Into the Dragon's Palace
Trip Start
Feb 03, 2008
1
4
33
Trip End
Aug 16, 2009
Long Gong Dong,
China
Monday, February 11, 2008
We're entering the Dragon's Palace Cave, (Chinese name: Long Gong Dong; yes, we laughed), one of Guizhou's top attractions.
The cave, or rather, group of caves, are set between Anshun and Huang Guo Shu. This cave system is spectacular because its floor is a subterranean lake that winds through the "palace" chambers. Dripping stalactites hang to the water's surface, or cascade, flowing year by year, from the ceilings.
Due to a Chinese compulsion to tart up their tourist attractions, Long Gong Dong also features red, green and purple lights to set off the delicate geological formations. At least they've turned the music off this time.
The first boat ride takes us through some winding corridors lit up by beach-bar neon lights, a few high-ceilinged halls and around some gorgeous bends. Then we have to get out and walk up a wooden ramp to the next set of caves.
Our boatmen (we have two and a tour guide who soon realizes her position is pointless because we don't understand her and decides to make fun of us instead, which I do understand) chat together and the unlucky one takes us on the second leg.
The second set of caves seems longer than the first, through tunnels blasted or cut through the mountain from one chamber to the next. This part is darker than the first, and eerier. Between the water and the low roof we are caught on the boat, going forward into the darkness, just the beeping of our boatman's cell phone battery dying reminding that we are not alone.
But in this park we are alone.
Dan and the flying dragons
This is the most isolated from tourists in a tourist attraction that we have been in China.
We tried to stay at the 4 star hotel inside the park the night before, but the lonely desk clerk informed us sympathetically that there was no hot water, no food available in the restaurant and no other guests there. But, she said, she could give us a 10 yuan discount to stay there. Hah!
All the souvenir stands lining the entrance to the park were closed, except for one belonging to a headstrong woman who was so jaded she didn't try to sell us anything.
The 4 star hotel outside the park entrance, with the same name and décor as the one inside (could they be the same business? Why hadn't the silly girl inside the park just told us to go there?) does have hot water in some rooms on the ground floor, and they open the kitchen to serve us dinner and a free breakfast. They even have beer, to our joy.
As far as we can make out there are only two other guests at the hotel; a Chinese couple who follow us around the park at a large distance and argue with each other occasionally.
In the morning we walk past the hotel with no guests and up to a peculiar "flying dragon" waterfall that comes through a hole in the back of a cave from an upper lake.
After feeling the mist from the flying dragons we crossed a windy bridge shaped like two flying dragons and ascended to the lake via an underground staircase. Beside the lake a huge Disney-land like barrier had been constructed to filter tourists into proper and orderly lines. But no-one was waiting so we marched through and caught the first boat out. The other couple was following too far behind to catch our boat, which seemed to bring on another argument.
The park also has some other caves that should have Buddhist sculptures displayed and some nice scenery to hike through, but when we got to the other end of the caves and the boatman asked if we wanted to get out and walk back or just take the boat back through, we decided that it was too cold for hiking. My parents are old sailors and prefer boats anyway.
Caves seen, and feeling the cold and lack of other places to eat and drink besides the nearly empty hotel, we caught a local bus back to Anshun, hoping to go to ZhiJin caves the next day.
