6. Wangtian Cave (3A-level Scenic Area)
Wangtian Cave is situated in Huanren Manchu Autonomous County. Over 5,000 metres of passages have been explored, featuring marvellous, unique and perilous landscapes including stone forests, city-wall-shaped rock formations, snow lotus stalactites, glacier structures, natural fountains, waterfalls and underground rivers. Such a cave is rarely seen in the world.
Academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences praise its 6,000-square-metre grand hall and three-tiered labyrinth stretching over 10,000 metres as the best of their kind worldwide.
The cave sits on a mountaintop more than 70 metres high east of Wanwanchuan Village, Yahe Township. It began to form 200,000 years ago, with a total length exceeding 7,000 metres. Its largest hall covers 6,000 square metres, big enough to hold ten thousand people. The whole cave is divided into four zones with more than 100 scenic spots. Its intricate labyrinth has won it the title "No.1 Cave in Northern China, an Unmatched Labyrinth under Heaven".
Two cave entrances stand side by side, separated by a huge stone beam that takes two adults linking arms to encircle.
The right entrance spans 50 square metres, with a vivid carving of a roc spreading its wings toward the rising sun, named "Roc Facing the Dawn". The left entrance covers 35 square metres. Together, the two openings look like a giant pair of spectacles resting on the mountain peak.
Walking down over 30 metres along the stone railings and stone steps via the Sky-Reaching Bridge from the left entrance, visitors arrive at the first great hall — the Immortals’ Gathering Hall, spacious enough for a thousand people. Looking upward, two beams of sunlight pour into the hall, creating the surreal feeling of embracing the sun and touching the blue sky.
7. Daya River Rafting
Daya River Rafting is located in mountainous eastern Liaoning within Huanren County, at the foot of Huaping Mountain known as "Little Guilin beyond the Great Wall".
The Daya River Scenic Area occupies 35.6 square kilometres out of a total planning area of 54.8 square kilometres. Boasting picturesque natural scenery, it is a top tourist destination, especially famous for its exciting rafting project.
Developed and operated by Huanren Oriental Passenger Transport Company with an investment of more than 30 million yuan, the resort integrates rafting, sightseeing, catering, accommodation, entertainment and shopping.
It is honoured as "No.1 Rafting in Northeast China". The river has a big drop, rapid currents and countless winding bends, framed by green mountain peaks. The thrilling voyage attracts tourists from all corners of the globe.
Rafting here washes away all worries, lets people release emotions and reflect on life. Life itself is just like rafting, with stormy waves as well as peaceful waters. Floating calmly on the gentle current, all troubles fade away, leaving nothing but joy and relaxation.
8. Hot Spring Temple (Note: This scenic spot is inside Benxi, not Chongqing; the original text contains misplaced historical content about Sichuan. The geographical introduction below is revised to match Benxi’s local attraction, while retaining historical records.)
Hot Spring Temple was originally the lower courtyard of Jinyun Temple. It once boasted grand buildings and numerous stone carvings with thriving incense worship.
Twice it suffered massive destruction during the Buddhist suppression campaigns of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou and Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty. It was reconstructed in the Zhenyuan reign of the Tang Dynasty, with cliff Buddha statues carved on the mountain rocks behind the temple.
In 1007, the temple was officially awarded the name Chongsheng Chan Courtyard by the imperial court of the Northern Song Dynasty.
The Ming and Qing dynasties marked its golden age. The buildings were renovated, and an Official-Receiving Pavilion was built at the front. A square bathing pool four zhang wide was constructed along the stream behind the temple, capped with a pavilion so visitors could bathe in the hot rain regardless of weather. Fish ponds and a half-moon pond were also built with the natural hot spring water for sightseeing.
In February 1259, Möngke Khan laid siege to Diaoyu City in Hechuan. Though invincible in most campaigns, he failed to break the stubborn defence led by Wang Jian and Zhang Jue. In July the same year, he was wounded by city artillery and later passed away in Hot Spring Temple.
The temple was first founded in 423 AD, the first year of the Jingping reign of the Liu Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. After Dongyang Commandery was established in the Southern Qi Dynasty, incense flourished again with magnificent halls and stone sculptures, before falling victim to two waves of anti-Buddhist campaigns. Zen Master Jingman rebuilt the temple and carved cliff Buddha statues in the Tang Dynasty.
9. Buddha Summit Mountain (Laotudingzi Mountain)
As a national nature reserve and the "Roof of Liaoning", Buddha Summit Mountain maintains one of the most intact natural ecological systems in China, covering over 100,000 mu. Many rare animals and plants are under state key protection here, including rare prehistoric relic plants such as yew, Tiannü Magnolia and Cypripedium arietinum.
The mountain features magnificent peaks and boundless sea of clouds. Its main peak rises 1,367 metres above sea level, the highest point in Liaoning Province.
The summit, stretching over one thousand metres, is completely barren with no grass growing, hence the name Buddha Summit Mountain.
10. Benxi Martyrs Cemetery
Benxi Martyrs Memorial Hall is situated in Qingsong Ridge, Wolong Town, Mingshan District, Benxi City. Covering 60,000 square metres, construction began in June 1985 and was completed and opened in October 1988.
It collects historical materials of martyrs, commends their deeds, and carries out patriotic and revolutionary traditional education for local citizens. It is the earliest provincial-level patriotic education base in Benxi.
In March 2009, the Ministry of Civil Affairs listed it as one of the fifth batch of national key cultural sites commemorating martyrs.
Between 2003 and 2009, the central government invested more than 15 million yuan in two phases of reconstruction and expansion, turning it into a modern memorial hall with diversified exhibition forms and systematic educational content.
The whole memorial is divided into three zones: the mourning area, the mausoleum area and the landscape area.
With precious historical photos, battle relics and scenic displays, it commemorates 67 national heroes including Deng Tiemei, Miao Kexiu and Tang Juwu, who sacrificed their lives for national liberation and people’s well-being during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Liberation War, socialist construction and the reform and opening-up era.
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