Hundred Gods Cave

　　Hundred Gods Cave is a stepped karst cave. It is located at the foot of Tianshu Mountain on the west bank of the Qianyou River, at an altitude of 740 meters, and the cave entrance is about 1 kilometer from the newly built “Karst Wind Tower” in Miaowan. After crossing the Qianyou River, hike up along a gentle slope and walk 700 meters along a rough path to reach the cave entrance.

　　Hundred Gods Cave faces Buddha Cave and Tian Cave across the river. However, its structure differs from that of Buddha Cave and Tian Cave. Upon entering Hundred Gods Cave, the path does not go uphill or remain level, but rather descends deeper and deeper into the earth, truly mysterious and unfathomable. Outside the cave entrance stand two stone tablets from the Ming and Qing dynasties. One tablet reads: “The water inside the cave flows murmuringly, bottomless. Stalactites form into shapes of dragons and tigers, with scales strikingly lifelike, exuding spiritual presence.” The other tablet states: “Though a thousand miles away from Mount Emei, the two are connected—truly a marvel.” The county annals record: “Hundred Gods Cave has divine water, which often answers prayers for rain. Beside the cave there used to be the Temple of the Eight Deities. In the 13th year of the Guangxu reign, County Magistrate Li Tianzhu rebuilt it as the Jade Emperor Palace.”

　　For travelers visiting the Zhashui karst caves, if you don’t have time to explore East and West Gangu, then you absolutely must not miss Hundred Gods Cave. Failing to experience its profundity, ethereal beauty, and rugged challenge would be a great pity. However, the development plan for Hundred Gods Cave has not yet been implemented. In addition to making the necessary preparations like you would for Wind Cave, visitors must also bring a 50-meter-long sturdy rope.

　　Before the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, the cave housed 100 statues of deities, including the Jade Emperor, the Eight Deities, the Dragon King, the Western Heavenly Buddha, and the South Sea Guanyin, hence the name Hundred Gods Cave. During the Ming Dynasty, the Temple of the Eight Deities was built beside the cave, which was later rebuilt into the Jade Emperor Palace during the Qing Dynasty. Three main halls and three monks' quarters were added at the cave entrance, with one abbot and three monks stationed there. On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, worshippers came in an endless stream, making it a place of flourishing incense and widespread renown.

　　Upon entering the cave entrance, you’ll find a grand hall measuring 50 meters in length and 15 meters in width, with a flat floor that could accommodate thousands of people—it was originally the site where the hundred deity statues were placed. The vastness and grandeur of this cave hall were not crafted by skilled artisans, but formed by nature’s miraculous hand, making it hard to find any man-made hall that can compare. The four walls of the cave hall feature stalactites shaped into dragons, tigers, and various beasts, with incredibly lifelike scales seemingly ready to leap. Wisps of mist drift through the hall. Facing this naturally wondrous space, one feels both familiarity and strangeness; it is not only picturesque like poetry, but also dreamlike. Visitors immersed in this space feel as though they’ve entered a fairyland.