Taiji Cave

　　Taiji Cave, also known as Changle Cave or Big Cave, is located in Shilong Mountain, Xinhang Township, at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces northeast of Guangde County, and is the oldest tourist cave in the province. The Ming Dynasty writer Feng Menglong referred to “the buried wonder of Guangde (Taiji Cave), the tides of the Qiantang River, the drum-swapping of Leizhou, and mirages” as the Four Wonders of the World. Taiji Cave boasts a grand scale, covering a total area of 150,000 square meters. Its tunnels stretch for dozens of miles, featuring large caves within smaller ones, all interconnected. The cave varies from narrow to spacious, high to low, warm to cool, land to water, creating an unpredictable and ever-changing experience. The upper cave is entered through a mountain-top entrance and exited at the base of the mountain. The lower cave is larger and has more sights. Above the cave entrance are engraved the three characters “Taiji Cave,” the handwriting of Wu Tongchun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishments during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, which are still visible today. The entrance hall is about 1,600 square meters, with a height of 5 to 10 meters, and can accommodate up to a thousand people. Inside the cave, the landscape is magnificent, rich in historical relics, with a variety of fantastic stalactites and rocks: some resemble lotus flowers, bamboo shoots, pillars, flowers, or curtains; others look like beasts or humans; some are like bells, drums, chessboards, or tables; and others resemble soaring phoenixes or lurking fish—truly breathtaking and marvels of nature. On the cliff face, Wu Tongchun inscribed the four characters “Er Yi You Fen” (The Two Principles Are Divided), marking the separation into the eastern and western caves. The eastern cave features steep, strange carvings, with melting stalactites. After walking about a hundred meters, you reach the water cave, where towering peaks rise from valleys, waterfalls flow, jade steps and pools appear, resembling the Milky Way underground, with glistening ribbons of light. The water cave stretches over 2 kilometers, and boat rides are available for more than 700 meters.

　　　　Taiji Cave has gradually become a tourist destination since the Han and Tang dynasties. Historical records indicate that Fan Zhongyan of the Song Dynasty composed poems about the cave during his tenure in Guangde. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, many scholars and poets have left their calligraphy on the cave walls and inscriptions on the rocks. The cliff inscriptions are abundant, vigorous, and powerful. Preliminary research has identified more than ten ancient poems and travelogues praising Taiji Cave.

　　　　The natural and cultural landscapes of Taiji Cave are remarkably rich and famous far and wide, resplendent and grand, combining elements of danger, beauty, and mystery. With a long history and high aesthetic value, it is a remarkable site.

　　　　Since its development in 1986, the area around Taiji Cave has seen the construction of supporting facilities such as Yan Chi Lake, Fan Gong Pavilion, Tian You Pavilion, Huai Gu Platform, Wo Long Bridge, Shi Xiang Temple, Dong Bin Tower, and Taiji Mountain Villa. Over the years, domestic and international tourists have flocked here, earning accolades such as “After returning from Huangshan, no other mountains are worth seeing; after visiting Taiji Cave, no other caves need to be explored,” and “A world wonder of unmatched fame”—truly one of the “Four Wonders of the World.”