Tianmen Cave was located in the Wuling Mountains of Yongding District, Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, China. It was on a cliff at an altitude of 1260 meters. It was 280 meters long, 127 meters high, more than 60 meters deep, and 28 to 58 meters wide. It had a humid climate of the tropical mountain prototype, mainly karst landforms. The Heavenly Gate opened from the north to the south, and there were 999 steps leading up to the sky from the square in front of the cave to the bottom. There were three major scenic spots in the surrounding area: the first was the Buddhist Kingdom of Heaven, in which the Tianmen Mountain Temple had evolved into a regular Buddhist temple after Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and was the most prosperous in the Ming Dynasty; the second was the Biye Yaotai scenic spot, which included scenic spots such as the Love of Wood and Stone, the South Overlooking Tianmen, and Lingquan Courtyard; the third was the fairy-seeking wonderland, with scenic spots such as Lingxiao Terrace, Ghost Valley Soldier Plate, and Ghost Valley Plank Road. In different seasons, there would be strange sights such as the Heavenly Gate spitting fog and the Heavenly Gate flipping water. In 1992, Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, where Tianmen Cave was located, was approved by the Ministry of Forest as the second national forest park in Zhangjiajie. In 2011, the park was rated as a national AAAAA tourist attraction by the National tourism Administration. Its history originated in the sixth year of Wu Yong 'an of the Three Kingdoms (AD 263). At that time, the cliff of Songliang Mountain, which was 1,000 meters high, suddenly opened up. It was as bright as a door and was regarded as a good omen. Songliang Mountain was renamed Tianmen Mountain from then on. According to the research of geological experts, the center of the cave was the intersection of the east and west rock syncline, which was formed by the collapse of the rock due to compression. There were three main ways to visit Tianmen Mountain scenic spot: A, B, and C. Line A was on the bus and under the bus; Line B was on the bus and under the ropeway; and Line C was on the bus and under the bus. The scenic area has the longest mountain passenger ropeway in Asia, with a total length of 7455 meters and a ride time of about 28 minutes. It can take tourists through Zhangjiajie's Urban area and jungle to experience the karst topography of Tianmen Mountain. On the mountain, there were also scenic spots such as Yuhu Peak, mountain escalator, winged flight platform, etc. The glass boardwalk was completely transparent and 60 meters long. The Ghost Valley boardwalk was 1600 meters long. In addition, there was also a small cable car that went directly to the Dreamy Cloud Wonderland. It cost 25 yuan for 10 minutes. After arriving at Yunmeng Xianding, one could overlook Zhangjiajie City. There was a river running through Urban area, called Li River.
Based on context alone Tianmen Cave was a wonder of Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie. It was the world's highest natural karst cave, located in the middle and upper part of Tianmen Mountain. The Tianmen Cave was 131.5 meters high, 57 meters wide and 60 meters deep. The scenery was unique. It was filled with mist all year round, and the scenery was unpredictable. Sometimes, clouds and mist surged from the cave, and sometimes, rays of multicolored light came out of the cave. It was magnificent and magical, like an illusion. The formation of Tianmen Cave was a long geological process, which was related to many factors such as the geological structure of Tianmen Mountain. It was also a famous tourist attraction in Zhangjiajie, attracting many tourists to come and enjoy it. Guests could reach the vicinity of Tianmen Cave through hiking trails or cable cars to experience its majesty.
Tianmen Cave was a famous scenic spot in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province. It was one of the highest natural karst caves in the world and was located in Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park. The Heaven's Gate was 131.5 meters tall, 50 meters wide, and more than 60 meters deep. According to the research of geologists, Tianmen Cave was formed by the collapse of the mountain in 263 AD. The mountain wall suddenly broke, forming a huge cave that connected the north and south. Tianmen Cave was considered the gateway to heaven, hence its name. With its unique scale and location, it became one of the representative landscapes of Zhangjiajie. Tianmen Cave attracted many tourists every year and was known as one of the most magnificent caves in the world.
