Wanshan Snowflake Cave

Wanshan Snowflake Cave

Less than five hundred meters from the Buddhist holy site Zhonghua Mountain in Wanshan stands a Dong ethnic village surrounded by ancient trees on all sides. Behind the village, on a cliff, there is a cave named Snowflake Cave.

Following the winding mountain path behind the Dong village and climbing for about half an hour, you will arrive at the entrance of Snowflake Cave. Step through the oval-shaped cave mouth, and you’ll suddenly find yourself in a spacious area where two stone rice cakes, as if still steaming, are placed before you—offering a warm welcome that highlights the cave’s hosts’ hospitality. At the same time, you can’t help but marvel at these vivid, naturally formed “stone rice cakes.” Just as you’re admiring these lifelike formations, a scene reminiscent of a paradise unfolds before your eyes: terraced fields made of natural stones (locally called “Thousand Layer Fields”) are connected closely, varying in shape and size, leaving you in awe. Beside the “Thousand Layer Fields,” a stone elder gazes eastward peacefully, while a stone dog lies quietly behind him. Not far from the elder, a natural stone water tank is filled with crystal-clear spring water; the sound of dripping water breaks the cave’s silence, adding to its tranquility. Nearby, naturally formed stone bowls and stone basins are also on display. All of this might remind you of the passage: “In the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty, a man from Wuling made his living by fishing. As he followed a stream, he forgot how far he had gone when suddenly he came upon a peach blossom forest…” Could this be the place that Liu Ziji of Nanyang was searching for?

Going further inside, a massive stone curtain divides Snowflake Cave into two sections, with only a small stone door allowing entry. Passing through this stone door into the inner cave, you’ll find a large, intact stone tomb situated in the center, adding a layer of mystery to Snowflake Cave. Whose tomb is it? It sparks the imagination. According to the legends of the Dong villagers, long ago, whenever a family in the village held a joyous or sorrowful event, an elderly man would come to offer gifts. Yet, he never spoke to anyone, never ate, and would leave after sitting for a while. Once he stepped out of the Dong village, he would vanish without a trace. Therefore, the ancestors of the Dong villagers never knew his name or where he lived—they simply called him “the Kind Elder.” Whenever anyone was in trouble and mentioned it, the next day the “Kind Elder” would bring something. Over time, the ancestors grew grateful and also curious, wanting to know where the “Kind Elder” lived so they could repay him properly. One day during the cold winter, a wedding was held in the Dong village, and the “Kind Elder” came as usual to offer gifts. The kind and curious elders, taking advantage of his unawareness, filled his bamboo cane with plant ash and made a small hole at its bottom. The “Kind Elder” sat for a while as usual, then left with his cane. The elders followed the trail of scattered ash and found a dead giant yellow python at the mouth of a cave. Feathers of snow were falling thickly into the cave, and thus the cave was named Snowflake Cave. Two days later, the python was gone, and people discovered a stone tomb in the cave. The elders of the Dong village all said it was the tomb of the “Kind Elder.”

From then on, the kind “Kind Elder” was never seen again at any joyous or sorrowful events in the Dong village. Filled with guilt, the Dong people have paid homage to their benefactor at the entrance of Snowflake Cave every Lunar New Year, passing down the tradition through generations.