become a stunning highlight of the ecological tourism outer ring of Wushan, connecting with the Wushan Lesser Three Gorges and the Goddess Peak to form a golden S-shaped tourist route.

The Spirit of Humanity and Nature

The Twelve Labyrinths Cave is also shrouded in many magical folk legends, adding an air of mystery. Legend has it that the Sensing Spring, which produces water when touched by stones, attracted many immortals to cultivate here, sharing its mystique with Guanyin, Lu Ban, and the Twelve Peaks of the Goddess. Lu You’s “Record of a Journey to Shu” mentions the Third Spring, the Shouting Water Spring, the Money-Touching Cave, the Turning Horse Platform where the Eight Great Kings massacred Sichuan, the Horse Return Camp, the Tomb of Li Yin-Yang, and the legend of Luo Shichun forming an alliance with Peng Jiao-Lüzi, all of which enrich the historical and cultural significance of the scenic area. Notably, archaeological findings suggest that the Twelve Labyrinths Cave is the site of the Heliang People, adding a mysterious cultural layer for scientific archaeology both in China and abroad.

In the spring of 1999, archaeological identification by Researcher Huang Wanbo from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed ancient river sediments and human parietal bone fossils in the cave. Over 40 stone artifacts were found in the upper and lower caves, along with traces of human fire use—ash. Richer and better-preserved Paleolithic cultural relics were discovered. The cultural relics unearthed from the Labyrinths Cave include human fossils, stone artifacts, and vertebrate fossils, with the most abundant being mammalian materials, totaling over 300 pieces. Identification shows their geological age to be the Late Pleistocene, culturally classified as the Late Paleolithic period, with an absolute age of 15,000 years. Further research indicates that the “Heliang People” lived 15,000 years ago. The discovery of the “Heliang People” and their culture indicates that human footprints existed in the Three Gorges region 15,000 years ago. The “Heliang People” were the masters of Bashan, hunting with stone tools, using natural fire for warmth, and continuously thriving. The archaeological materials found in the Wushan Labyrinths Cave represent the only known Late Pleistocene ancient human site in the Yangtze Three Gorges region that includes both human fossils and stone artifacts, along with a large number of associated mammalian fossils. This discovery pushes the history of Three Gorges culture back by nearly ten thousand years.

Diverse Tourism Formats

Earlier this year, the Sichuan University Engineering Design and Research Institute undertook the planning and design of the project, aiming to develop the Twelve Labyrinths Cave Scenic Area into a national-level tourist attraction that complements and harmonizes with the Twelve Peaks of Wushan. The project is designed to receive 100,000 visitors annually and will include comprehensive scenic tourism featuring canyon sightseeing, water rafting, cave exploration, rock climbing, and ethnic cultural experiences.

This project is one of the investment-attracting projects signed during the Chongqing Cooperation Fair on April 18th this year. XiongTu Company from the Shennongjia Forest District, in collaboration with the County Electric Power Construction Company and the Little Three Gorges Hotel, jointly invested to establish the Wuxia Twelve Labyrinths Scenic Area Tourism Development Co., Ltd. The total project investment is 35 million yuan, including 29.95 million yuan for the first phase, 1.2 million yuan for the second phase, and 3.85 million yuan for the third phase. Upon completion, the project will create jobs for hundreds of people and will play a leading role in the development of the tertiary industry around Baolong Town. It will also have an immeasurable impact on the promotion of Wushan County’s tourism economy and overall county economic development.

Currently, the project has completed preliminary works such as the construction of docks, parking lots, and site leveling. A 4-kilometer road from the twelve caves to Baolong Town has been opened, with 12,000 cubic meters of parking lot site leveling completed. The new entrance to the Labyrinths Cave has been opened, and dredging work inside the cave is fully underway. By October 2008, the construction of the scenic access roads and pedestrian pathways will be completed, along with the setup and creation of the cave ceiling, walls, rare stalactite formations, and artificial landscapes. Neon lights, holograms, slide projections, lighting designs, installations, and the construction of viewing platforms inside the cave will also be finished. Additionally, the Baolong River rafting dock, cliff rock climbing field, and related supporting facilities such as hotels, restaurants, multifunctional entertainment halls, and parking lots will be built.