Emperor Cave

　　Emperor Cave is nestled against a mountain and beside a river, with its entrance right on the Nanyao River. Viewed from afar, it resembles a giant water buffalo with its mouth open. The cave is about 60 meters wide, 130 meters deep, 25 meters high, and covers an area of approximately 7,800 square meters—large enough to hold tens of thousands of people. The floor inside slopes from east to west and tilts slightly southward, with winding paths throughout. The main hall has an arched ceiling that is broad, flat, and magnificent. As visitors step through the cave entrance, they are greeted by flocks of swallows flying and chirping cheerfully, as if welcoming them with songs. The cave is adorned with a variety of colorful stalactites—some resemble basins, plates, boards, pillars, knives, cones, pillows, and mats; others look like oxen, sheep, chickens, dogs, tigers, deer, dragons, and phoenixes; some take the forms of Buddhist arhats, guardian warriors, celestial generals, and fairy maidens; while others resemble lotus flowers emerging from water, roosters perched on combs, or bamboo shoots stretching toward the sky... All are so exquisitely crafted they seem man-made, each more fascinating than the last. In the middle left of the cave’s main hall, a huge rock hangs in mid-air, seemingly ready to fall and causing a heart-stopping moment—but upon closer inspection, it is firmly fixed. This is called the “Golden Dragon Soaring.” To the southeast of the cave lies a naturally formed 90-meter-long structure resembling a grand armchair, flanked by two rows of stone guards, with a stone figure seated on top, strikingly similar to an emperor on his throne—hence the name Emperor Cave. At the back of the hall is the Palace Gate, formed by three horizontal stones that strikingly resemble hanging golden brocades, colored ribbons, and festooned banners, giving off an extraordinary grandeur. Behind the gate stands a stone pillar supporting the cave’s roof, with carvings of dragons and phoenixes along its body. At the top of the cave is a skylight-like opening, 2 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, which allows sunlight to stream in, illuminating the interior with dazzling radiance. Visitors can climb stone steps and crawl out through this skylight to enjoy views of the surrounding mountains, rice fields, and the villages of the Li ethnic minority. The cave is filled with breathtaking stone formations—the jade-colored canopy on the stone bed gleams white, covered with floral patterns and embellished with pearls and jade. The cave walls are made up of glassy, egg-shaped pebbles that form landscapes resembling silkworm cocoons. In some areas, stone flowers seem to sprout like jets, taking shapes reminiscent of coral, lotuses, and clusters of blossoms—exquisite and translucent, truly a rare natural wonder.

　　The magical Emperor Cave is a large limestone karst cave, primarily formed over millennia as underground water eroded soluble carbonate fissures, gradually dissolving the rock. The cave remains cool in summer and warm in winter, offering a refreshing and uniquely enjoyable experience for visitors. With the rapid development of Hainan’s tourism industry, the People’s Government of Changjiang County has continuously strengthened the protection of Emperor Cave and the construction of its tourism facilities to welcome the ever-growing influx of domestic and international visitors.

　　Location: Located at the foot of Wulei Ridge, by the Nanyao River in Yapu Village, Wangxia Township, southern Changjiang Li Autonomous County, over 60 kilometers from the county seat of Shilu Town.