Guiyang Immortal Cave

　　    Guiyang Immortal Cave is situated on the mountain between Xianrendong Road (formerly known as Xianfeng Road) and Shuikousi Road in Guiyang (this mountain is also called Tonggu Mountain, famed for the legend of a bronze drum and considered one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Guiyang during the Ming Dynasty). It is a renowned Taoist site in Guiyang and is now a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit. Some historical records state that the cave was where Zhuge Liang’s generals hid a bronze drum during their southern campaign, hence the name Tonggu (Bronze Drum) Cave.

　　    The cave has good ventilation and strong air circulation, creating a humming sound near the entrance. Folklore mistakenly attributes this sound to a bronze drum, giving rise to the tale that Zhuge Liang’s generals had hidden a bronze drum here. In the third year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1508), when Wang Yangming was exiled to Longchang Post (now Xiuwen) in Guizhou, he was invited to give lectures at the Guiyang Academy. He visited this cave and composed a poem titled “Coming to the Immortal Cave.” The poem reads: “An ancient cave cold, few visitors tread / Green moss on wild paths, grass lush overhead / Scrolls hang from cliffs, monks' verses stay / Flowers bloom among vines, draping Buddha's array / Far from the gully, youths and elders gather near / With a cane, official ambition seems unclear / The stone gate locks the crane of Yangming, far / Mocking the mountain dwellers who’ve stayed too long afar.” Wang Yangming’s poem helped spread the fame of “Immortal Cave” across China. During the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1662–1722), the cave became a Taoist temple.

　　    The Immortal Cave complex consists of three caves: the main Immortal Cave is in the mountainside, the Immortal Lamp Cave is at the mountaintop, and the Eight Immortals Cave is above the Immortal Lamp Cave. Inside, there are statues of the Eight Immortals such as Zhang Guolao and Lü Dongbin. Legend has it that the Eight Immortals played chess inside the cave while, down in the Nanming River at the foot of the mountain, a giant rock battled with a giant turtle. One of the immortals, Lü Dongbin, threw a chess piece down, causing the turtle to flee and the boulder to crack into the shape of a boat — commonly referred to as the “Boat Stone.” The Boat Stone is located by the Nanming River near Shuikousi Primary School. It is a naturally boat-shaped huge rock that stands above the water surface and is considered another scenic highlight near the Immortal Cave. The Boat Stone still exists today, “as if a wild boat anchored quietly.”

　　    Transportation

　　    Take bus No. 15, 34, 54, 305, or 306 and get off at the Shuikousi Bridge Station

　　    Admission Fee

　　    2 RMB per person

　　    Location

　　    No. 8, Xianrendong Road, Nanming District, Guiyang