Geology Gone Wild in Suiyang

These days Shuanghe is attracting greater numbers of foreign tourists. It was the only sight in Guizhou Province to be listed on the Global Times’ 2006 list of “Top 50 Sightseeing Destinations for Foreign Tourists,” and since then has seen a jump in visitors.

Located roughly 50 kilometers from Suiyang Town, the Shuanghe Cave complex is hidden away among the mountains. Two rivers converge nearby, giving the caves their name – “Shuanghe” means “two rivers.”

The Shuanghe cavernous system is made up of three “layers,” or “stories.” Eight major caverns branch off into 118 offshoot caves. Four underground rivers weave their way through the system. The total discerned length of the cave complex reaches 138 kilometers, making Shuanghe the largest cave complex in China, the second largest in Asia and the 16th largest in the world.

What makes Shuanghe unique is its age. The dolomite stratum from which the complex formed has accumulated over a period of 400 million years. Cave complexes such as Shuanghe are very rarely formed from dolomite. The caves here are the subject of study for geologists from around the world.

As a journalist I was lucky to be granted access, along with researchers from the Guizhou Mountain Resources Research Institute, to the Gypsum Crystal Cave. It is yet to be opened to the public. The cave, hidden in the depths of Shuanghe, contains a number of wonders.

Its blue dome of celestite and walls of flawless white gypsum crystals seemed palatial. The gypsum crystals come in a variety of shapes and sizes, many resembling flowers. I thought I made out chrysanthemum, magnolia, peony and lotus flowers among them.

Helictites, some of the most delicate of cave formations, abound in the cave. They grow out of the walls and ceiling of the cave – some twisting and curling, some ramrod straight – seemingly defying gravity. Their color also stood out – a brilliant white.

On leaving the Gypsum Crystal Cave, we visited several other locations. We saw grand stalagmites and stalactites, and gushing underground waterfalls. Tourists were in greater number here, and I felt a vague sense of trespassing. Under the heat of bright lamps, I felt we were breaking the serenity and purity of the ancient caves with our presence. For sure, these caves are something that everyone should see, but at what cost? Will increasing tourist numbers ruin the natural spectacle? I hope not.

And More

Traveling through Suiyang County, I felt like I was a passenger on a ship. Trees formed the ocean around me; the tops of peaks were the islands. The feeling was especially strong when we hiked up to the top of the highest mountain in Suiyang’s Kuankuoshui Nature Reserve.

The reserve, located slightly to the north of the center of Suiyang County, boasts large areas of primordial forests. It covers a total area of 26,231 hectares, 80 percent of which is forest. The highest mountain in Kuankuoshui, which we climbed, is called Sun Mountain, presumably because it rises so high above the surrounding area it seems to disappear into the sun.

Water from the Furong River nourishes the forests, which are home to many endangered animals, such as the clouded leopard, the white side-burned black langur, the forest musk deer, the tufted deer and over 148 species of birds. The nature reserve is one of the top three sites to observe rare bird species in China.

The nature reserve has caves, forests, mountains, lakes and rivers. To move between sites, many quiet paths wind their way through forests, hidden under the dense foliage. It was autumn when I visited, and walking along a secluded pathway covered by fallen leaves to the accompaniment of birds’ singing, I couldn’t help humming the tune of one of Joseph Hyden’s string quartet opuses. Surely, I thought, Hayden received much inspiration from birdsong.

The Kuankuoshui Nature Reserve, as part of the Dalou Mountain range area, rises in the northwest and falls in the southeast. The reserve is dominated by a U-shaped valley, peaks around which reach 1,300 meters above sea level and 600 meters above the valley floor. The scenery is stunning. Standing on the top of Sun Mountain at sunset, I was intoxicated by the view. The green of the valley merged at higher elevations with the yellows of the deepening fall season. Soon, it all disappeared as the crimson glow of the sun kissed the land goodbye.

The reserve, like the landscape around it, is dotted with caves. We stopped by one, called the Lotus Cave, next to which is a massive cliff over 60 meters high and 70 meters wide. A red Buddhist temple stood nearby, looking tiny against the massive rock face.

Kuankuoshui is a nice place not only to avoid the summer heat, but also to appreciate winter snow. The climate is not too hot in summer and not too cold in winter. Snow usually falls quite late, in March or April. The subtropical forest, green all year round, is home to many species of insects, birds, mammals and rare plants such as the Fagus lucia.

The Luojiang River meanders across Suiyang.