罗妹莲花洞

Luō mèi liánhuā dòng - Luomei Lotus Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Off Leya Highway, Leye County, Baise City. (24.774948, 106.548356)
Open:	All year daily 8-17. [2021]
Fee:	Adults CNY 60. [2021]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Electric Light Coloured Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	A=970 m asl, L=456 m, VR=17 m, W=10-50 m, H=1.5-20 m, Ar=20,000 m².
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Ged Campion (2001): The YRC Guangxi Caves 2000 Expedition, 2001 66 pp, numerous photos, surveys etc. [pub as] The Yorkshire Ramblers Club Bulletin No 15. SB Describes 17 km of cave passage, surveyed in 3 weeks. The cave is written "Lao Mei". pdf
Address:	Luō mèi liánhuā dòng, 206 Provincial Rd, Leye County, Baise, Guangxi, Tel: +86-776-792-7749.
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

1978	cave discovered.

Description

罗妹莲花洞 (Luō mèi liánhuā dòng, Luomei Lotus Cave) is one of dozens Lotus Caves in China. This one is located in Leye Luomei und is named after its 296 spectacular lotus basins. These are pools with islands, which are covered by calcite crystals. The islands are often formed as rimstone dams. The calcite grows mostly at the surface of the water forming huge petals which actually resemble lotus flowers. The largest lotus basin has a diameter of 9.4 m, is called the king of lotus basins and said to be the largest in the world. There are numerous varieties, some pots are overlapped, there are pots in the pots, and the pots have pillars or stalagmites in the center. It is said to be the largest group of lotus basins in the world.

The cave has two levels, the upper is fossil and has numerous spectacular speleothems. Beneath stalactites and stalagmites there are flowstones resembling waterfalls and shawls. The lower level is a river cave and the place of the namesake lotus basins. The passages are huge, between 10 m and 50 m wide, and between 1.5 m and 20 m high.

The entrance is above the point where a large river disappears into the hillside. It overlooks the town of Leye. The cave is almost horizontal and is gated, both at the entrance and at the end of the show cave section. A characteristic feature of this cave is the lotus formation a distinctive concretion which appears as islands in large shallow pools. The cave consists of one passage which is 2 - 3 m wide for its whole length.

Text by Tony Oldham (2002). With kind permission.