Shigang Cave

　　Shigang Cave, also known as the Source of the Wu River, is located in Yingdong Village, Yancang Town, Weining County, and is 32 kilometers by road from Xiaowan Village, Zhongshan District, Liupanshui City.

　　The spring outlet of Shigang Cave is about the size of a small bowl, and the naturally formed “stone vat” around the spring is only three to five square meters in size. However, after flowing over a hundred kilometers to Longchang in Liuzhi, the river already spans a width of one hundred meters, with depths exceeding two meters. By the time it has traveled 1,070 kilometers to Fuling in Chongqing and joins the Yangtze River, the waters have grown vast and mighty. While no definitive data is available on how many tributaries it has gathered along the way, nearly every kilometer of this stretch of the “Wu River journey” sees streams and springs feeding into it, with about half of those tributaries originating from underground flows hidden deep within the mountains. Most of these underground flows, including the one at the source in Shigang Cave, flow year-round, while the other tributaries are typically seasonal rivers.

　　Shigang Cave is embraced by several lush walnut trees, with the gurgling of the spring harmonizing with the chirping of cicadas. The water is crystal clear, and one can’t help but wonder how far this bright spring has traveled through the dark depths of the mountains. Behind Shigang Cave lies a long mountain ridge, with place names such as “Yuanyuandi” (Round Flat Land) and “Longshanpo” (Dragon Mountain Slope). The higher elevations of the mountain reach approximately 2,000 meters, creating a 500-meter drop from Shigang Cave. Legend has it that there are ninety-nine springs on Dragon Mountain Slope, said to be the incarnations of ninety-nine dragons, which lends credence to the abundance of underground rivers and hidden flows in the Wu River source area. By hiking across the mountain for 20 kilometers, one can reach Caohai Lake, which sits at a higher elevation than Shigang Cave. As a result, some experts believe that the water of Shigang Cave originates from Caohai Lake.

　　Four stone tablets stand around Shigang Cave, two of which were erected by people from Fuling in Chongqing. Five years ago, a group from Fuling Teachers College carried tents and trekked a thousand miles upstream to this spot, leaving behind an inscribed tablet that reads: “Draw inspiration from the Wu River, repay its kindness, protect the Wu River, and never forget.” The other two tablets include one set up by the “Pearl River Guizhou Section & Wu River Eco-Journey News Reporting Team” from Guizhou, and another ecological protection project tablet installed by the Guizhou environmental protection department. Both were placed after the Fuling tablet.