Huangxian Cave 黄仙洞

About Huangxian Cave

The cave faces northwest and runs for more than 2,000 metres; its mouth alone is 100 metres high and 70 metres wide. Inside, solution of the limestone by surface and groundwater over a long geological history has produced a dense range of formations – stone needles and spears, stalactites and stalagmites, columns, curtains and flowstone – coloured red, yellow, white and brown. The Institute of Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the International Show Caves Association identified four features here as of world class: the rimstone pool hall, the calcite film rimstone dams, the eroded rock pinnacle known as the stone general, and the triple arch.

The largest of these is the rimstone pool in the main chamber, which covers 20,000 square metres: a floor of shallow terraced basins divided by low calcite rims. The hill above the cave is called Huangxian Shan, and the gazetteer Dahongshan Zhi records the tradition that it is named for Huang Shigong, who is said to have rested there. The scenic area also holds cliff paintings, stelae and rock inscriptions left by visitors over the centuries.

What to look for

• The rimstone pool hall, a 20,000-square-metre floor of terraced calcite basins
• The calcite film rimstone dams, one of the four features identified as world class
• The eroded limestone pinnacle known as the stone general
• The triple arch formation inside the cave
• The cave mouth itself, 100 metres high and 70 metres wide
• The cliff paintings, stelae and rock inscriptions left in the scenic area

Location & getting there

Getting to Huangxian Cave

Use an authorised visitor route. Cave sections, geological sites and access roads can close independently, so confirm the area that your ticket covers.

• Search for 黄仙洞 with 荆门市 and 钟祥市.