三门海洞

Sanmenhai Water Caves

Useful Information

Location:	Poxin, Fengshan County, Guangxi. (24.4109171, 107.0308650)
Open:
Fee:	Adults CNY 80. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Cave River Cave
Light:	Incandescent Coloured Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=40 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Sanmenhai Water Caves, Fengshan, Tunxi District, Huangshan City, 245000, Tel: +86-778-695-8292.
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History

Description

三门海洞 (Sān mén hǎi dòng; Sanmenhai Water Caves, Three Doors To The Sea) is a huge water cave with a calm river with greenish water, which is visited on a 40 minute boat ride. It is also known as (Shuiyuandong, Cave That Produces Water), obviously a reference to the fact that it is the resurgence of Poxin river. The cave is a geosite of the Leye-Fengshan Geopark.

The cave is the underground route of the 赐福河 (Cì fú hé, Cifu River, Blessed River). It is also named 盘阳河 (pányáng hé, Panyang River) and Poxin River. It has a huge passage which is visited by boat. There are numerous collapses, karstfensters which are called 天窗 (Tiānchuāng, Skylight) and numbered. The boats cross the huge almost circular shafts, over noon the sun shines deep into the cave. Skylight 1 has a diameter of 107 m and is 72 m deep, and is the largest one. Skylight 2 is 85 m x 60 m and 19 m deep. Skylight 3 is funnel-shaped, the diameter is 75 m at the top and 43 m at the bottom Then the tour continues in the section of the passage. The tourist part starts at the entrance and ends at Skylight 3. The tours are done by rafts, the visitors get life jackets and sit on two benches. The guide stands upright and propels the raft with a long stake. Tickets are sold at the ticket office of the scenic area, the rafts start at a jetty on the northern side of the river.

In total there are seven skylights, but its necessary to dive for the connection after skylight 3. The further way of the water has not been explored until now, but it is obvious that the nearby 马王洞 (Mawangdong, Horse King Cave) is the next section of this cave system. It has a total length of 7 km and three levels.

It’s also possible to take a hike across the hills, the trail starts on the right side of the cave entrance. There are two cave passages which are crossed, and it’s possible to have a look into the skylights from above. The trail also leads to the spectacular tiankeng, which is one of the entrances of 马王洞 (Mawang Cave). Here is a sort of huge natural bridge inside the even huger entrance portal of the cave, which is quite unique. Between Mawandong and Skylight 5 is Feilongdong through-cave, and there is actually a stone staircase and trails through the cave leading down to the subterranean river. There are signs for different hiking routes and educational signs erected by the Leye-Fengshan Geopark. If you want to see all those different spots, you should plan 2 hours for the hike.