Jiulong Dong (九龙洞)
Nine-Dragon Caves (九龙洞) is located in Guizhou province, China. This national park is located approximately 11 miles (17km) from Tongren City, and includes three main scenic areas (Nine Dragon Caves, Six Dragon Mountain, and the Jinjiang River).
Jiulong Dong is a natural cave system consisting of large chambers, stalagmites, and stalactites. This cave is approximately 230 feet (70m) wide, by 150 feet (45m) tall.
In all the cave structure is 2284m long, and includes multiple halls with many interesting rock formations. It is located inside a large mountain near the Jinjiang River, and as of 2012 was only accessible only by crossing the river on a boat.
According to the legend, there were six yellow dragons that lived on top of Six-Dragon Mountain. One day, they met at the cave with three black dragons from the Jinjiang River. As a group, the nine dragons were so impressed with the beautiful scenery that they wanted to stay and live in the cave.
Each of the dragons wanted the cave to themselves, so they ended up fighting until it was too late to return to their homes.
The nine dragons eventually climbed onto the large stone pillars in the main chamber, and have remained there for thousands of years.
Other Nearby Areas of Interest
Six Dragon Mountain (六龙山) is located 18km southeast from Tongren City, and has a peak altitude of 1173m. It is close to the border between Guizhou and Hunan province, with a radius of over 120 square kilometers. With a forest coverage rate of over 86%, there are many wild animals here (including wild boar, hedgehogs, goats, golden pheasants, chickens, rats and snakes). There are four main canyons with cliffs, towering waterfalls and caves hidden deep in the forest. It is considered to be a great place for exploration, with an average annual temperature of 14 degrees celsius. Due to the dense forest it is like a natural oxygen bar, a refreshing retreat from the city pollution.
The Jinjiang River (锦江河) originates in Fanjingshan, passes through the city of Tongren, and eventually empties into the Yangtze River. Along this river there are mountains, steep cliffs and forests. Jinjiang River is a provincial scenic protected area, and part of Jiulong Dong national park. Visitors must cross a section of this river by boat in order to reach the Nine Dragon Caves.