A natural cave of limestone - Cockscomb Limestone Cave
Posted by ugfanfan on September 11th, 2014
Formed 600,000,000 years ago, Cockscomb Limestone Cave (Jiguan Cave) in Luoyang City is a natural cave of limestone, which occupies an important position on archeology, scientific research and tourism. Since 1993, it was listed as one of the 'Top Ten Scenic Spots in Henan Province', 'National Civilized Places of Interest', 'Top Ten Scenic Spots in Luoyang City' and 'National 4A Grade Scenic Spots'. According to these honors, we can understand its position in Henan tourism.
Generally speaking, the climate is pleasant in this area with a constant temperature of 18 C (64 F) all the year round. Therefore, it is warm in winter and especially cool in summer. Now, you will know the reason why it is called 'Natural Air-conditioner'. What’s more, the Cockscomb Limestone Cave is entitled 'the Number One Cave in Northland of China'. It is worth visiting for this big honor.
As early as the reign of Qianlong Emperor (1736-1796) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Cockscomb Limestone Cave was discovered. There was a legend about the cave that there were bats inside the cave and it seemed unanticipatedly deep and remote, which is just like the description in many novels and movies. As a result, it was mysterious mask and people refrained from entering it. Now, it has finally been opened to the public, attracting guests from inland and abroad.
The Cave is 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) in length. Covering an area of about 23,000 square meters (about 5.7 acres), the cave is divided into 8 sections respectively named Yaochi Palace (heavenly-pool palace) and Juxian Palace (faerie-gathering palace), Yuzhu Pond (jade column pond), Yicai Palace (multiple-colored palace), Diewei Palace (folded limestone palace), Shilin Lane (stone forest lane), Cangxiu Pavilion (hidden beauty pavilion) and Dongtian River (the river winding up to the sky). The limestone shapes in the cave include stalactites, stalagmites, steles, limestone curtains, limestone waterfalls, limestone flowers, limestone shields, limestone music instruments, and limestone lotus ponds, which provide you with picturesque scenery.
On entering the cave, you can see the paths wind through high peaks, and the overall arrangement of the scenic spots is spacious and irregular. On average, the stalactites are often different, different in countenances and different in gestures. There are 88 scenic spots of different structures, such as 'The Dragon Enwinding the Jade Column', 'The Heavenly Dog Watching the Moon' and 'The Divine Tortoise Ferrying the Celestial Old Man' and so on.
Among the three scenic spots mentioned above, the most well-known one is 'The Heavenly Dog Watching the Moon'. Just like its name implies: it is a limestone resembling a dog sitting on the edge of the cliff with a silver chaplet on its neck and is looking up to the limestone of moon shape above. Making full use of your imagination, does it looks as if the dog is watching Chang'e (goddess in the moon) playing with her jade rabbit? Next, it is turn to 'The Divine Tortoise Ferrying a Celestial Old Man', which describes a big tortoise composed of three limestone bricks ferrying a Celestial Old Man composed of a root of stalagmite who is fishing leisurely on the tortoise's back. Can you believe that this wonderful artwork made by the nature instead of man-made? The nature is so wonderful! As for the third one, it is called 'The Dragon Enwinding the Jade Column', which is the highest and thickest stele in the Cockscomb Limestone Cave. It is regarded as 'the Number One Stele in China', and it wanders all along to the top layer of the cave. There are veins of squama glittering on the stele like a huge dragon enwinding on it, which gives its present name.
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