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Wang Yuan: Cave diving is like "blue opium" that makes you addicted to the primal darkness.

Published: 2026-11-08 👁 102 views
Last updated 2026-11-08 — Exploration and discovery are among the most marvelous experiences in the world, just as humans have aspired to fly since ancient times. Cave diving fulfills the desire to explore—every dive might take you to places no human has ever reached. — Photo provided by Wang Yuan, founder of WUD, China’s technical diving organization...

A world belonging to only one in ten million.

Compared to the increasingly mainstream form of scuba diving,"cave diving"can be considered an upgraded version of extreme sports. Whether in terms of difficulty or equipment, it takes things further and is no longer a field accessible to the general public. Among the 7 billion people on Earth, only a very small and rare group qualify to enter this silent and dark world.


Cave diving is about appreciating and protecting caves.

“When you stand before caves formed millions or even more years ago, human life seems but a blink. We cave dive not to conquer the caves, but to appreciate and protect them.”

Adding a Chinese coordinate to the world’s cave records.

In late May this year, they just completed the first exploration of Green Grotto Pool in 2017.Green Grotto Pool is located in Yanqian Village, Meizhou, Guangdong. The surface area is over 100 square meters, surrounded by bizarrely shaped rocks. The space inside is vast. The water temperature fluctuates slightly, with two layers underwater—the upper layer is slightly warmer, while the bottom is colder, around 20°C.

Mapping Green Grotto Pool is challenging due to its massive passages and depth of over 50 meters, making it far more difficult than surveying many shallow-water stalactite caves abroad. Typically, gathering data from each mapping station may require multiple dives by several people. Every step forward embodies the effort and dedication of China’s cave divers.

Photo provided by Wang Yuan

Possessing a heart forever hungry for the unknown.

You never know what might happen in the deep darkness—cave ceiling collapses, oxygen tanks getting stuck, guide ropes going missing… Any tiny mishap could lead to unimaginable consequences. Exceptional personal skills, good teamwork, clear diving awareness, and the right diving gear are all essential preparations for every diver.

When I contacted Wang Yuan, he was still in Guangxi, having just completed mapping at Lingwan Lake in June and preparing to explore other caves. He said: The world is so big—you mustpossess a heart forever hungry for the unknown. Your life may not be extended, but it will continue to brim with passion.

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