The Tianmen Mountain ropeway was a sightseeing passenger ropeway that connected the urban area of Zhangjiajie with the Tianmen Mountain scenic area. It was about 7.5 kilometers long and was one of the longest single-line circulating ropeways in the world. The ropeway had a total of 98 cabins and the running time was about 28 minutes. It started from the city garden in the center of Zhangjiajie and went straight to the original sky garden on the top of Tianmen Mountain. Along the way, the ropeway passed through modern city scenery, beautiful rural scenery, and majestic mountain scenery. It was called the world's first mobile viewing corridor. The Tianmen Mountain ropeway was one of the main means of transportation in the Tianmen Mountain scenic area, and it was also one of the "four wonders" of the scenic area.
The Nine Heavenly Maiden Cave was located in Shuidong Village, Lifuta Township, 17 kilometers southwest of Sangzhi County, west of Zhangjiajie City and north of Wulingyuan. It was named after nine skylights connected to the outside world. It was also called the Nine Heavenly Maiden Cave because of the stone pillar of the Nine Heavenly Maiden. The temperature in the cave was 15 degrees Celsius all year round, warm in winter and cool in summer. The cave is divided into three layers: upper, middle and lower. The lowest layer is more than 400 meters lower than the surface. 36 caves are interlaced and connected. There are 30 - 40 halls, more than 10 caves in the middle of the mountain, 6 square thousand hill fields, 5 self-generated bridges, 3 sections of Yin River, 3 natural lakes, 12 waterfalls, 3 wells and other scenic spots. The cave was densely covered with stone forests, and stalactites floated in the air. The exquisite scenery cast by magma was graceful and beautiful. Stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, stone flowers, stone men, stone beasts, and so on were in various shapes and forms, indescribable and colorful. Among them, the Nine Star Mountain Jade Pillar, Nine Heavens Mystical Maiden Palace, and Longevity Star Palace were the three most spectacular sights. In 1987, it was discovered by a karst cave explorer. In 1988, it was officially opened to tourists and listed as a provincial scenic spot. In the same year, it was accepted as a member of the International Karst Cave Organization and determined as an international karst cave exploration base. It has been proven that the area available for sightseeing is more than 2.5 million square meters. It is recognized by the international geological community as "the largest hole in Asia" and enjoys the title of "the crown of the world's strange caves". It is praised by tourists as "the world's miracle","the largest in Asia and the most strange in the world" and "the queen of karst caves". Because its scenery is like the 3,000 strange peaks of Wulingyuan in Zhangjiajie, it is also known as "Underground Zhangjiajie". In 2018, the cave displayed ancient myths and historical stories, depicting the history of China and the reproduction of ethnic groups. On August 8,2019, a stone pillar about 12 meters high with a lower circumference of 21.5 meters and a central circumference of 18 meters was identified as the world's largest single karst cave stone pillar. 2.5 kilometers to the south of the cave entrance, there was a natural forest park with natural scenery and rich ethnic customs. Two kilometers to the southeast of the cave entrance, the Li River meandered through.
"Tour of Jiutian Cave in Zhangjiajie" The Jiutian Cave in Zhangjiajie was truly a magical place. As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the Nine Heavens Cave, he could feel a chill assaulting his face. This hole got its name because it had nine windows that connected to the ground. It was like the earth had opened nine mysterious small windows to talk to the underground world. Walking into the cave was like walking into a huge underground palace. The cave was divided into three levels, upper, middle, and lower. There were forty halls inside. They first arrived at the reception hall. The reception hall was especially spacious, like a huge reception hall welcoming everyone. However, according to the tour guide, when it rained heavily in the past, the water rushed into the reception hall and destroyed some places in front. Further ahead, he could see a pool of cold water. Above the pool was a sky window. The outline of this window looked like the shape of our motherland, which was particularly wonderful. Then, they came to the Lotus Hall. The tour guide asked them to look for lotus flowers, but they couldn't find them for a long time. In the end, when they turned around, they saw a big lotus hanging upside down above their heads. It was dripping with small water droplets, as if it was crying quietly. Fossilized shells and corals could also be seen here, which proved that Zhangjiajie used to be a vast ocean. There were also three Yin Rivers, twelve waterfalls, five self-generated bridges, six Thousand Hill Fields, and three natural lakes in the cave. There were strange stalagmites, stone pillars, and stone curtains everywhere. They had all sorts of strange shapes. Some looked like little monkeys playing, and some looked like old people walking with crutches. It was like a natural sculpture garden. The temperature here was always maintained at 8 to 12 degrees, so you had to wear more clothes when you were playing. Walking in this magical Jiutian Cave was like walking into a mysterious fairytale world. It was especially unforgettable.
