- Sanyou Cave
Sanyou Cave (三游洞) is located 7 kilometers to the northwest of Yichang City. Sanyou is a huge cave on the cliff of the northern peak in Xiling Mountain. It backs on the Three Gorges of Yangtze River and mouth of Xiling Gorge. It is a famous place of interest and important site of protection and preservation. Since Tang and Song Dynasties, many famous Chinese writers and poets visited here Bai Junyi, Yuan Zheng, Ouyang Xiu, Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Che, to name a few. The well-preserved works contain more than a hundred wall inscriptions and stele carvings other than nearly 60 calligraphy works. They are highly worthy of artistic appreciation and historic value. It is also a revolutionary site. Before 1949, the Taoists in the temple near to the Sanyou Cave were the information tellers of Communist Party of China.
- Chinese inscriptions in the cave
The landscape in Sanyou Cave area is quite dangerous and it concaves, but it is mild in winter and cool in summer. The irregular rectangle cave is about 30 meters deep, 23 meters wide and 9 meters high. It was formed through long history of corrosion by underground water. The stony surface of a certain part in the area had later been collapsed. The geological age is from 500 millions to 600 millions years before present. Inside the cave, the rock surfaces are rugged or cracked, with many eye-catching patterns as well as interesting stuff, such as three stalactite columns, which seem with round cross sections but actually, they are not. They divided the spacious cave into front and back areas. The front is big with inscriptions of old poem on the wall and seemingly well illuminated, while the back is deep, cool and having a small passage that goes to outside. There is a rock bell hanging on the ceiling of the back space, you can hear the actual bronze bell sound if hitting by stone. In this location, you will also hear the drumming sound if you drop a rock onto the ground! Very interesting indeed.
Ticket: 48 RMB.
Transportation: Take bus No. 10 at Yichang’s Yuanjiang Avenue (沿江大道) Bus Station or take a mini bus there, you can get directly to Sanyou Cave area.
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