Yellow Dragon Cave
Zhangjiajie Yellow Dragon Cave, also known as Huanglong Cave, is a typical underground karst cave located in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, the core scenic area of Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province. Yellow Dragon Cave is well-known for its spectacular array of limestone formations, deep underground rivers, waterfalls, and dense stalagmites. In 2005, it was rated as “the Most Beautiful Tourist Cave” in China. Yellow Dragon Cave in Zhangjiajie is not only one of the most stunning karst caves in China, but also a must-visit spot on any Zhangjiajie tour.
As a part of the UNESCO-listed Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Yellow Dragon Cave covers a total area of 10,000 square meters, with a total length of 7.5 kilometers and a vertical height of 140 meters. Huanglong Cave (Huanglongdong in Chinese) has four levels that containing a reservoir, two underground rivers, three underground waterfalls, four pools, thirteen chambers, ninety-six entryways, as well as an underground lake.
During the visit to Yellow Dragon Cave, you can see a large number of stalactites, stone columns, stalagmites and stone flowers. You can enjoy about 2 to 3 hours tour in this immense cave that including a boat ride and a hike with steps, ideal for adventurers and those who love to explore underground world.
Yellow Dragon Cave Facts
What to See at Yellow Dragon Cave
Huanglong cave is also known as Wumen cave and Feilong cave. It is said that a monk named Huikai built a temple there. One day, lightning flashed and thunder thundered suddenly. There was a clear spring coming out the stone, and a yellow dragon came for Huikai, hence the name Yellow Dragon Cave.
The international constitution of the cave is complex and wondrous. Inside the cave, visitors can see large scale and rich varieties of stalactites, stone columns, stalagmites and stone flowers. The most famous ones are the two huge stalamites. One grows so high that almost touch the top of the cave, and the other looks like the thrones of the Dragon King.
Dragon Palace
The Dragon Palace (Longgong Hall, 龙宫大厅) is the largest one of the 13 halls in Huanglong Cave, as well as one of the most beautiful scenic spots. More than 2000 stalagmites sprung up in various forms.
There are three highlights in the Dragon Palace, which are “Sea-Calming Needle”, “Dragon King Throne” and “Snow Pine”. The “Dragon King Throne” is the thickest stalagmite in the Cave, with capacity for 15 adults inside the hole. “Snow Pine” on the other hand is the fastest growing stalagmite in Huanglong Cave. And the “Sea-Calming Needle” is a high and thin stalagmite grows on the collapsed slope. It’s an iconic landmark in the cave that we will give you more information as follows.
Sea-Calming Needle
The Sea-Calming Needle (Ding Hai Shen Zhen, 定海神针), also called “Magic cudgel”, is the highest stalagmite in Huanglong Cave. It is 19.2 meters high, thick at both ends and thin in the middle, with a diameter of only 10 centimeters at the thinnest point. It is estimated that it took at least 200,000 years for this stalagmite to grow to such a high level.
The upper end of the "Dinghai Shenzhen" is 6 meters away from the top of the cave. It is still growing and developing. It may reach the top after 60,000 years. As a highlighted scenic spot of the cave, the Yellow Dragon Cave Scenic Spot bought 100 million yuan insurance for the “Magic cudgel” on April 18, 1998.
Xiangshui River
Xiangshui River (响水河), literally Echoing Water River, is an underground river in 2nd floor of Yellow Dragon Cave with a total length of 2,820 meters. Visitors can explore 800 meters of this underground river by boat at present. The tour takes about 8 minutes. The Xiangshui River has an average water depth of 6 meters and a maximum depth of 12 meters. The water temperature can be maintained around 16℃which is an ideal living environment for the rare animal giant salamander in China.
There are many wonders for you to enjoy in the cave along the Xiangshui River, such as the Golden Helmet of the Dragon King, Floating Seashells, Blowing Conch Shells, Hidden Dragon Gorge, Incense Inserting Platform, and Tianxian Bridge.
Tianxian Waterfall
Located in the Tianxian Palace, the Tianxian Waterfall (天仙瀑布) is a suspended waterfall with the largest flow and the highest drop among the developed karst caves in China. Tianxian Waterfall was formed by three larges springs which comes from a 30-meter-high honeycomb shaped grotto on the top of the cave. It has a drop of 27.3 meters and cascades down from the top of the cave. The water splashes like flying pearls and jade, which is magnificent and flows all year round endlessly.
Maze
The Maze is the essence of Yellow Dragon Cave. It is located in the bottom of the cave and filled with many types of stalactites and stalagmites. The length of the maze is 138 meters, with average height of 3 meters and a width of about 10 meters, the total area is around 800 square meters.
Outside the Cave
Unlike many other scenic spots in China, the outside area of Yellow Dragon Cave (about 30 acres) is farmland, growing rapeseed, rice, fruits, and vegetables, and raising poultry. It would be nice to take a scroll through the field if you have plenty of time. Rapeseed flowers, water wheels, and waves of rice ears create an idyllic scenery to make you feel relaxed.
Tour Route inside the Cave
The Huanglong Cave is divided into the dry section and the water section, with a total of four layers. The total area of the cave bottom is 100,000 square meters. The entire tour route is 3.2 kilometers long, including 800 meters of water and 2,400 meters of land.
There are two main routes to visit the cave. One is to take the boat ride first and then walk through to the exit; the other begins with walking and then the boat tour. Highlights of the two routes are basically the same, just in different orders. However, the former route requires climbing many steps to the highest fourth-level platform in the cave; the latter route is relatively gentle.
Best Time to Visit Yellow Dragon Cave
The area of Huanglong Cave has sufficient light and heat, abundant rainfall, the annual average temperature is about 16.6℃, that makes Huanglong Cave is suitable for visiting in all seasons. The best visiting time is from March to November every year. Since the temperature inside Yellow Dragon Cave is lower than outside, it is not recommended to go in very cold season.
How to Get to Yellow Dragon Cave
1. Take bus to Wulingyuan Scenic Area at Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station. Upon arrival, change to the sightseeing bus to get there.
2. Take public bus 1 at Wulingyuan Bus Station to get there.
3. Take taxi from your hotel
Tickets and Opening Hours
Entrance Fee: CNY 121
Discounts: Children aged 14–18 and seniors aged 60–65: CNY 73; Seniors aged and over 65: CNY 43; Children aged under 14: CNY 25
Opening Hours: 7:30 - 18:00 (April to October); 8:00 - 17:30 (November to March)
Yellow Dragon Cave Travel Tips:
1. The entrance fee of Yellow Dragon Cave has includes the round trip boat tour, so you can just line up to take the boat when you walk to the wharf. While please pay extra RMB15 per person if you would like to visit the Maze.
2. After entering Yellow Dragon Cave, the signals of all mobile phones are gone, and there are no WIFI facilities in the cave. Please take care of your important things before entering the cave.
3. The Yellow Dragon Cave is very big, and the tour route is long and some steps are steep. Please wear non-slip sports shoes.
