Chapter 187 The Underground River of the Primeval Forest

Standing on the familiar riverbank, Pingyao looked at the magnificent landscape and couldn't help but sigh: "The magnificent landscape always brings us great surprises when we least expect it. These days we have been traveling along these continuous mountain ranges, and we have discovered different scenery at each stop. I thought Jixingyan was similar to an ordinary karst cave, but I did not expect that there would be such a natural wonder inside the cave. It still amazed and impressed me."

The enormous cave is lush with vegetation, its verdant expanse allowing sunlight to stream in through the entrance, adding to its mystique. The entrance to Jixingyan Cave is wide, with a high ceiling. After entering, one must climb a set of steps before the cave opens up into a breathtaking vista.

The stalactite wonders inside the cave are breathtaking, a truly awe-inspiring sight. What's it like to converse with 380 million years of history? What unfolds before me are the secrets of nature. The entire cave boasts over a thousand unique natural landscapes, including plant, animal, artifact, and landform formations, resembling a vast "stone museum." The cave ceiling, walls, and floor are adorned with clusters of stalagmites, bizarrely shaped rocks, and countless other forms of vibrant colors, creating a magnificent and spectacular sight, earning it the title of "the first primeval cave."

"The typical karst landforms here mean that there are more caves than in other places, but I've never seen such a rich and unique cave as Jixingyan before. The stalactites of all sizes are lined up one after another, and their shapes are lifelike. The stalactites of various shapes are different in length and size, as if I had accidentally wandered into the fairyland of the Queen Mother of the West. The tall 'divine elephants,' the colorful 'underwater corals,' and the boundless 'Loess Plateau' present a rich variety of colors and shapes."

The entire Jixingyan Cave is divided into four levels: the Dragon King Palace Underground River, the Tongtian Cave, the Jingtian Cave, and the Motian Cave. The explored section is over 6 kilometers long. Each level of the cave is typically 5-40 meters wide and 3-20 meters high, with several large halls ranging from several hundred to several thousand square meters in area. The scenic area runs through five mountains, and the abundant underground water resources are a major reason for the formation of stalactites.

The formation of stalactites often takes tens or hundreds of thousands of years. Due to their long formation time, stalactites are of significant research value for ancient geological exploration. Inside the cave, one can also see an interesting sight: two stalactites, one striving upwards and the other peering downwards, will, at a rate of one centimeter per hundred years, eventually merge perfectly in about a thousand years, hence the beautiful name "A Thousand-Year Kiss." The stalactites of Jixingyan Cave are translucent and uniquely shaped, possessing high aesthetic value.

Inside the cave, there's another unique sight: terraced fields with flowing water that seems to flow endlessly. It's said that these white terraces cover 10,000 square meters. This amazing geological formation is hidden deep underground, revealing just how many secrets of our planet remain undiscovered. Every step reveals a new vista, transporting you to a mythical world and a science fiction wonderland, yet looking around, you can still experience the tangible beauty of this underground landscape.

On the white terraced fields, a large bell caught my attention. This stalactite bell is 100 million years old. Judging from its appearance, it is dark and black, indicating that it has stopped growing. 100 million years is a period of time that we can touch with our eyes. Human life is just a short moment in the long span of time, but nature can preserve those awe-inspiring wonders for hundreds of millions or even billions of years.

The cave is amazing. Stalactites and stalagmites on the ground are connected to form magnificent stone pillars. The colorful lights inside illuminate the bizarre and wonderful karst formations, which are dazzling to the eye. Wow, this is another world.

Everyone started looking around, searching high and low; it would take another pair of eyes to see them all.

The cave is sometimes narrow and sometimes wide. Nearly a kilometer in, there is an underground river flowing silently. The water is quite deep; it can even support a boat.

Everyone was now sitting in the boat. A young man was rowing. Pingyao, relying on his experience, was explaining things from the boat in the local dialect, which everyone else could understand.

There were five people on the boat: Pingyao's family, Xu Que, and a strange little girl that Pingyao's son had somehow gotten his hands on.

The girl kept giggling the whole way.

The young man started to fidget and began to sway his body. As a result, the small boat began to tilt from side to side.

To attract everyone's attention, Pingyao started talking about the fish in the water.

There were fish in the water.

There are fish; they are transparent.

Many people want to catch a transparent fish, but it's easier said than done.

The sun came out again, so we went outside.

But the journey isn't over yet; there's another cave not far away. It's several kilometers between this cave and the other one.

Since we're here, we shouldn't miss out.

There's no need to climb mountains to get there; we took a cable car.

This mountain peak is connected to that mountain peak by a cable car.

I don't want to move forward in a closed little house like I used to.

Instead, he was sitting in a chair. Of course, there was a guardrail in front of him.

White clouds drift lazily by, and green mountains stand majestically. This feeling is truly rare.

The few minutes passed quickly, and I wanted to take it again. But it was a one-way trip. I'll have to wait until next time to ride it.

One moment inside the cave, the next in the air. This excitement...

This feeling is unprecedented.

Then I came across a natural hall, complete with benches for resting and a section for selling primitive goods.

They spend most of their time in places where there's no sunlight. But it's quite interesting, isn't it? There weren't many tourists that day, and it was quiet inside. A man with a very large fan asked me if I wanted it. Because it was really cheap, I bought it for a few dozen yuan, and that fan accompanied me on my journey of thousands of miles.

The magic of this cave lies in its spacious interior and connection to an underground river. A boat trip through the cave reveals stalactites of various shapes and sizes, making you feel as if you are traveling through the heart of the earth.

Not only can you experience excitement and joy in this underground cave, but the colorful lights and bizarre stalactites also create a warm and romantic atmosphere, making it the perfect place for couples to enjoy a visit.

The mysterious underground river is where "tourists" often encounter mysterious animals from millions of years ago.

Tourists taking a boat trip on the underground river inside the cave may sometimes hear the sound of a baby crying inside the cave, which is quite strange! In fact, it is an ancient creature whose cry sounds like a baby crying - the wild giant salamander.

Wild giant salamanders are commonly known as "baby fish" or "mermaids" because their calls resemble the cries of babies. This creature is one of the most precious amphibians on Earth, living alongside dinosaurs. While the dinosaurs went extinct, the giant salamander survived.

This ancient creature has extremely demanding requirements for its living environment, and its wild population is very small. The fact that wild giant salamanders can be found in the cave scenic area shows that the wild environment here is still very good and there is no pollution at all.