Longquan Cave

　　Longquan Cave is located in Shuidong Town, Xuancheng District, also known as Yaotou Cave. It is a limestone karst cave that has attracted sightseers for over 700 years. The cave walls bear an inscription by Xu Shihong from the first year of the Kaixing era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1259), which reads: “Layer upon layer of strange rocks for millennia, winding through natural beauty. Surely a divine dragon soars through the clouds, and when spring arrives, it fills the world.”

　　Since its development in 1978, this underground palace has drawn the attention of visitors. The cave twists and turns magnificently, filled with abundant stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars. Peculiar rock formations and high platforms take on ever-changing, lifelike shapes. There are seven main chambers in the cave, the largest spanning over a thousand square meters, while the smaller ones range from two to three hundred square meters. Over twenty ancient poems inscribed on the cave walls date from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty.

　　According to experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other institutions, Longquan Cave formed approximately 3 million years ago and is a limestone karst cave. The cave is grand in scale, majestic in presence, winding and deep, with bizarre rock formations resembling a uniquely crafted artistic masterpiece—breathtakingly beautiful. The cave consists of seven levels above and below, five sections left and right, 20 main halls, and 100 smaller caves. Some are over 1,000 square meters in size, while others range from 200 to 300 square meters. The total area of the cave exceeds 12,000 square meters, with a volume of over 80,000 cubic meters. There are more than 200 natural landscapes inside, along with numerous stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, and stone caps, all vibrant and glitteringly beautiful, leaving visitors in awe. The temperature inside the cave remains a constant 18°C year-round, cool and refreshing. It is comparable in fame to the Taiji Cave in Guangde.

　　Historically, Longquan Cave has been a popular tourist destination. To this day, 28 inscriptions left by visitors throughout the dynasties remain on the cave walls. Though many have become faded and difficult to discern over time, one can still make out an inscription by Xu Rongxuan of Xiangshan from the winter of the first year of Kaixing (1195) in the Southern Song Dynasty, written to the tune of “Xijiangyue,” proving that as early as 800 years ago, people came here to admire the cave’s wonders. The Xuancheng County Annals from the Qing Dynasty also documented Longquan Cave. However, during the mid-Qing Dynasty, the cave entrance became blocked until it was rediscovered and excavated in 1978 due to a severe drought when farmers sought water sources. After renovation, it officially opened to the public on New Year’s Day in 1982. Today, the exterior of Longquan Cave features rolling hills, lush forests, and the sound of murmuring springs. The site includes tourist service facilities such as restaurants, teahouses, and lodgings, with winding corridors and pavilions nestled among dense groves and bamboo. Inside the cave, steps, cloud ladders, and colorful lighting have been installed, creating a dazzling and fantastical scene reminiscent of a dragon palace. Since its opening, it has welcomed over one million visitors from home and abroad, making it a key provincial-level tourist attraction.

　　Among the many karst caves, Longquan Cave stands out uniquely. Mount Lufeng is a karst mountain with undulating peaks, lush vegetation, and clear green waters, offering enchanting scenery. The entrance to Longquan Cave lies at the foot of the mountain. The cave is composed of numerous karst caves and underground rivers, stretching over 1,200 meters in length. Inside, it resembles a large, spiraling hall divided into upper and lower levels. In the lower water cave, a clear stream winds its way for about 1,000 meters. The streambed is sandy, allowing visitors to wade through the water, which is clear and no deeper than the knees. Walking along the stream reveals ever-changing scenery, evoking the feeling of “lost in a mountain maze only to suddenly discover a village beyond willows and flowers.”

　　The dry cave consists of five main chambers connected in sequence, each densely packed with attractions and capable of accommodating tens of thousands of visitors. A multitude of stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, and flowstones form vivid and diverse scenes. Many stalactites on the cave walls resemble waterfalls, forests, or candles. Ascending the stone steps leads to a spacious, sloping hall where clusters of stone pillars and mushrooms rise from the ground. The cave walls feature formations like curtains and drapes, resembling three-dimensional stage backdrops. Further up the steps is a semi-circular, sloping hall with even more elaborate features—some resembling pleated window curtains, neat and elegant; others like embroidered carvings, diverse in shape; some like patterns of farmland fields; and there is even a “Fairy Bed,” “Fairy Chair,” and several “Fairy Footprints.” Climbing another 52 steps leads into a grand Dragon Palace, surrounded by three-dimensional sculptures that dazzle the eye.

　　The countless attractions within the cave each have their own unique features, yet they are interconnected through historical and folk legends, sparking endless imagination. At times, you’ll feel refreshed and joyful; at others, you may be struck with awe. You’ll marvel not only at the myths of history but also at the miraculous craftsmanship of nature.