The Miao people are one of the oldest among China’s 56 ethnic groups, and millennia of history have endowed this group with a unique and rich culture. Due to historical reasons, Miao culture often appears solemn and mysterious to outsiders. The practice of cave burials remains an ambiguous mystery in the eyes of folklorists and historians to this day. The Miao originally lived in the fertile and developed Yellow River basin, but after their ancestor, the Yan Emperor (Shennong), was defeated in war, they were forced to migrate to the dense forests of Guizhou’s mountains. With its many karst caves, Guizhou—home to one of China’s most ancient ethnic groups—boasts a Miao culture that is both profound and distinctive.
Inside the cave lie the ancestors of the Wu clan of the Miao people from the village below. Every Qingming Festival, they come here to pay tribute to their forebears. Guided by torchlight as you venture inside, the spacious cave is filled with uniquely shaped stalactites. On the right side of the cave’s center lies a natural small cave, which once served as a temporary reception hall where the Miao king met guests while evading enemies. Within that small cave is yet another tiny cave, which functioned as the Miao king’s bedroom. Walking straight in about 100 meters from the entrance, you’ll find a man-made defensive wall, locally called Yingpan, used to repel enemy attacks. Whenever invaders harassed the area, the Wu clan from the village below would bring all their belongings and take refuge up here.
