紫云格凸河风景名胜区

Getu River Caves


Useful Information

Location: Getu River Scenic Spot, Ziyun, Anshun, Guizhou
(25.687108, 106.267420)
Open: All year daily 9-18.
Last entry 16:30.
[2021]
Fee:
Classification: SpeleologyKarst Cave GeologyNatural Bridge
Light: LightIncandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours: D=4 h, St=2,000, VR=226 m, self guided.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:
Address: Getu River Caves, Xixiu, Anshun, Guizhou, Tel: +86-851-38180888.
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

2003 Getu River connected to China’s road network.
2007 visited by the French alpinist Olivier Balma who made it known as a climbing location.
2011 climbing event organized by Petzl.

Description

紫云格凸河风景名胜区 (Ziyun Getu River Scenic Spot) includes Dachuan Cave, Tianxing Cave, Chuanshang Cave and Central Cave Miao Village. The word "Getu" is Miao, meaning "holy land".

The 大穿洞 (Dà chuān dòng, Dachuandong, Great Arch) is also known as 燕子洞 (Yànzǐ dòng, Swallow Cave), as it is home to tens of thousands of swallows, during sunrise and sunset, swallows fly at the portal of the cave. This portal is quite spectacular, 116 m high and 25 m wide, and the cave passage behind is up to 200 m high. In front of the portal is a 270 m long lake, which is artificially dammed inside the cave. In other words, the river flows into the cave entrance and through this river cave. The trail enters the cave on the right side and continues as an elevated trail along the wall, between 10 m and 40 m above the river. Highlight of this tour is a 30-minute rock-climbing show done by Miao people on the wall of the Swallow Cave. At the end of the passage is a huge skylight or karstfenster, with a steep slope of debris, mostly huge block. The end of this river cave and through cave is the resurgence of the river about 3 km to the east, but this part of the cave is not developed. The trail crosses the river on the swallow bridge, which is a little rickety, and winds up the steep slope. The visitors leave the main passage on long staircases upwards.

A series of long staircases leads up across the house sized boulders. From the end of the slope the visitors take the glass lift to the tropical forest in the so-called Blind Valley. This huge valley is about 1 km long, 200 m wide, and surrounded by 370 m high vertical cliffs with speleothems. It is not a valley, it is a tiankeng, a huge doline, nevertheless, the huge doline is called Tongtian Cave

穿上洞 (Chuān shàng dòng, Chuangshang Cave), also known as Shuiyanba Dong, is the ruin of a higher level cave. It is mostly collapsed and eroded, only a huge natural bridge with an 137 m long, 70 m wide and 50 m high opening remains. Rare species of small shrubs and vines grows inside the passage. The floor of this natural bridge is 226 m higher than the Getu River below, in other words the tour though this cave requires climbing 226 m up and back down. Another series of stone staircases from the western portal leads back down to the river, which is reached on the northern side.

Here a 3.5 km long boat ride on Getu River starts, which takes the visitors to Dahe Miao Ethnic Village where they can admire Miao dancing and singing and enjoy local food. On both banks along the Getu River 15 tribes of Miao people with different languages, dresses and customs live together. The cliffs along both sides of the Getu River are home to the hanging coffins of the Miao people. During the boat ride, numerous hanging coffins on the cliff face can be seen. After the boat ride back to the jetty on the southern side of the river, a shuttle bus brings the visitors back to the staring point at the ticket office.

This show cave tour is self-guided, which is a good thing as you may choose your own speed to climb up and down. There is no time given for the tour, but a sightseeing time of 3 to 4 hours is recommended. We suggest planning at least 4 hours, if you want to see the caves, the climbing show and the Miao village. The scenic spot is classified 4A, but despite this high classification, which is well deserved, it is not very well visited, which allows a calm visit without crowds of people. The reason is simply that the site is quite remote, off the beaten track. The karst, the caves, and the landscape are quite spectacular.