Baiyu Cave

Baiyu Cave

Baiyu Cave is located on the southern bank of the Beipan River in Liupanshui, about 5 kilometers to the right of Wuyi Bridge on the Shuipan East Line, and is part of the Wumeng Mountain National Geopark. It is one of the world’s rare vertical shafts, reaching a depth of 560 meters, ranking as the second deepest in the world.

A shaft, as the name suggests, is a deep, well-like pit. In speleology, a shaft is a pit where one can descend directly to the bottom using a rope, allowing for turns during descent. However, a vertical shaft requires that the sky remain visible throughout the descent—which means no turns are possible.

Baiyu Cave is not only the deepest vertical shaft in China but also ranks as the second deepest in the world. From the entrance to the 428-meter depth, the shaft remains perfectly vertical, and a single rope can reach that depth, making it the deepest shaft in the world where you can literally “look up at the sky from the bottom.”

Standing beside the cave and looking down into its seemingly “bottomless” depths is an awe-inspiring and thrilling experience. Baiyu Shaft is a uniquely formed vertical cave. The terrain here is relatively flat, and surface water penetrates non-carbonate rock layers above, forming unsaturated calcium carbonate solutions that dissolve the carbonate rock layers along fractures. Over time, this process has created these distinctive vertical caves.

Travel Tips

Transportation:

Visitors can take a bus to Pan County in the southwestern part of Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province. Baoji Township is located in the northeastern part of Pan County, about 82 kilometers from the county seat Hongguo. The most convenient transportation option is to take a train from Guiyang Railway Station to Hongguo, which takes about 6.5 hours.

Specialty Products:

Wild Rosa roxburghii (also known as wild chestnut pear) is arguably the most distinctive product of Pan County. This fruit is extremely nutritious and medicinal, with its flesh containing the highest level of vitamin C among all fruits—2054–2725 mg per 100 grams, which is 500 times higher than apples or pears, 100 times higher than citrus fruits, and 9 times higher than kiwifruit. Rosa roxburghii is also hailed as a green superfruit for “longevity and cancer prevention,” as it contains anti-cancer compounds and SOD (an anti-aging substance), and also helps to remove lead from the body.

Accommodation:

Within the scenic area, visitors can choose to stay at local farmhouse guesthouses, which are affordable but have limited facilities. Returning to the county town for hotel accommodation offers more options and better overall conditions, with prices generally ranging from 100 to 300 yuan per room.