Six Cave Mt.
About eight kilometers east of Lanxi City, the provincial-level scenic resort was known in ancient times as Mount Lingdong and Mount Dongyuan. Today, it is famed for its six caves. At 361.5 meters above sea level, the mount is the western end of the northern ridge of Mount Jinhua. The scenic spot is steeped in history. As early as in the Tang and the Song dynasties, the mount was famed for its picturesque peaks and valleys, rivers, caves and the Buddhist temples as well as its rich spots of historical interest and cultural heritage.
Scattered in the 8.5-square-kilometer area are four major scenic spots: Snow-Emerging Cave and Jade Dew Cave, Fruit Garden, the Qizhen Temple, and the Landscape Overview. The Qizhen Temple, first built during the years of 930-933, once was known as one of the three major temples in China. For hundreds of years in history, the mount was the seat of many famed academies of classical learning. For example, in the Song Dynasty, there were Huashi Academy and Seven Star Academy located in the area. In the Ming Dynasty, the mount boasted Lingdong Academy administered by Zhao Zhigao. Many historical personages visited the place, such as Lu Zuqian, Jin Luxiang, Wu Shidao, Song Lian, Wang Yangming, and Xu Xiake. These scholars appreciated the scenery and wrote poems and inscriptions that immortalize the scenery.
The Snow-Emerging Cave has an underground river and that's why it is proverbially known as Water Cave. Geographer Xu Xiake of the Ming Dynasty visited the cave twice and recorded his visits in his travel notes. The explored part of the underground river is 1,043 meters long and navigable for over 700 meters. The width of the river ranges from 11 meters to 3 meters while the width of the cave varies from 3 to 84 meters. The temperature of the 7,600-square-meter cave is 18 all the year around. There are ten scenic spots inside the cave, all named in poetic titles and showcase the best of the six caves. For about 400 meters along the Dongyuan Stream out of the Snow-Emerging Cave lies Purple Cloud Cave. The cave opens to the west with an oval entrance. It is more than 40 meters deep and 27 meters wide and 7 meters high. Several stalactites suspend from the ceiling, looking like windows and doors and dividing the cave into two major sections. The spacious cave can house about 100 people. The Jade Dew Cave, located on the Wanqing Peak, is several hundreds of meters east of the Snow-Emerging Cave. It is accessible from the Xiake Ancient Path. The cave opens to the west. Inside the cave it is spacious and characterized by deep valleys and streams. The Cave is actually the upper stream of the Snow-Emerging Cave. The 8,150-square-meter two-layer cave is very rare in China, not only for its wide space but also for its beautiful interior scenery. Now the Jade Dew Cave is linked with the Snow-Emerging Cave.
The ancestral residence of Miss Zhao, General Zhang Xuliang's lifelong companion, is located in the Yixia Garden in Dongtan Village in the area. It is said that her father and grandfather once lived there. The garden has been open to tourists since 1996.