Gaxian Cave Site

Gaxian Cave Site

The Gaxian Cave Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Gaxian Cave is located 9 kilometers northwest of Alihe Town in the Oroqen Autonomous Banner, Hulunbuir City, and is the birthplace of the Xianbei people. "Gaxian" means "the celestial being of hunters" in the Oroqen language. The Xianbei were one of the ancient ethnic minorities in northeastern China, who have lived in northern China for generations. It was the Tuoba Xianbei tribe residing in Gaxian Cave that established the Northern Wei Dynasty, becoming the first ethnic minority in Chinese history to rule the Central Plains.

At the summit of the northern section of the Greater Khingan Mountains, where rugged cliffs, lush vegetation, and gurgling streams abound, Gaxian Cave is situated on a granite cliff about 100 meters high and nearly 1,000 meters long. Climbing up a man-made staircase for approximately 25 meters leads you to the cave entrance. The cave mouth is 12 meters high and 19 meters wide, while the interior stretches 92 meters from north to south and 27–28 meters from east to west, with a domed ceiling over 20 meters high—resembling a grand hall that could accommodate thousands of people. In the center of the cave lies a natural stone slab known as the "stone table," used for ancestral worship. The cave served as a gathering place for tribal members, with the floor scattered with broken stones and animal bones, showing clear signs of fire damage. On the western wall of the cave is an inscription carved by Li Chang, an imperial scribe sent by Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty (Tuoba Tao) to conduct ancestral rites.

Gaxian Cave is a large natural cave, situated 25 meters above the ground. The cave mouth faces southwest and is slightly triangular in shape. The interior measures over 90 meters from north to south, about 28 meters from east to west, with the highest point of the domed ceiling reaching over 20 meters. It is roughly divided into front, middle, and rear chambers, covering an area of about 2,000 square meters. The cave is dark and deep, with smooth stone walls. In July 1980, archaeologists discovered an inscription carved by Li Chang, an imperial scribe sent by Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty (Tuoba Tao) in 443 AD (the fourth year of the Taihe Zhengjun era), during ancestral worship rituals. The inscription, consisting of 19 lines and 201 characters, is carved on the western stone wall near the cave entrance. The script is archaic, transitional between clerical and regular script. This significant discovery confirmed that Gaxian Cave is indeed the ancestral temple stone chamber of the Tuoba Xianbei mentioned in the Book of Wei.

Legend has it that long ago, this place was a pristine forest. In summer, dense pines and birches shaded the land, and wildflowers bloomed everywhere, creating a resplendent carpet of colors; in winter, the mountains were blanketed in snow, forming a silver world where animals roamed freely across the snowy plains. The Oroqen people, who made their living by hunting, lived here generation after generation in peace and happiness. However, one day, a monstrous, grotesque man-eating demon suddenly appeared. It lived in a cave on a cliff at the mountaintop, spying on human activities. Whenever hunters entered the forest, it would reach out with its demonic claws to maim and kill them, leaving countless Oroqen victims. Brave Oroqen hunters organized multiple expeditions to fight the demon in the mountains, but all failed due to its powerful sorcery. Yet the Oroqen people never lost their courage or determination. After years of relentless struggle, their unwavering spirit eventually moved Gaxian in heaven. Gaxian challenged the demon to a contest: first, to move a stone from the cave entrance—the demon lost; then, to a test of archery—Gaxian shot a hole through the center of the stone as big as a wheel. Seeing that Gaxian was mightier, the demon fled. To prevent its return, the people erected a stone statue of Gaxian holding a bow and arrow at the cave entrance. True to their fears, the demon peeked back three times from across the sea but dared not return upon seeing Gaxian’s imposing figure.

Since then, the Oroqen people have freely hunted and lived in the dense forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains. To commemorate Gaxian, who rid them of the menace, the cave where the demon lived was renamed Gaxian Cave, and the mountain with the hole in the rock was called Hole Mountain.

Alihe Town: The capital of the Oroqen Autonomous Banner—Alihe Town—is located at the southeastern foot of the Greater Khingan Mountains and serves as the political, economic, cultural, and transportation hub for the various ethnic groups of the Oroqen Autonomous Banner. To the east, Alihe connects with the northern forest city of Jiagedaqi; to the west, it neighbors Jiwen Town and Ganhe Town of the Oroqen Autonomous Banner. The town covers a total area of 4,541.4 square kilometers, with an urban area of 160,000 square meters, arable land of 5,580 mu, grassland of 150 square kilometers, and forestland of 4,000 square kilometers. Alihe Town administers 15 communities and 4 administrative villages, with enterprises such as the Alihe Forestry Company stationed both inside and outside the town... More details about Alihe Town++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units