Prince's Scenic Area

　　The Prince's Scenic Area is located within the Shimen Cave scenic zone and is the second section of the Shimen Cave area. It is a low mountainous region with an average elevation of 700 meters, featuring rock types of rhyolitic volcanic tuff. It extends east to Lishanwei, south to the hills behind Dongbei Village, west to the road between Shimen Cave and Shigu Lake, and north to Jihou Village, covering an area of about 1 square kilometer with a north-south orientation.

　　The explorable area stretches 2,000 meters in depth, with the main peak, Daoshi Crown, reaching an elevation of 809.2 meters. The valley depth is approximately 500 meters, and the mountain slopes range between 50 to 90 degrees. Key attractions include 26 sites such as Prince’s Summit, Daoshi Crown, Toutian Cave, Sacred Water Cave, and Lishanwei Waterfall.

　　Daoshi Crown is situated on the southern side of Prince’s Summit, atop the mountain peak, where a towering massive rock rises over 800 meters above sea level and resembles a Taoist priest’s hat when viewed from afar.

　　Prince’s Summit lies to the north of Daoshi Crown, at the top of another peak, with a flat summit area of 2,000 square meters, as if sliced by a knife, surrounded by steep cliffs. From a distance, it looks like a bear. Legend has it that Liu Bowen, the Ming Dynasty’s imperial scholar, once lived in seclusion here. The emperor’s son, Zhu, visited the mountain to see his teacher Liu Bowen, and later generations named the mountain “Prince Mountain,” with its summit called “Prince’s Summit.”

　　Toutian Cave is located on the eastern side of the cliff at the top of Daoshi Crown. The cave was formed by vertical rock fractures and fault collapses. The main chamber is over 20 meters long, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, measuring 3–47 meters wide at the top and 0.3–1.5 meters at the bottom. The uniqueness of the cave lies in its three interconnected chambers—horizontal and vertical—all linked in a series, with caves within caves, outer caves, nested passages, and every cave allowing a glimpse of daylight (“a thread of blue sky visible in each”), hence the name “Toutian” (Sky-Reaching), and it is one of the six marvels of the scenic area.

　　Lishanwei Waterfall is located near the Lishanwei forest area. The waterfall is about 10 meters wide with a drop of around 30 meters, and is surrounded by farmhouses and ancient trees, giving off a rustic countryside vibe.

　　Sacred Water Cave is situated at the foot of the northern side of Daoshi Crown. It was formed when the cliff collapsed due to prolonged water erosion. Inside the cave is a pool about 4 square meters in size. The clear dewdrops dripping from the cave walls and ceiling gather in the pool, forming what is known as “Sacred Water,” which flows year-round without drying up.

　　The South Sea Two Youths are located on the northern side of Prince’s Summit. These two peaks rise from the ground, each about 100 meters high and 3 meters in diameter. When shrouded in mist, they strikingly resemble two of Guanyin’s attendants holding hands and riding the clouds back to the South Sea.

　　The Prince's Scenic Area features undulating mountains, winding ridges, lush forests, and a forest coverage rate of over 90%. With relatively high average elevations, fresh air, abundant sunlight, and water sources mainly consisting of clean, sweet-tasting drips from cliffs and crevices, the area boasts excellent ecology. It is a great destination for hiking, fitness, and exploring scenic wonders, especially for viewing the mountain’s misty landscapes—a rare “immortal” scene.

　　To the northeast of the Prince's Scenic Area lies the first section of Shimen Cave—the Shimen Waterfall.