Gulong Scenic Area

Gulong Scenic Area

Gulong Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The main attraction of Gulin Gulong Scenic Area is the Gulong Cave, originally named Qinglong Cave. Located in Gulin County, Sichuan Province, it was formed during the Cretaceous period and has a growth history of hundreds of millions of years. It is currently the most geologically intact and diverse karst cave in terms of cave landscape types in the Sichuan-Chongqing region. The Gulong Cave Scenic Area is close to the historic towns of Taiping Ancient Town and Erlang Town. It is 18 kilometers from the Taiping exit of the Guxu Expressway.

Covering an area of nearly 600,000 square meters, Gulong Cave is a completely natural karst cave—not artificially created— and that’s what makes it truly remarkable. The cave maintains a cool temperature in summer and warmth in winter all year round, and it has been growing for hundreds of millions of years. It boasts a full array of speleothems including stalagmites, stalactites, stone forests, stone curtains, stone shields, stone flags, stone waterfalls, stone flowers, stone sprouts, and soda straws, making it akin to a massive, still-developing natural geological museum. The cave is also illuminated with enchanting lights and vibrant colors, fully showcasing its mysterious, dazzling, perilous, and wondrous features. A visit to Gulong Cave is definitely a feast for the eyes, far surpassing those other artificially made caves.

A salt well canyon stretching for dozens of miles runs through the entire Gulong Scenic Area, with towering cliffs on both sides and precipitous rock faces; the valley floor features murmuring streams and rugged rocks.

The transport of Sichuan salt to Guizhou marks a significant chapter in China’s salt transportation history. The Chishui River, as the main waterway for Sichuan-Guizhou salt trade, flourished immensely during the Ming and Qing dynasties. As an important tributary of the Chishui River, the Yanjing River was also a major channel for the smuggling of illicit salt at the time, drawing intense scrutiny and suppression from the authorities. Due to the harsh measures to prohibit salt smuggling, it came to be known as the Salt-Prohibited River, which later gradually evolved into today’s Yanjing River.