In the golden autumn of October, with the Danxia landscape glowing under the sun, Zhijindong Cave World Geopark was bustling with visitors, and geological tourism has become highly favored among tourists. During the “National Day” Golden Week, Zhijindong Cave received 390,000 visitors, generating a total tourism revenue of 83 million yuan; among them, 78,000 people entered the cave, bringing in 8.18 million yuan in ticket sales, showing year-on-year increases of 96% and 108% respectively, both setting new historical records.
Tourist Visits Double Year-on-Year, Boosting Surrounding Economic Development
Reporters observed batches of tourists from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, as well as within Guizhou Province, all marveling at the magnificent underground world—Zhijindong Cave—and repeatedly praising and being awed by its uniquely wonderful landscapes. As they walked through the caves, visitors admired the diverse cave wonders while listening to the fascinating stories of the Earth, marveling at the wonder and beauty of nature.
“Wow, so big, so beautiful, so well-formed—there are so many huge halls with super high ceilings, and there aren’t too many colorful artificial lights or decorations. It definitely breaks my previous impression of caves. No wonder even UNESCO experts were impressed.” Ms. Wang from Chongqing praised while taking photos and recording videos, flooding her social media feeds.
According to He Zhengfang, Director of the Zhijindong Cave Administration, around 11 a.m. each day, the site would be packed with cars and visitors. Compared to last year’s Golden Week, the number of visitors doubled. To meet the severe challenge brought by the tourist “surge,” the Zhijindong Cave Administration prepared in advance, deploying significant additional manpower and resources to ensure “safety, order, quality, and benefits,” providing strong support for visitors to fully enjoy the journey through the colorful geological wonders of Guizhou.
Due to the increased number of visitors, the length of stay in Zhijindong County extended from one day in previous years to two or three days, noticeably prolonging tourist duration and resulting in a shortage of nearby accommodation. When visitor numbers surged, the scenic area implemented timed ticket sales, using local traffic broadcasts as well as official Weibo and WeChat platforms to provide real-time updates on Zhijindong Cave tourism conditions. Consultation service points were also set up on major traffic arteries leading to the scenic area, advising tourists who intended to visit Zhijindong Cave or those who couldn’t get tickets to choose alternative nearby attractions such as Zhijindong Grand Canyon, the Baili Gallery of the Wujiang River Source, and Zhijindong Ancient City. This not only alleviated the pressure on Zhijindong Cave’s visitor capacity but also stimulated the surrounding tourism economy.
Building a World-Class Brand: Geological Tourism Enriches Colorful Guizhou
This year’s “National Day” marked the first Golden Week since Zhijindong Cave was awarded the title of World Geopark, and the rapid growth in tourist numbers heralded a new chapter in geological tourism at Zhijindong Cave. “But this is just the beginning,” said He Zhengfang. Zhijindong Cave strictly follows the principle of developing while protecting and protecting while developing, making full use of its unique and irreplaceable resources. “We aim to create geological tourism that enriches Colorful Guizhou; through the global platform of UNESCO, we seek to connect Zhijindong Cave in Guizhou with the world tourism brand network, ultimately making it an effective vehicle for Guizhou tourism to reach the world.”
Zhijindong Cave is already a World Geopark, but its current service and management standards have yet to reach world-class levels. In the future, the focus of work at Zhijindong Cave will revolve around enhancing its supporting facilities and service level in line with its world-class brand.
Regarding the next steps, Zhijindong Cave will also focus on the three main themes of the World Geopark. First, while sparing no effort to strengthen the protection of the geopark, it will further enhance publicity and education for tourists, reinforcing their awareness of protection, continuously improving visitor quality, and fully advancing geopark conservation. Second, it will strengthen public science education efforts, helping the public better understand and recognize Zhijindong Cave World Geopark, thereby raising their awareness of protecting geological heritage. Third, it will adopt promotional and marketing measures to vigorously boost local industrial development.
A Four-Seasons Destination: Launching Preferential Policies
A masterpiece of nature and a testament to time, Guizhou Zhijindong Cave World Geopark, with its rich karst geological phenomena, records the dramatic changes of the Guizhou Plateau. According to geological experts, this cave gradually formed from an ancient ocean floor to a kilometer-deep carbonate rock stratum, influenced by the Yanshan Movement and the Himalayan orogeny 250 million years ago. The cave air contains high levels of carbon dioxide, with a constant temperature of 19 degrees Celsius year-round, giving it medicinal health benefits and making it a four-seasons travel destination.
To this end, leveraging its locational advantages formed by major transportation links—its close connection with Guiyang as a tourist source hub and with key surrounding scenic areas—Zhijindong Cave has launched four-season tour routes and products, with year-round direct bus services from Guiyang to the Zhijindong Cave Scenic Area, making it more convenient for tourists to reach the site. Additionally, after the National Day holiday, preferential policies will continue to be offered.
From October 8 to the Double Ninth Festival, a science-themed tour titled “Building a World Geopark · Promoting the Protection of Geological Heritage” offers a “Great Benefits for Seniors” promotion. All seniors aged 60 and above can enter Zhijindong Cave and Zhijindong Grand Canyon free of charge upon presenting a valid ID or household registration document. In addition, Zhijindong Cave plans to offer a series of preferential policies for the general public, such as half-price entry from Monday to Friday.