(1) Sandy Beaches, Stone Pagodas and Skylights
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Golden Sand Bar
This golden sandbank is made up of coarse sand and fine gravel carried by the underground river, 50–60 metres wide and over 100 metres long. The cavern here is 10–15 metres high with a vast ceiling like a vault of heaven. The winding river on the sandy beach evokes the scenery of desert rivers. Colourful stalagmites and stone curtains on the right cliff add a mysterious atmosphere.
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Lion Pagoda
This travertine pagoda formed on collapsed rock is 7 metres high and 12 metres wide at the base, coloured orange and pink. Hair-like grooves cover its top and bottom, just like a male lion guarding the riverbank.
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Sky-gazing Cave
A skylight formed by roof collapse. The cavern here is 42 metres high and 38 metres wide. Sunlight pours down from the opening, suddenly illuminating the pitch-dark underground cave and forming the scene of "watching the sky from the bottom of a well".
(2) Turbulent Rapids
There are six rapids in total. Thunder Beach and Dragon Roaring Beach are nestled in a gorge 30–45 metres high and 14–17 metres wide, the two most thrilling stretches.
Besides the spectacular water scenes, a 19-metre stone pagoda stands on the left of Thunder Beach. Beside Dragon Roaring Beach, travertine fins formed by rushing water stretch 13 metres long and 3–4 metres wide, looking like a flood dragon playing in the waves.
Carp Beach also boasts well-developed travertine dams, stone curtains and stalactites. The interplay between peculiar travertine landforms and roaring rapids creates a vivid scenic blend of motion and tranquillity, sound and beauty.
(3) Gorge Tunnels
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Longmen Gorge (Dragon Gate Gorge)
This is the narrowest high gorge along the river, stretching 380 metres with a height of 28–45 metres and width of 10–14 metres. Its cross-section is triangular or convex. Dragon Roaring Beach sits right in the middle, bringing a wild, perilous atmosphere.
The tunnel is filled with travertine formations. A terraced slope made of rimstone dams and stone terraces spans 27 metres wide and 7 metres high. Its bright colours stand out vividly against the clear current.
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Splendid Lane
A relatively open passage between Fin Peak Pool and Lotus Pool, 160 metres long, 23–38 metres high and 18–23 metres wide. The current runs swiftly at Carp Beach, with a 17m×7m sandy beach on the left bank.
The cave walls are covered with colourful stalactites and stone curtains. Travertine fins along the bank look like blooming flowers. On the right bank lie travertine dams and terraces covering 65 square metres; on the left stands an 8-metre stone pagoda. Together with gurgling streams, they form a picturesque corridor.
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Dawn Gorge
Located in the lower reach, 250 metres long, 21–45 metres high and 10–15 metres wide, with the cave mouth reaching 50 metres in height and 25 metres in width. Green plants grow among stone curtains and stalactites on the walls.
A tiny bright spot appears far ahead in the dark gorge. As you drift downstream, the light gradually expands into a sunlit cave entrance, bringing a wonderful transition from darkness to brightness.
(4) Large Caverns and Deep Pools
Four out of the five large pools lie in the lower reach, forming the core landscapes of this underground water town.
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Flying Cloud Pool
Between Thunder Beach and Dragon Gate Gorge in the middle reach. The narrow cavern extends 160 metres, 22–35 metres high and 15–27 metres wide. Massive travertine deposits spread across the flat ceiling, resembling white lotus blossoms and floating clouds. The wall features a vivid rock formation of a golden tortoise raising its head.
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Pagoda Pool & Jade Pillar Pool
The two pools are connected by a narrow passage 40–50 metres high and 10–15 metres wide. The ingeniously arranged caverns and pools form extraordinarily magnificent scenery.
The pool is bow-shaped, covering about 5,200 square metres, with a box-shaped cavern 39–45 metres high. Red-hued stone curtains and stalactites decorate the whole cave into a golden palace.
Two reddish-brown stone pagodas rise 25–30 metres above the southwest bank, with tangled root-like bases showing how travertine grows downwards from collapsed boulders. Surrounded by colourful stone curtains and facing the blue pool, they create a peerless view of pagodas mirrored in water.
- Jade Pillar Pool
Crescent-shaped towards the west, covering 5,100 square metres with a cavern 20–40 metres high and 30–45 metres wide.
Two 10–18 metre stone pillars stand on the west bank, above which two tiers of rimstone dams and terraces stretch 12 metres long and 8 metres high. The upright stone pillars and ribbon-like terraces complement each other perfectly. Four tall stone pagodas line up neatly on the east bank, imposing and natural. The clear blue water matches the spectacular rock formations, forming poetic scenery.
The narrow passage between the two pools boasts even richer travertine landscapes. Exquisite cave pearls and stalagmites cover the right slope; a 16-metre inverted conical stone pagoda rises on the left. Stalactites on ceiling and walls blossom like flowers.
The short tunnel between Jade Pillar Pool and Fin Peak Pool is the lowest section of the whole river: only 30 metres long, 15 metres wide and 16 metres high. Layered stalactites here have high ornamental value.
- Fin Peak Pool & Lotus Pool
The two pools sit at both ends of Splendid Lane, both lens-shaped.
Fin Peak Pool covers 2,200 square metres with a cavern 50 metres high and 40 metres wide. A jagged rock wall 11m×15m×6m was carved by rapids on the left bank. Pits and grooves spread all over the white rock, forming jagged fin-like ridges just like icebergs.
Lotus Pool spans 2,100 square metres with a cavern 42 metres high and 35 metres wide. A huge polished white boulder stands in the centre of the pool, about 4 metres tall with a volume of 300 cubic metres. Eroded grooves and sharp peaks form a petal pattern, making the rock look like a quiet lotus blooming on blue water. The whole scene is peaceful and elegant
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