Located inside the Shilong Mountain at the junction of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces, the Tai Chi Cave, although belonging to Xuancheng, is very close to Yixing, renowned for its bamboo sea and karst caves, with only a 35-kilometer journey. For those who wish to admire karst caves in southern Anhui, this is an excellent choice. In the Ming Dynasty, Feng Menglong once referred to ‘Buried Treasures of Guangde (Tai Chi Cave), Qiantang River Tide, Leizhou Drum Exchange, and Mirage’ as the four wonders of the world. Inside the cave, it is warm in winter and cool in summer, with stalactites of various shapes and sizes. There are dry caves and water caves, allowing visitors to explore either on foot or by boat to uncover the mysteries of the underground rivers. The entrance of the scenic area is on the south side. After entering, one first encounters the Yanchi Lake, with several smaller attractions scattered along the way. If you arrive early, it is recommended to head directly to the deeper Tai Chi Cave to avoid the crowds with large tour groups, and then visit the smaller attractions afterward. Upon reaching the cave entrance, visitors can wait for a short while. When the number of tourists gathers to about 20, the scenic area will assign a free guide to lead the tour into the cave. The tour route inside the cave forms a Y-shape, starting with the left branch of the dry cave, then returning to the entrance, and then exploring the right branch of the water cave, with the exit at the water cave. Passing through the Changle Palace (Two-Yin Palace) at the entrance, one first reaches the Baijing Palace, where the stalactites of the Supreme Old Lord and the Millennium Locust Shade are worth viewing. The water droplets that penetrate the stone are incredibly fascinating, and a stone shaped like a lying rabbit has been polished by the water drops to form a smooth small hole in the middle. Passing through the Tongguan Cave door, one arrives at the Yunjing Palace, where the words ‘Qurany Yan’ were inscribed by Fan Zhongyan. The Xianzhou Overhanging is a huge stone on the cave top that is nearly a hundred meters long. Continuing forward to the Zhenbao Palace (Xuedou Palace), the stalactites Lingxiao Twin Towers and the Inverted Ganoderma lucidum are both lifelike, and the Buried Valley is deep and unfathomable, but there is no path to continue. The tour of the dry cave ends here. Then, proceed to the water cave. After returning to the cave entrance and walking a few steps, one arrives at the ferry. The Jiuqu Yinhe (Baqv Yingzhou) is an underground river, with free boat rides. First-time visitors who experience boating inside the cave will find it very novel. The boat sways, and visitors occasionally need to bend over and duck to avoid hitting the rocks in front of them. After disembarking and climbing dozens of steps, one arrives at the Yuhuang Palace (Yuqiong Palace), where the beautiful stalactite is a pillar that is more than 2 meters high, known as the Golden Dragon Coiling on a Jade Pillar. The following Haitian Palace (Divine Drunken Palace) has a relatively unique group of stalactites in the entire cave. The cave top is inclined, and the cave bottom grows strange rocks and peaks. The Western Sea peaks and Fairy peaks that Huangshan has can be seen here. The cave lighting even creates the scene of Huangshan sunrise. On the high observation platform, one can enjoy the panoramic view of Huangshan inside the cave. Afterward, the tour of the water cave ends with the viewing of the stone groups in the Wanxiang Cave and the murals on the stone walls of the Xianyuan Palace that rely on imagination. From Xianyuan Palace to the exit, one must climb 800 steps in a narrow passage, which can be quite daunting.
Upon arrival at the cave entrance, there is a cable car available to ride, which is an open-air seat that is quite thrilling, costing 25 yuan, and it only goes downhill. However, the cable car is not necessarily needed, as walking down the mountain only takes about ten minutes. On the way down, you can take a detour to see the ‘Four Wonders of the World’ inscribed on the cliffs, then pass by the now-closed cave, Hutian Palace, and return to the Taoist temple, Tai Chi Temple, at the base of the mountain near the cave entrance. Generally, it takes about 2 hours to visit Tai Chi Cave. If you have extra time, you can also visit the Baopu Garden, which is not far from the cave entrance, featuring ancient architecture and lush vegetation. For visitors with children, there is a children’s playground where they can enjoy swings, rope bridges, or pay for a boat ride on the Yanchi Lake. On the way to the scenic area gate, there is a small mountain called Xuanmiao Mountain, where you can see a stone forest composed of low-lying Taihu stones. Opening hours are from 08:30 to 16:30 all year round.
Preferential policies: Children: Free for those under 6 years old (excluding) or under 1.2 meters in height (including) with an accompanying guardian; half price for children aged 6 to 18 years old, with height limits from 1.2 meters (excluding) to 1.4 meters (excluding). Elderly: Free for those aged 65 and above; half price for those aged between 60 and 65 (excluding). Students: Half price for full-time undergraduate and below with valid identification. Disabled: Free with relevant valid identification. Active military personnel: Free with relevant valid identification. Journalists: Free with relevant valid identification. Tour guides: Free with relevant valid identification. Members of photography associations at or above the provincial level: Free with relevant valid identification. Retired military personnel: Half price with relevant valid identification. Low-income households: 30% discount with relevant valid identification. Service facilities: Parking lot: [Guangde Tai Chi Cave Parking Lot] Reference price: ¥10 per time; Address: Tai Chi Cave Scenic Area, Xinhang Town, Guangde County, Anhui Province; Number of spaces: 200. Must-see tips: 1. There are many vendors at the base and near the cable car selling toys, drinks, and snacks. Tai Chi Mountain Villa inside the scenic area and hotels outside the scenic area can provide meals and accommodation. 2. Vendors may sell flashlights, claiming the cave is very dark, but the cave is well-lit, and flashlights are not needed. 3. There are places in the water cave that claim to offer free photos. When you get to the exit, you can collect the photos, but the free ones are small in size. Larger photos are charged. They will develop the photos even if you don’t pay, and then display them on a rack. If you don’t want to pay or have your photos displayed, avoid taking the photos. 4. At the water cave exit, locals may ask if you want to pay for horse riding down the mountain. Note that this is a private activity, without safety guarantees, and the scenic area does not advocate visitors to participate.There is no toilet inside the karst cave of Taiji Cave. However, there are toilets at the entrance of the scenic area, outside Taiji Cave, and next to the cableway at the exit of the water cave. The toilet next to the cableway is not very clean. 【High-end service information】Charter a cabin on a cruise ship. Enjoy the entire cabin exclusively for a single person with dedicated service.
