Heishidong Cave in Pingchang

Heishidong Cave in Pingchang

Heishidong Cave, located in Shilong Village, Lumingchang, present-day Pingchang County, was once an overgrown, snake-infested, and bird-occupied unnamed area before the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. From afar, it appeared as a barren slope, but up close, it was a rocky cliff with a massive boulder covering the cave entrance, which in turn was hidden by dense forest. It would have been impossible for anyone to guess that a cave lay concealed behind the boulder.

One day, a local herder named Luo Tingqiao lost a flock of his sheep. Anxious like an ant on a hot pan, he searched frantically everywhere for them. When he approached near Heishidong Cave, he heard the sheep bleating from within the thorny bushes. Carefully making his way through the thick forest and following the sound, he suddenly stumbled upon not sheep, but a group of chicks. The chicks, upon seeing him, darted headfirst into the cave without a backward glance. Luo followed them in pursuit. Suddenly, the chicks vanished. More puzzled than ever, and summoning his courage, Luo pressed on until he reached the cave entrance. There, he spotted a dark object curled up motionlessly inside. As he drew closer, he realized it was two pots stacked one atop the other. Intrigued, he decided to find out what was inside. Summoning all his bravery, he lifted the lid and was astonished to find the pots filled with gleaming silver ingots. Overjoyed, he cried out “A heaven-sent gift!” He quickly pocketed the silver, gathered his sheep, and headed back home. Later, he invited a Taoist priest to offer thanks to the heavens; hired workers to clear the thorny underbrush outside the cave, cut stones to build walls, and construct more than ten rooms; also commissioned a goldsmith to craft statues and carve a mountain gate, naming the place Heishidong Cave.

After 1933, a wealthy man named Xu Jingheng moved into the cave, established a Buddhist shrine, and, with donations from fellow villagers, expanded Heishidong Cave further, adding more statues. He also cleaned and renovated the spring water inside the cave. As a result, Heishidong Cave became even more widely known. Every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, many people came to worship and sightsee. However, during the Cultural Revolution’s campaign to “Smash the Four Olds and Establish the Four News,” the statues inside were destroyed.

Today, the original buildings remain intact, and three households still live here. In the summer, it remains a popular retreat from the heat. Locals often visit in their leisure time to enjoy tea, relax, and cool off here.