Shuanglong Cave
Shuanglong Cave (simplified Chinese: 双龙洞; traditional Chinese: 双龍洞; lit. 'Double Dragon Cave') is a water-filled karst cave some 8 km (5.0 mi) from Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.[1]
Description
The cave is 66 m (217 ft) high and 33 m (108 ft) long with a total area in excess of 1,200 m2 (13,000 sq ft). Formed around 100 million years ago, the entrance is flanked on both sides by stalactites that resemble dragon heads (龙头/龍头, lóng tóu), hence the Chinese name for the cave.[2] Since the entrance has a clearance of around 30 cm (12 in) above the cave's water level, visitors must lie down in a boat to gain access.[3]
The cave's interior is criss-crossed by stalactites and stalagmites and features an 8 m (26 ft) high stone waterfall.
Shuanglong Cave provides access to the adjacent Binghu Cave via a series of stone steps.
The surrounding Shuanglong Scenic Area (双龙风景名胜区), covering 79.9 km2 (30.8 sq mi), is a 4A rated national tourist attraction.[4] It contains other karst caves including the Taoyuan Cave (桃源洞), Chaozhen Cave (朝真洞) and Bingbao Cave (冰瀑洞) as well as the following sub-areas:
- Huangdaxian Scenic Area (黄大仙景区)
- Jiafengshan Scenic Area (尖峰山景区)
- Dapantian Scenic Area (大盘天景区)
- Jiayuanli Scenic Area (家园里景区)
- Chisongshan Scenic Area (赤松山景区)
References
- "Shuanglong Cave (双龙洞)" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
- "Shuanglong Cave (双龙洞)" (in Chinese). Retrieved February 18, 2011.
- "The State-Level Scenic Resort in Jinhua". Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
- "Shuanglong Scenic Area (双龙风景名胜区)" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on February 24, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
