Peach Maiden's Labyrinth

　　Peach Maiden's Labyrinth is situated on Dongya Mountain in Dushan Town, Guangde County, Anhui Province. Dongya Mountain features beautiful landscapes, clear waters, and dense greenery. On the mountain, you can find impressive sites such as the Lingxiu Pagoda, Dressing Pavilion, and Immortal Gathering Pavilion. Also known as Dongya Cave, Peach Maiden's Labyrinth includes attractions like Peach Maiden Greets Guests, Flowing Cloud Waterfall, Peach Pond Moonlight, Cave Mountain Pagoda Reflection, Immortal Gathering Painting, Auspicious Grass Sunset Glow, Mysterious Gate and Secluded Gorge, Peach of Fortune and Longevity, Cable Bridge Bird’s-Eye View, Ink Legacy of the Song Dynasty, Ten Thousand Buddhas Facing Heaven, and Gateway to the Heavens. The karst cave covers an area of 80,000 square meters, with an 1,800-meter-long touring route inside. The cave is filled with bizarre rocks, deep and mysterious passages, combining ancient charm, spirituality, beauty, and peculiarity into one, resembling a fantastical illusionary realm that captivates visitors. Walking beneath the cave feels refreshingly cool, and you must tread carefully as the peculiar rocks and stones can easily be brushed against.

　　Peach Maiden's Labyrinth has a long history, attracting countless literati and poets since the Han and Tang dynasties. Su Shi and Yue Fei left stone inscriptions here. When the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, stayed in Guangde, he praised the place as “the most spiritually exquisite under heaven.”

　　The beauty of Peach Maiden's Labyrinth lies in its natural charm, featuring four wonders: flowing clouds, peculiar rocks, mysterious gates, and secluded gorges. These elements create a unique natural landscape full of a magical aura.

　　Outside the cave, a captivating ink landscape painting of southern Anhui unfolds. In the sunny April spring, the mountains and slopes are covered with bright peach blossoms. When the spring breeze blows, their fragrance drifts for miles. The striking red blossoms are dazzlingly beautiful. Beside the mountain, emerald bamboo encircles the area, while in front of the cave lies a serene lake with gentle ripples. In the middle of the lake stands a small island holding a delicate statue of the Peach Maiden, both lifelike and spiritually expressive. The cave entrance features an archway-style gate with the prominent characters “Peach Maiden's Labyrinth,” which catch the eye and stand in distant harmony with the Immortal Peach. Nearby, a 500-meter-long visitor street bustles with traffic, laughter, and the chatter of people.

　　Stepping through the gate and entering the labyrinth, you’ll be greeted by delightful and breathtaking sights. The “Flowing Cloud Gorge” appears to be built from tens of thousands of Taihu rocks, with a waterfall cascading from the top of the gorge, about thirty feet high, splashing into the Emerald Pool. Flowing clouds drift in through the cracks in the rocks like soft silk, giving visitors the sensation of entering a fairyland. Entering the “Flying Sky Gorge” feels like ascending a high mountain and then descending into a deep valley. About a hundred meters long, the gorge walls are steep and sheer, with a gap of less than a meter and a depth of over 30 meters. Having such a spectacular gorge within an underground cave is truly a marvel among karst caves.

　　Upon entering Peach Maiden Pavilion, looking up at the “Heavenly Gate” stirs the imagination and sparks interest. To the left stands a uniquely shaped large rock slab, resembling the Peach Maiden getting dressed. The pavilion walls feature a Hundred Longevity Painting and a Myriad Blessings Plaque. Inside the pavilion, there is a massive “Immortal Peach Stone” with a distinctive form. Beside the peach sits a statue of the Peach Maiden, holding a tray of immortal peaches, stepping on auspicious clouds, and looking upwards as if ascending to the heavens. Looking upward, at the pavilion roof dozens of meters high, there is a round opening where the blue sky and white clouds are visible—an absolutely marvelous sight... The key difference between Peach Maiden's Labyrinth and other caves is the scarcity of stalactites inside. Nearly all the formations are exquisitely shaped Taihu rocks, truly masterpieces of nature, making it an artistic palace of underground Taihu stones. It’s a rare underground wonder. The cave has numerous winding paths crisscrossing up and down, left and right, twisting and turning. Without closely following a guide, you might very well enter but not find your way out.

　　The first phase of Peach Maiden's Labyrinth includes 16 palace chambers, 24 gorges, 53 gates, and a scenic area spanning 310,000 square meters. The various winding paths stretch out to a total length of 5 kilometers. Peach Maiden's Labyrinth is truly a labyrinth in the fullest sense. What’s even more commendable is its “ancient” heritage—Guangde County records document that since the Han and Tang dynasties, especially during the Song and Ming periods, both commoners and celebrities visited here. Numerous historical inscriptions and carvings remain both inside and outside the cave.

　　According to written records, this place was originally called “Dongya Cave” or “Fengjia Cave.” When the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, led his army to station in Guangde, he visited here out of admiration and praised it as “the most spiritually exquisite in the southeast.” National hero Yue Fei, after achieving six successive victories against the Jin army in the Battle of Niutou Mountain just 2 kilometers away, once rested here, dismounted, entered the cave for sightseeing, and was inspired to write the four characters “Scenic Wonder of the South.” After the Qing Dynasty, the site was buried underground and became little known. Now, the newly renovated Peach Maiden's Labyrinth is especially renowned for its “Grand Canyon Within the Cave,” offering a refreshing and unforgettable experience that keeps visitors enthralled.