Reed Flute Cave

A grand, natural architecture formed by millennia of water eroding its soft limestone, the Reed Flute Caves are a veritable underground palace of weird and wonderful formations. Ink inscriptions on the walls of the cave suggest the grotto had been a tourist attraction 1,200 years ago during the Tang Dynasty, but it wasn’t discovered in the modern era until the 1940s by a group of refugees fleeing Japanese forces during World War II.

The cave is named for the type of reed that grows around its entrance, which is harvested to make small wind instruments. The colossal stalagmites, stalactites and rock formations within are today illuminated by multi-coloured lights, giving the whole cave a magical feel. In the Chinese-style the formations have been given incredibly poetic names which have whimsical fairy tales behind them – keep an eye out for the Virgin Forest, Flower and Fruit Mountain and Crystal Palace.

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Facts About The Reed Flute Cave

The cave is 240 metres long.

There are 70 ink inscriptions on the cave’s walls, some of which have been dated back to the year 792 - it is believed they are travelogues and poems.

Reed Flute Cave is 180 million years old.

Pools of water in the cave create incredible reflections of the formations and lighting.

There is a formation said to look like the Statue of Liberty.

Before it was rediscovered in the 1940s, the cave was seemingly forgotten about for 1,000 years.

You can buy reed flutes just outside the entrance to the cave!