Beautiful Qinling Mountains: Spirit of Shenyun Stonequan, Yixiang Cave ‘Fairyland’
Roaming through the mountains and waters of Shanxi Province's Ankang, if not visiting Shiquan, it's like missing the magnificent scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou. It's truly a regret. In the 80s and 90s, I visited Shiquan many times, mainly relying on passenger buses on National Highway 210 West and Branch Road. There were detours in Ningshan, and it took a half-day of bumpy travel to reach there. Shiquan was, for many years, just a transport station and waterway hub south of Chang'an and north of Jinzhou, also important for accessing Hanzhong.
On the morning of September 20, 2010, the author was invited to participate in a press conference held in Xi'an to unveil the National Class AAAAA scenic area of Yixiang Cave in Guanzhong City. We enjoyed the scenic film and exquisite album produced by the organizers, marveling at the incredible natural wonders created by nature and appreciating the rapid development and packaging of Shiquan's tourism. During the event, prominent provincial leaders from Ankang, Xu Shanlin and Wang Shouren, along with the county leaders of Shiquan, personally promoted and introduced Shiquan, which gave me a new perspective on the county in the new era.
With the completion and opening of the Ten-Day Expressway, Shiquan, as a transport hub, has ushered in a new development opportunity. Today, Shiquan has become a well-known brand for Shanxi's mountain scenery tourism, and it's familiar to many people – such as Yunwu Mountain, Guiguli, Zudama Grand Canyon, Zudama Workshop Town, Tiepu Ancient Town, Yixiang Cave, and Chihuo Ancient Town…
Out of a desire to experience Yixiang Cave, I and several friends embarked on a journey to Shiquan. It took about 3-4 hours by high-speed road to reach Shiquan County. After a short rest, we headed straight to our destination. Upon entering Yixiang Cave, we were immediately amazed. It was as if we had stumbled into a mysterious, profound, solidified, yet magnificent and colorful world. Stalactites and stalagmites were everywhere, embellished with colorful rock formations. The silvery stalactites and pillars created a dreamy, icy, snowy, and frost-like world, resembling ancient trees' sacred mushrooms, standing proudly in this frozen environment. It was a beautiful painting! As we continued deeper, we were struck by the lifelike, detailed, and ingenious artistry of each spot. Our mood fluctuated between admiration, surprise, and a bit of tension, as if we were in a fairyland, truly beyond description. Wandering through it all, we experienced mystery and wonder, with spectacular and continuous wonders, enhanced by colorful stage lights and crystal-clear, colorful decorations.
In our eyes, Yixiang Cave is like a winding, twisting dragon. The scenery inside is incredibly diverse, with a large number of rock formations – a variety of rock pillars, each named for its unique shape, such as 'Swallows in Spring,' 'Clouds in the Sky,' 'Four Seasons Corridor,' 'Cave of Heavenly Treasures,' 'The Palace of the Water Spirit,' 'Whispers of the Misty Waves,' and 'Swallows Departing.' During our visit, we witnessed a variety of rock formations, like clouds, lotus flowers, giant mushrooms, and West Wind Screens. You'll also see towering, sky-piercing pillars of stone reaching the cave ceiling, resembling the anger of Buddha and giving off a magnificent and powerful impression. It's truly magical and unforgettable. Facing this incredible masterpiece created by nature over millions of years, we were astonished and full of emotion.
Yixiang Cave currently has the 1000-meter deep main cave and covers an area of about 20,000 square meters. It has 7 natural entrances, with cave heights ranging from 0.5 to 30 meters, and cave widths ranging from 2 to 40 meters. The cave is filled with diverse stalactites and stalagmites, forming dozens of independent spots such as 'Yellow Earth Plateau,' 'Spring Flowers,' 'Autumn Fruits,' 'White Snow Pines,' 'Five-Color Waterfall,' 'Nine-Town Style,' and 'Lotus Style.' Within the cave, there are halls and courtyards that can accommodate thousands of people. There are even caves within caves, with layers of caves and spots within the cave walls. The number of stalactites is abundant, and their size is impressive, with unique shapes, creating a beautiful rock palace.
Yixiang Cave is famous for 'Lu Zhoubin,' and during the journey, I imagined that this amazing scene was unique throughout China. I was very pleased to see the developers of Yixiang Cave – Shaanxi Qianbiao Tourism Group –'s keen eyes. I also expressed my deep affection and respect for the picturesque Han River and Shiquan.
This incredible spectacle created over millions of years by nature is truly breathtaking. We not only admired the developers of Yixiang Cave – Shaanxi Qianbiao Tourism Group – for their 'keen eyes in discovering treasures' but also expressed our heartfelt admiration and respect for the picturesque Shiquan and the Han River. (, senior journalist, commentator, planner, expert in the culture of the Big Mountains and Rivers. His writings are abundant, including the beautiful prose collection 'Big Mountains and Rivers' with 500,000 words, and the essays 'Talks by the Desk' and 'Famous People and Books' with 300,000 words).
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