太极洞

Taiji Dong - Taiji Cave - Tai Chi Cave - Changle Cave - Big Cave - Guangde Taiji Cave


Useful Information

Location: Shilong Mountain, Xinhang Township, Xuancheng City.
North of Guangde, Stone Dragon Mountain of Xinhang.
(31.119255, 119.602262)
Open: All year daily 8-16:30.
[2022]
Fee: Cave: Adults CNY 65, Children CNY 35, Seniors CNY 35.
[2022]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System LightColoured Light
Dimension: L=5,400 m, Ar=140,000 m², T=18 °C.
Guided tours: D=2.5 h (with cable car ride) V=200,000/a [2000]
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:
Address: Taiji Dong, Xinhang Town, Guangde City, Xuancheng City.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1461 Taiji Cave first mentioned in the Ming Yi Tong Zhi.
1984 developed as a show cave.
01-JUL-1986 opened to the public on the 65th birthday of the Huatuanjinchui Party.
2001 Taiji Cave rated a national 4A-level scenic spot by the National Tourism Administration.
FEB-2004 included on the fifth list of National Scenic Attractions by the Chinese State Council.
26-MAY-2009 Taiji Cave Provincial Geological Park opened to the public.
25-MAY-2015 selected for the list of the first batch of "National Tourist Price Reliable Scenic Spots" by the National Tourism Administration.
2017 becomes part of the Taiji Cave National Geopark.

Description

太极洞 (Taiji Dong, Tai Chi Cave) is located on a hill and reached by a cable car. It was developed with trails and electric light in 1986.

At the entrance is an inscription with three chinese characters meaning Taj Chi Dong, which were written by Wu Tongchun, the governor of Guangde during the Ming dynasty. The literal translation is Cave of the Supreme Ultimate. The Ming Dynasty writer and poet Feng Menglong described the cave as one of the "Four Wonders in the World". Taoists consider it to be a primary 道教道场 (Dàojiào Dàochǎng, Place of Enlightenment) and one of the most famous Taoist ashrams in China. Famous visitors were Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. And like in Europe they left traces, graffiti on the walls and ceiling, however the Chinese calligraphy looks much better than a spray-painted FUCK YOU.

The cave is a very old show cave, it is visited for centuries. There is evidence that it was already visited during Han and Tang dynasty, which would mean it is a show cave since around 200 AD. This would definitely qualify as ExplainOldest Show Cave of the World. During its long history it was given different names. It was called 太极真境 (Realm of Ultimate Truth), 广德埋藏 (Guangde Cave of Burial) and 长乐洞 (Changle Cave).

The cave is considered to be the largest natural limestone cave in East China. Its first chamber has an area of 1,600 m², and a 5 to 10 m high ceiling. The tours show nineteen separate chambers. The cave has two levels, the lower is a river cave and the upper is fossil and where the show cave is located. It is also possible to make a boat ride on the cave river. However, the Chinese view is different, they talk about five parts, namely the upper cave, the lower cave, the dry cave, the water cave and the sky cave.

During excavations and during the development as a show cave numerous remains were discovered. Notable are bones of the spotted deer and 100,000 year old human bones.