Longmen Pavilion Scenic Area

Longmen Pavilion Scenic Area

The Longmen Pavilion Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Longmen Pavilion is located in Chaotian Town, Chaotian District, Guangyuan City, and is one of the most famous plank walkways along the ancient Jinniu Road. "The Dragon Gate was not chiseled by Yu the Great, its strangeness is the work of nature." It is one of the sacred Taoist sites in northern Sichuan. The Longmen Stone Forest features winding paths leading to serene spots, full of mystical charm. The Three Longmen Caves are grand and spectacular, renowned as the "Largest Cave in Northern Sichuan." *A Record of the Cloudy Plank Road* states: "Dragon Cave Back, also known as Longmen Mountain, has a stone cave tens of zhang high, shaped like a gate, with a stream surging through it, making a loud noise as it bursts out from the mountain’s belly and splits into three caves. The water flows out from the second cave, while the third cave flows southwest into the Jialing River." As an ancient overland route connecting Qin and Shu, Longmen Pavilion held significant military value. From the summit, one can view the entire Jianchangba, Yingpanliang, Chaotian Pass, Choubi Post, and Little Emei. Looking down, the Qianxi River winds through valleys and around mountains. Within Longmen Cave and Pavilion, naturally formed stone paths, caves, pavilions, and gates crisscross, exuding endless charm.

The dragon cave is over 50 meters high, more than 70 meters wide, and stretches 3,000 meters in total length. It is divided into three sections due to a break in the middle. The main cave resembles a gate, appearing extremely majestic from afar, earning the title "Largest Cave in Northern Sichuan." There is a fault between the middle and upper caves, forming an open "skylight." The lower cave connects to the Xia'an Gorge and lies across a stream from the underground fairy palace — Snow Stream Cave. The ancient plank road from Qin to Shu (Jinniu Road) passed along the stone cave up the ridge. Legend has it that there were nine-tiered temples on the mountaintop, though only the ruins of the "Lu You Palace" remain today. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, poets such as Shen Quanqi, Du Fu, Cen Shen, Lu You, Chen Peng, Wang Shizhen, Li Huanan, Li Diaoyuan, and Peng Duanshu have all composed masterpieces at Longmen Pavilion, which have become timeless classics.

Immortal Crossing Bridge

In front of the cave entrance is a spacious hall with neatly arranged stone tables and pedestals, creating a serene and solemn atmosphere. Above the hall stands a solemn stone statue of Lu You, more than two meters tall. Beside the hall, a clear stream gurgles from the cave entrance, more than a zhang high, flowing into the large stone cave. The Snow Stream Cave is 2 kilometers long, with stalactites, stalagmites, stone flowers, and stone pillars that mimic objects and figures with exquisite craftsmanship. Every stalactite and rock wall is a stunning natural sculpture, forming this magical "underground fairy palace."

Thousand Autumns Field

"Thousand Autumns Field" is one of the five wonders of Snow Stream Cave. A semi-circular stone dam underwater is a common karst cave formation, but such an unbroken, large-area, and continuously flowing Thousand Autumns Field is extremely rare in other caves, making it a unique highlight. Through millennia of flowing time — days spent chasing the sun — this mysterious and dreamlike cave has cultivated terraced fields of various shapes. The planting season is approaching. Houji, the ancestor of farming, waits at the far edge of the field with his plow. In this field of hope, there is not only the gleam of the plow but also the deep and shallow footprints of immortals, the fragrance of rice, and the dreams of every one of us. Therefore, Snow Stream Cave is more than just a cave.

Sky-Supporting Jade Pillar

This is another of the five wonders of Snow Stream Cave. While many other stone stalagmites grow large, few connect to the cave ceiling. Stalactites grow one millimeter per year and gradually shift freely during their growth. Legend says in ancient times, the heavens tilted northwest and the earth sank southeast. Nüwa threw down five-colored stones that transformed into a pillar capable of supporting the sky. That life-saving pillar stands before us — a thick stalagmite-shaped stone pillar that connected with the cave ceiling during its growth, rightfully becoming the greatest wonder of the cave — the "Sky-Supporting Jade Pillar."

Fairy Palace Snow Lotus

Here lies a pool of clear spring water called "Lotus Pool." From the cave ceiling hang numerous stalactites resembling blooming snow lotus flowers. The largest, brightest, and most lifelike of them all is the treasured jewel of our "underground fairy palace." People have bestowed upon it the beautiful name "Fairy Palace Snow Lotus." It never withers.

Longevity Golden Bell

The bell in the fairy palace is not meant to be heard with the ears, but felt with the heart and understood with emotion. If you perceive the bell sound as distant and echoing, it means you will live a long life. If you hear it as pure, it shows your upright character. If it sounds pleasant to you, it signifies that everything will go smoothly in your life.

Underground Fairy Palace — Snow Stream Cave

Snow Stream Cave is located 4 kilometers north of Guangyuan City, known as the gateway to northern Sichuan and the lock to Qin-Shu, right next to National Highway 108 and the Guang-Sichuan Expressway. It is an essential part of the Jiange Shu Road, a national key scenic area, and is named after Southern Song poet Lu You’s poem *Snow Stream*, which includes the verse "From Bashan comes the Snow Stream, where the old man stays on the Onion Ridge." Nestled within the forests by the Qianxi River, Snow Stream Cave boasts breathtaking scenery. Amid towering trees, there stands a massive stone cliff where the entrance to Snow Stream Cave lies. In front of the entrance is a spacious hall with neatly arranged stone tables and pedestals, peaceful and solemn. Above the hall stands a solemn stone statue of Lu You, more than two meters tall. Beside the hall, a clear stream gurgles from the cave entrance, more than a zhang high, flowing into the large stone cave. The Snow Stream Cave is 2 kilometers long, with stalactites, stalagmites, stone flowers, and stone pillars that mimic objects and figures with exquisite craftsmanship. Every stalactite and rock wall is a stunning natural sculpture, forming this magical "underground fairy palace."

Demon Dragon Swallows the River

Legend says that thousands of years ago, a demon dragon lived in Longmen Cave, connected to Snow Stream Cave, striking fear into the locals. To subdue the evil dragon, the Heavenly Archer God (Erlang Shen) disguised himself as a village girl and opened a cold noodle shop by the Qianxi River. The mischievous demon dragon could not resist the delicious... (noodle aroma), so he transformed into an old man to eat the noodles. When the noodles entered his belly, they instantly turned into salt blocks imbued with a curse, corroding the dragon’s internal organs. The demon dragon felt searing pain in its stomach and thought that the Snow Stream Cave had an ice spring connected to the Jialing River — surely enough water might save him. He then turned back into his true form, dashed into the cave, and plunged headfirst into the pool to drink. (Look at the demon dragon ahead.) There he is. But what he didn’t expect was that Erlang Shen arrived soon after and used the dragon-binding lock bestowed by the Jade Emperor to chain him firmly to the stone wall of the cave. Since the demon dragon was chained upside down, it remains forever in the posture of swallowing the river. For thousands of years, the waters of Snow Stream Cave and the Jialing River continue to flow — perhaps the dragon has drunk its fill by now.