Xiaozhai Tiankeng 小寨天坑

About Xiaozhai Tiankeng

Its steep walls enclose a vegetated floor, with red, yellow and dark bands visible in the rock. From the rim, the change from cultivated upland to deep enclosed landscape is the main spectacle. A long stair route descends into the pit, but the full descent is a separate physical undertaking; confirm the current open sections before committing to it.

The Xiaozhai Tiankeng is considered the world's deepest sinkhole, with vertical walls 626 meters long, 537 meters wide and between 511 and 662 meters deep. It has a doubly nested structure, an upper bowl about 320 meters deep and a lower bowl about 342 meters deep, separated by a sloping ledge formed where soil became trapped in the limestone; each bowl averages 257 to 268 meters across. A waterfall appears at its mouth in the rainy season.

The sinkhole formed above the Difeng Cave, which was carved out by an underground river that still flows beneath it. The river rises in the Tianjing Fissure Gorge (天井峡地缝), reaches a 46-meter waterfall above the Migong River, and drops 364 meters over a course of about 8.5 kilometers. Its median flow is 8.77 cubic meters per second, reaching up to 174 cubic meters per second; the river and cave were mapped by the China Caves Project in 1994.

The Tiankeng-Difeng Scenic Area (天坑地缝景区) in Xinglong Town, Fengjie County, comprises both Xiaozhai Tiankeng and the Tianjing Fissure Gorge. The sinkhole has been known to local people since ancient times; it takes its name from Xiaozhai, a now-abandoned nearby village. More than 1,285 plant species, including the ginkgo, have been recorded there, along with rare animals such as the clouded leopard and Chinese giant salamander.

What to look for

• The enclosing limestone walls show contrasting coloured rock bands.
• Vegetation on the floor contrasts with the near-vertical sides of the sinkhole.

Location & getting there

Getting to Xiaozhai Tiankeng

Arrange a road arrival at the Xiaozhai Tiankeng scenic entrance in Xiaozhai Village, Xinglong Town, Fengjie. Check the current permitted route with the operator before beginning any descent.