Repair the Cave

Repair the Cave

Repair the Cave

Repair the Cave, shaped like a crouching tiger howling at the sky, is located at Shiyakou in Yakou Village, east of Baixing Town. Originally the boundary between Huozhu Zexi and Longkua Zexi, a branch of the Longkua clan once lived to the right of the cave, with remnants of their settlement still visible. The area features undulating mountains, overlapping ridges, sheer cliffs, and rugged rocks. Dazhongpo, with an elevation of

meters, is the highest peak in Baixing. Stretching southward from Guanyin Mountain in the northeast through Guangduan, it extends all the way to Jiangjiayan, spanning

2152

kilometers. In ancient times, this region was covered in forests, with rugged mountain paths where tigers, leopards, jackals, wolves roamed, and herds of roe deer, pheasants, rabbits, and deer gathered. Unless you’ve been there yourself, it’s hard to believe such a remarkable cave exists atop these lofty mountains shrouded in white clouds.

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In the 16th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty

1383 AD

(

, Ma Ye, the Provincial Commander-in-Chief of Guizhou, provoked Lady She Xiang by having her whipped. He intended to incite a rebellion among the native chieftains of Shuixi, then use military force to suppress them, aiming to eliminate the territories of the 48 tribes. Lady She Xiang saw through Ma Ye’s sinister scheme, prioritized the greater good, endured humiliation, and restrained the tribes from uprising. After returning to Shuixi, she traveled via Wozhe and Longkua

1383

Zhang Weipusa

)

to Nuoxicimayi

(

Baixing Town

)

to take refuge. Repair the Cave, nestled deep within steep mountains, offered concealment and safety, and both Longkua and Guizong managed grain and funds, ensuring a stable supply. Lady She Xiang led her followers to set up camp inside the cave, strategizing with her subordinates. Reflecting on the situation, she lamented, “With nowhere else to turn, I take refuge in Repair Cave and await tomorrow.” In the 17th year of the Hongwu reign

(

1384 AD

)

, upon receiving a letter from Liu Shuzhen, the female chieftain of Shuidong, Lady She Xiang returned to Shuixi City to appeal to the imperial court. Because Lady She Xiang had built high stone walls at the cave entrance, later generations named it Repair Cave. During her stay at Repair Cave, she oversaw the construction of a courier route from Longkua through Yanzhongchong, Tangyikua, Shuigonghe,

(

Jiu

1384

Wo, Daqingyakou, Yangquanlu, Laojie to Nuoxicimayi, spanning

)

kilometers, with remnants still existing today.

Shiyakou is a rocky ridge immediately to the left of Repair Cave, standing

meters tall. In March of the 3rd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty

30

1664 AD

, Wu Sangui marched into Shuixi. After fierce fighting with the native chieftain An Kun at Azhatun in Shuicheng, An Kun retreated to Baini Tun. He established fortifications and checkpoints at the four main roads—east, south, west, and north—to defend against enemies using the terrain. Repair Cave, a natural hiding place for troops, was connected to Shiyakou, a strategic pass to the east of the stockade. A fortress gate, known as Kamen, was built atop the pass. The gate was

7.5

meters high, with thick wooden planks as door leaves, semi-circular arches, battlements on top, and walls built along the mountain contours on both sides, reaching

(

meters in height and

1664

meters in thickness, constructed from blue stones, resembling a “mini Great Wall.” To the north, it connected to the Lanma Wall and Gaotun outpost, while to the south, it extended directly to Jiangjiayan Head by the Na Ying River. Repair Cave itself was reinforced: the original walls were demolished and rebuilt with three stone walls extending from the cave entrance inward, spaced 100 meters apart. Each of the three walls had a rectangular gated opening, secured with iron locks and clad in iron sheeting. Heavy troops were stationed inside the cave, rotating guard duties at the checkpoint.

)

every hundred meters apart. Each of the three walls had a rectangular gate fitted with iron locks and clad in iron sheeting. Heavy troop detachments were stationed inside the cave and rotated to guard the checkpoint.

7

meters tall, the gate featured thick wooden planks as doors, a semi-circular arched opening with crenellations on top, and walls built along both sides that followed the undulating mountain terrain.

5

meters high and

1.5

meters thick, these walls were made of blue stone, resembling a "miniature Great Wall." To the north, it connected with the Lanma Qiang (Horse-Restraining Wall) at the Gaotun outpost, and to the south, it extended directly to Jiangjiayantou on the banks of the Nayong River. Additionally, Budong was reinforced: the original walls were demolished and rebuilt with three stone walls extending from the cave entrance into the interior, spaced

A military camp was built on the cave roof, accessible only via a narrow stone staircase on the right rear side of the cave—so narrow that it allows only single-file passage and is extremely steep. The Bugong Checkpoint boasts perilous terrain, making it easy to defend but hard to attack. Today, if you climb to the camp atop Bugong Cave and gaze into the distance, you can take in the entire span of the Nayong River, Shuicheng, Niuchang in Liuzhi District, and Tiegailiang.

Bugong Cave is not only a historical site but also features unique underground landscapes. The cave contains a total of 108 scenic spots of varying sizes, among which the upper fork has two levels and the lower fork has three, standing out as particularly remarkable.

The upper fork extends northward straight to Guanyin Mountain. Upon entering the first level, you’ll be greeted by a large sandy flatland with a big pond in the center. When a gentle breeze passes, ripples of emerald green spread across the water. On the right edge of the pond, there is a bluestone ridge adorned with stalactite pillars.

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Some of these pillars

4

stand as tall as

3

meters or more, varying in height, all with diameters of around

0.5

meters. They resemble bamboo shoots, glowing white, forming a veritable stone forest by the pool. Passing through a rectangular stone gate and traversing a small cave about

10

meters long will bring you to the second level. This level is a flat plain, with a small pond about

10

meters in diameter at its center. The water in the pond is emerald green, clear as a mirror, with gentle ripples and an icy chill. If you toss a stone into it, it resonates like the sound of a zither, with lingering echoes that reverberate through the cave endlessly.

The lower fork faces south and contains an underground river that could potentially be used to generate electricity.

First level: It is

70

meters high and

120

square meters wide, with pebbles covering the ground that shimmer like pearls. On the right stone wall stands a

4

-meter-tall statue holding an umbrella, dressed in a long robe with folds fluttering in the breeze, vividly depicted as if it were a grand painting of Chairman Mao on his way to Anyuan.

Second level: At the center of the flat ground lies a round platform

4

meters in diameter, with a

1

-meter-tall stone statue in the middle resembling an “elderly man.” He has silver hair and beard, leaning slightly forward, leaning on a cane. In front of the “elderly man” are two smaller stone statues, each about

0.3

meters tall, wearing topknots and pressing their hands together in a gesture like the God of Wealth’s child. Their heads are slightly bowed as if bowing to the “elderly man,” creating a lifelike scene of a child paying homage to the God of Longevity.

Third level: A lava flow that solidified along the mountain slope forms a stone beam. The stalactites on this beam resemble a tiger, with distinct eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, and a vividly shaped head, rump, feet, and tail. The tiger is crouching on the stone beam as if it is about to let out a roar, presenting a truly astonishing sight.

Surrounding Bugong Cave are

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hilltops, which after the reform and opening-up period were developed into a collectively-run forest farm by Baixing Town, covering an area of over 4,000 mu and planted with more than

130

million poplar, pine, and fir trees, forming an artificially cultivated forest. The bamboo-fenced thatched cottages of over

30

households in the Bugong villager group of Yakou Village are nestled among lush green trees, with water winding around the mountains, creating a tranquil and secluded atmosphere.