Yangshuo caves – a short walk from Village Inn
The bizarre limestone karst towers that form the landscape in the area were formed by the erosion caused by the gradual retreat of inland seas. This process also created many caves and underground rivers and lakes. Most of these formations are not open to tourists, but many Yangshuo caves can be explored. The following are the caves open to the public.
Tickets to all public Yangshuo caves can be reserved through Yangshuo Village Inn.
Dragon Cave
Location: From the Village Inn head out of Moon Hill Village and turn right on the main road. The Cave is about 1 km down the road on your right.
Length of cave tour: 45 minutes
Features: The cave is easily explored for all travelers with a concrete path throughout. The stalagmites and stalactites are illuminated with colored lighting giving it an other-worldly feeling that children will enjoy. There are several ponds that are pristine and reflect the light like a mirror. At the end of a path you board a boat as an extensive underwater pool stretches into the depths of this cave.
Real Water Cave
Location: From Yangshuo Village Inn head out the door down the street to the left about 100m. The ticket office to the Real Water Cave is at the other end of the village on the right hand side.
Length of cave tour: Short tour: 1.5 hours, Full length tour: 3 hours
Features: This cave is for the more daring and extends deep into the mountain. You enter by a small boat which drifts with the current of an underground river past through stalactites and other interesting formations. The cave has massive cathedral ceilings and giant glimmering mineral structures. Midway through the cave is a mud pond that is great to splash around and float on. Near the end of the cave are a number of freshwater streams that are a refreshing way to enjoy a swim and rinse off all the mud.
Note: Bring a swimsuit, towel and sturdy shoes (Tiva-type adventure shoes) that can get wet and muddy!
Buddha Cave
Location: From Yangshuo Village Inn head out the door down the street to the left about 50m. The ticket office to the Buddha Cave is at down the street to the right.
Length of cave tour: Short tour: 1.5 hours, Full length tour: 3 hours
Lotus Cave
Location: Ticket office in Xingping – please ask at reception for details
Length of cave tour: 1 hour
Features: The Lotus Cave runs for nearly 600 meters with a maximum height of almost 40 meters. Within are hundreds of glittering mineral structures including the famous lotus formations. The stone lotus features appear very similar to actual lotus leaves and range from 30cm to two meters across.
Crown Cave
Location: Caoping – please check with Yangshuo Village Inn reception for details
Length of cave tour: 1-2 hours
Features: The publicly open Crown Cave is another popular adventure for families with children and is located near Caoping Village on the Li River. It is part of an extensive underground river system that stretches 12 km. The tour only explores the first three km but is an very enjoyable experience, particularly because of the many choices of how you can explore it. There are boats, lifts, trams and theme-park type cars that make the Crown Cave a great option for kids. The cave is listed in the Guinness book of World Records for featuring the greatest variety of way to explore a cave.
Butterfly Cave & Spring Park
Location: From Yangshuo Village Inn, head out of the village to the main road and turn right, toward the direction of Yangshuo. When you reach the main road head straight on towards Yangshuo. The cave is approximately 2.5km on the left side hand side of the road. Although there is space at the side of the road to walk it is busy and much better to go by bike.
Length of cave tour: 30 min
Features: The karst tower that looms over the entrance to Butterfly Spring Park features a giant Monarch Butterfly affixed to it. The cave is relatively short, winding for around 400m. Streams of water gurgle from the cavern to form the pools of Butterfly Spring. The cave is just one of the park’s features, and it is also the largest spot for viewing Monarch Butterflies in China. Within the park you can view some nice waterfalls on Butterfly Hill, sample wild honey in the Honeybee Garden or check out the 10,000 samples of various types of butterflies in the Butterfly Exhibition Hall.
The Silver Cave
Location: 25 Kilometers from Yangshuo – please check with Village Inn reception for specifics
Length of cave tour: 1.5 hours
Features: The Silver Cave meanders through 12 limestone towers and the full tour explores nearly two km. Known for its astonishing formations, including thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, Silver Cave is made up of three distinct segments that have unique features that are not common to other caves in the area.
For more cool pictures of these Yangshuo caves, please visit the Flickr gallery here