Qingxu Cave

　　Qingxu Cave, originally named Chuandong, also known as Dacave or Qianxu Cave, is located south of Dafang County in Longgong, Yangchang Town, about 10 kilometers from the county seat and 1.5 kilometers from the Qingbi Highway. The cave consists of several sandbars and lawns, covering an area of approximately 5,000 square meters. Its entrance connects to the Longgong farmland, through which a stream runs, creating an open area of over 10,000 square meters both inside and outside the cave. In the 32nd year of the Kangxi reign (1693), Liu Yuquan, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations from Dading and styled Yuanguang,

　　wrote the following poem:

　　An ancient cave lies hidden west of the town,

　　Its wonders hard to describe or define.

　　It draws visitors who grow weary not,

　　Through winding paths both deep and wide.

　　A lofty spot reveals another sky,

　　Reached by winding stairs ascending high.

　　Lush blooms thrive before the cave’s wide gate,

　　Arranged stones stand like a screen so great.

　　A refreshing breeze invades the heart,

　　And worldly thoughts are cast apart.

　　Qingxu Cave is a massive karst cave, featuring karst landscapes composed of a natural bridge, skylight cave, and cavern. In 1998, a joint survey team from the US Cave Research Foundation and the Geography Department of Guizhou Normal University conducted on-site measurements of the cave. The natural bridge stands 178.25 meters high, with a span height of 105.25 meters, a maximum arch span of 127.35 meters, and a minimum of 77.69 meters. The bridge itself is 400 meters long and 200 meters wide.

　　According to available data on similar caves worldwide, this cave is larger than the previously reported Guizhou Liping Gaotun Natural Bridge, which had allegedly surpassed the Guinness World Record. In 1966, experts measured the Gaotun Natural Bridge at a height of 78.5 meters, a maximum arch span of 118.92 meters, a minimum of 88.5 meters, a bridge length of 350 meters, and a maximum width of 138 meters. Compared to the US Utah Natural Bridge, the Guizhou Liping Gaotun Natural Bridge, and Qingxu Cave’s Natural Bridge, the former appear much smaller. In 2001, Qingxu Cave’s Natural Bridge applied for recognition as the world’s largest by the Shanghai branch of the Guinness World Records, and the application was accepted.

　　Qingxu Cave Natural Bridge, Dafang

　　In the 6th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1826), Dading City fell, banditry ran rampant, and soldiers and robbers looted in all directions, bringing immense suffering to the people. The area around Jiuliqing (now Huanghe Village in Chuanyan Village) was particularly plagued by bandits, affecting nearby regions. At that time, the residents of Longgongba and Xinzhai, under the jurisdiction of Yuefuli Yijia, pooled funds to build a fortified camp at the highest point inside the cave, complete with a courtyard and gate, to take refuge from bandits—a practice that lasted for a century. The couplet on the camp gate read: “Neighbors gather in small groups, perched upon the rock, living independently with pride.”

　　In the 3rd year of the Republic of China (1915), a resident monk (name unknown) led over ten monks to construct a wooden Buddhist temple on the right side of the cave entrance. The structure featured wooden pillars, board walls, and a tiled roof, and was dedicated to Guanyin. The name “Qingxu Cave” was derived from the words “Qingxu” (meaning “pure and void”) in the title “Qingxu Daode Zhenjun” (Pure Void Taoist Deity).