Yellow Dragon Cave

Yellow Dragon Cave is one of the foremost scenic areas in Zhangjiajie, and is rated as one of the first National AAAAA Tourist Attractions in China. Also it has been honored as "a magical karst cave both in China and in the world".

According to an old legend, Yellow Dragon Cave was named after a dragon hidden in the cave. The fountain in the Yellow Dragon Cave is called Yellow Dragon Fountain, and it is fresh and tasty, flowing constantly year after year and leaving behind some unhappy but beautiful legends for common people. It is said that many years ago, there was an exceptionally serious drought, and a Master of magic called He Junru entered the cave with a falchion to implore rain on behalf of the common people. As the Dragon Emperor understood his sincerity, he spilled several drops of water from his mouth. In fact, there was heavy rain outside the cave.

Unfortunately, Master of magic He thought that the Dragon Emperor was apathetic, and so he held the falchion toward the dragon's head in anger. The Dragon Emperor was annoyed, and spilled the water ferociously. The water flowed over everywhere rapidly, inside and outside the cave. The Master of magic He regretted what he had done before; he later died still regretting his actions.

Yellow Dragon Cave is located in the east of Suoxi Valley, about 10 km away from the Jindi Ground. Yellow Dragon Cave is called an underground magic palace. At the entrance, mists coil. In the cave, passages zigzag. We can find stone shoots, stone stalactites, stone curtains, stone pianos and stone flowers here. In this cave, we can see "cave beyond cave, tower beyond tower, sky beyond sky and mountain beyond mountain".

There are four layers, about 1600 meters high, having one reservoir, two brooks, three waterfalls, four ponds, thirteen halls and ninety-six passages. The Yellow Dragon Cave is 13 km in length. The biggest hall in it is 12,000 square meters and can hold 10,000 people. Entering the cave, you feel you are in a fairyland, beautiful and tranquil.

This system of caves is a typical karst formation which covers an area of 48 hectares. It is 15 kilometers long and has a vertical rise of 140 meters. The inner recess is divided into four layers, two dry ones and two possessing waterways. The tally of natural wonders includes: 1 natural reservoir, 2 underground rivers, 3 pools, 4 waterfalls, 13 grand halls, 96 passageways and hundreds of thousands of stalagmites, columns and stalactites.

 Yellow Dragon Cave is so complex and unfathomable, displaying such a multitude of geological features, that it is impossible for us to take them all in at one time. "This magical place" abounds with all the varied scenery that can be enjoyed in karst caves, and the stalagmites are in all different shapes. Many famous tourist attractions have been developed: Dragon Dance Hall, Sounding River, Immortal Waterfall, Heaven Pillar Street, and the Dragon Palace, including Dragon Emperor's Throne, Magic Sea-calmed Needle and ten thousand years of cedar. Except for a short distance near the entrance, it is not necessary to do any backtracking in the cave complex. The entire tour takes about two hours -2,400 meters by land and an additional 800 meters by water. In the eyes of the locals of Zhangjiajie, Yellow Dragon Cave is always a "mysterious place". The waterway within the cave is called Yellow Dragon Spring and it keeps flowing all year round.

Transport: Shuttle buses go from Zhangjiajie Bus Station to the scenic area, and it is a 40-minute drive

Tel: (86)744-5618489

Source: based on website of Huanglong Cave

Admission(for reference): 60 yuan/adult (Boating fare is not included.)

Opening hours: 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.