Nightyan Cave

　　Scenic Area Tour Itinerary: → Take a boat from the dock to enter the water cave, the boat ride covers about 800 meters and takes approximately 10 minutes → After the water route, explore the dry cave, which spans a total of about 1,200 meters and takes around 1 hour to tour → After visiting both the water and dry caves, exit and walk along the trail back to the parking lot, which takes about 30 minutes. The total time spent is approximately 2.5 hours.

　　The Nightyan Cave Scenic Area, named after the legendary King of Nightyan who was said to have lived here, is located within Zhenning County, Guizhou Province. It is closely connected to the Huangguoshu Scenic Area and Shitouzhai Scenic Area, and is one of the world’s most concentrated karst cave clusters. It is also a cave that combines both water and dry cave features. The area consists of a cluster of magnificent caves such as the legendary Nightyan Cave, Shihua Cave, and Fengziyan Cave, along with unique karst landforms like tiankeng (natural sinkholes) and Yanfeng cliff formations, covering a total area of 48.6 square kilometers.

　　Wonders Inside the Caves

　　At the entrance of Nightyan Cave stands a massive natural bridge, with an underground river gushing out from the cave. The explored depth exceeds 1,000 meters, and the total height of the cave reaches nearly 100 meters. It is divided into three levels: the first level is the water cave, and the second and third levels are dry caves.

　　The first level water cave is navigable for 890 meters. The cave twists and turns, with rock walls resembling turbulent waves about to crash but frozen in motion just before breaking — creating a stunning effect of fleeting eternity. Lining the cave are various karst formations, including uniquely shaped stone pillars, stalactites, and stalagmites.

　　The second level dry cave consists of five main chambers. The first chamber greets you with rows of anthropomorphic stalactites, resembling a gathering of immortals or a ceremonial welcoming procession. Further inside, there is a naturally formed “serpentine Great Wall” created by well-developed stone dams, a densely packed cluster of spherical rock formations called “Dragon Ball Circle,” and the dazzlingly colorful, intricately folded “Golden Palace” adorned with stone flowers. The highlight of the second chamber is a cluster of exuberant “lingzhi mushrooms” with thick, short stems that shimmer from leaves to stems. The third chamber is an even more spectacular sight — the entrance is dominated by what looks like a golden, finely carved palace upheld on a giant rock, supported by four mottled stone pillars resembling coiled dragons, creating a striking interplay of golden and jade hues. There is also a rock formation in this chamber that resembles “Wang Zhaojun leaving for the frontier.” The fourth and fifth chambers are densely packed with stone pillars, stalagmites, and stalactites — the pillars resembling tree trunks, the stone “flags” like branches, the stone flowers like leaves or fruits, and the graceful “peach blossom drapes” like carefree forest angels.

　　The third level dry cave has a vast and spacious interior, featuring abundant karst formations that resemble trees with sprawling canopies casting wide shadows. Under the lights, the colors are vibrant and surreal, giving visitors the feeling of being in a heavenly realm beyond the sky.

　　Ticket Prices & Opening Hours

　　120 RMB per person.

　　Seniors aged 70 and above and active-duty military personnel with valid IDs can enter the scenic area free of charge (only a 30 RMB boat fee and 2 RMB insurance fee apply). Students and seniors aged 60–70 receive a 50% discount.