Reed Flute Cave

 

Reed Flute Cave is a cave-based scenic spot located in the northwest suburb of Guilin, Guangxi, China, 5 km from the Guilin city center. It is about 240 meters (787ft) deep and 500 meters (1640ft) long. The cave has a great number of various exquisite stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars and stone curtain, which have been forming since 180 million years ago. So it is also known as "the Palace of Natural Art".

Reed Flute Cave open at 9:00am-5:00pm, Tickets: CNY 90

Walking into Reed Flute Cave, you will be amazed at how radiant the dewy stalagmites look like. The rainbow lights and dazzling array of massive natural formations compose a dreamy wonderland. The underground lake peacefully flows along the cave, with the reflection of the cave veiling on the river and flowing quietly with the stream, which makes the beauty even more vivid and dynamic. The interior of Reed Flute Cave is a sight that can not be recreated anywhere else on earth and these distinctive formations have names that match their appearance, and some are said to resemble mythological creatures or modern structures like the Statue of Liberty.

While stepping out of the cave, you will find the abundant reeds that grow and thrive outside the mysterious cave, which can be used to make flutes, and that is how the cave was named. Just close your eyes and imagine yourself standing in the mist of the reeds and get refreshed, breathing the fresh air and catching the gentle whistling of the flute. Outside the cave, it's a perfect tranquil hermitage where China's "Thoreau" may live.

Despite the nature’s art masterpieces, there are 77 ink inscriptions of poems and travelogues inside the cave, which indicates its popularity during ancient time, and the oldest one can be dated back as far as the Tang Dynasty (792AD) . However, it is widely believed that the cave sat empty and untouched for a thousand years, before its rediscovery in 1940's by a group of refugees, fleeting Japanese Troops. 20 years later, the cave was formally opened to the public (1962). Since then it has become an extraordinary popular tourist attraction with people from all over the world. Even the former Chinese government leader Deng Xiaoping, former US presidents Nixon and Carter, and former UN Secretary-General De Quillar have visited the cave.

There are various stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars, stone flags which have been forming since 180 million years ago. They were shaped by nature either grotesquely or vividly. These "peaks", "tree trunks" and "animals" are stalactites formed by the consistent dripping water from the top of the cave. The water containing calcium ions drips down from the cracks and crystallizes into stalactites suspending at the top of the cave over millions of years. Water drops onto the ground to form stalagmites that grow from the bottom to the top gradually forms a stone pillar. There is an old saying in China that says "the consistent water can drop through the stone". In Reed Flute Cave, on the contrary, the consistent water forms a stone. As long as there is water dropping, stalactites will keep growing.

Featuring a fascinating collection of stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations created by carbonate deposition, many of the formations in the cave have been compared to recognizable shapes of mythological creatures and natural images. For instance, there is a formation that looks like the Statue of Liberty and each rock has been give a poetic name by the local Chinese people.

Asian Destinations Readers can see various Rock in Reed Flute Cave

Lion Rock and Sunrise

The various stalactites are fully used for nature's metaphor: tall peaks, dense forests, and gigantic tree trunks. Every time the sun rises, there are groups of "lions" dancing heartily in the forest in front of the rising sun, making the whole forest full of vigor and vitality. Here is a big "lion" among them. It is watching over a group of little "lions" playing on the side of the mountain.

Crystal Palace

It is the widest place of Reed Flute Cave, 93 meters (305ft) wide and 18 meters (59ft) high. A huge "Crystal Palace lamp" hangs on the upper left of the hall. It paints the hall with a magical color, like the Dragon King's Crystal Palace in the Chinese myth. Walking into this hall, it is very flat, empty, and not crowded with stalactites. The flat surface, and the top rock is relatively complete, with less fissures.

Pines in the Snow

It consists of two unique stalagmites. One is like a snowman. The other is like a pine tree with thick layers of snow on its branches and leaves, standing in the forest. As a Chinese saying goes, "Pines turn greener after snow", and the snowy pine tree shows its tough and hardy characters which Chinese people always admire. The "snow" here is made up of calcite crystals.

Sky-Scraping Twin

You will enjoy the magnificent panorama of a "primeval forest": there are hundreds of "pines", "evergreen cypresses". Many of these dense pillars form the most spectacular stone forest . The twin pillars in the forest are truly lofty, thick. when you have a close-up, they reveal the differences. Both of the pillars seem very tall and straight up to the sky, so people call them " Sky-Scraping Twin".

Ancient Inscriptions

There are altogether 77 inscriptions, including five in the Tang Dynasty (618AD-907AD), eleven in the Song Dynasty (960AD-1279AD), one in the Yuan Dynasty (1271AD-1368AD), four in the Ming Dynasty (1368AD-1644AD). There are many inscriptions of poems and travelogues written by scholars, monks and tourists. You can enjoy the ancient calligraphy in different period of China. These writers came from all over the country, indicating that Reed flute cave has been a tourist attraction with a long history. The oldest inscription in Reed Flute Cave can be dated back as far as the 6th year of Zhenyuan in the Tang Dynasty (790 AD).

Some inscriptions are also evidence showing the monks have visited together, reflecting the prevalence of Buddhism in Guilin. Nowadays, they also became useful materials for studying the spread of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty.

 

Some tips for Asian Destinations Readers :

·      It's less crowded and you will have more private experience, if you can go early on a weekday than go later on weekends.

·      You are recommended to spare at least 1-2 hours to truly enjoy your visit.

·      Visitors enter the cave and embark upon a U-shaped sightseeing route, before departing the cave from an opening near the one used as an entrance.

·      Remember to bring an electric torch and wear sports shoes, as the illuminations may be turned off as the crowds move on and the path may be slippery.

·      Photography is permitted, but the flash must be turned off. In order to take good photographs, your camera will therefore need a high ISO level.

·      You can purchase reed flutes outside the cave, though be sure to bargain with vendors though as the first price you are given will not be the best price they are willing to accept.

·      Reed Flute Cave Entrance Fee

·      Inside the cave, touching the old mascot turtle (CNY 5) and getting pictures from the local photographer (CNY 25) will be charged extra fee.

 

Sources :

https://www.chinadiscovery.com/guangxi/guilin/reed-flute-cave.html