Xuantian Cave was located at the foot of Nanwang Mountain, 8 kilometers east of Xifeng County, Guizhou Province. It was a natural karst cave. The top of the cave was 15 meters high, 54 meters wide, and 130 meters deep. The total area of the cave was 3400 square meters. It became famous at the end of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Sichuan Taoist traveled here for half a month. He thought it was a good place to cultivate immortal cultivation. He asked people to build two small houses in the cave and cover them with bark. It was named Mupi Nunnery. It was also called the Xuan Emperor Temple because it was dedicated to the Great Emperor Xuanwu (Zhenwu Great Emperor). Since then, the incense in Xuantian Cave flourished day by day and continued to expand. At its peak, there were more than 30 houses in the cave, including 5 Jade Emperor Palace, 3 Three Official Halls, 7 Upper Halls, 3 Lower Halls, etc., and dozens of statues were worshipped. During the Anti-Japanese War, Xuantian Cave became one of the prisons of Xifeng Concentration Camp. From 1938 to 1946, General Yang Hucheng and his family were secretly imprisoned here for nearly eight years. From a distance, Xuantian Cave looked like a mountain with a mouth open. From the inside, it looked like a pot with an inverted lid. At the entrance of the cave, there was an ancient Camphor tree that was more than 500 years old and still luxuriant. In front of the cave and inside the cave, there were Jade Emperor Hall, Sanqing Palace, Earth Mother Temple and other buildings built since the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, the height difference between Xuantian Cave and the bottom of the valley was 103 meters. There was a small stone path, and after 2000, more than 570 stone stairs were built. In addition, about 300 meters away from the Xuantian Cave, a 300-meter-deep karst cave was discovered. There was a stalactite in the cave that looked like an old woman, which was honored as Mother Earth. There was a temple in front of the cave, and at the foot of the mountain, there was a temple for the Taoist Sanqing Temple called Sanqing Palace. This place was also called "Tadao Temple"(later renamed "Tajiao Temple").
The Nine Heavens Cave got its name because it was born with nine skylights that connected to the outside world. It was discovered in 1987 by Wang Hairan, a karst cave explorer. It was officially opened to tourists in 1988. Currently, there was no information related to the Nine Heavens Cave.
In 2018, Jiutian Xuannu Cave in Maoyan River Scenic Area of Zhangjiajie displayed ancient mythical stories from Xuan Bird to Xuannu, and the historical story of Xuannu helping the Yellow Emperor defeat Chiyou. There was also the stone pillar of the Nine Heavenly Maiden in the cave. Because of this stone pillar, the cave was also called the Nine Heavenly Maiden Cave.
There were many karst caves in Zhangjiajie. The more famous one was the Yellow Dragon Cave. It was a super magical karst cave. There were all kinds of strange stalagmites, stone pillars, and stalactites inside. It was like an underground fantasy palace. There were many different shapes and landscapes, which were especially worth visiting. The Jiutian Cave was also very famous. The space inside the cave was super large and the scenery was rich and varied. It was called the "First Cave in Asia".
The Nine Heavens Cave got its name because it had nine skylights that connected to the ceiling. It was discovered in 1987 by Wang Hairan, a cave explorer. There was no special legend about the Nine Heavens Cave, but there was a stone pillar of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden in the cave, so it was also called the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden Cave. Moreover, the ancient mythical stories from the Mystic Bird to the Mystic Maiden were displayed through the light show in the cave, as well as the historical story of the Mystic Maiden helping the Yellow Emperor defeat Chiyou.