Nan Caves in Kaiyuan: A wonderland of water

Besides beautiful stalactites in different shapes, the waters in Nan Caves, a scenic spot in southeast Yunnan’s Kaiyuan City, are also very enjoyable. It is regarded as a wonderland of water.

Located in southeast Yunnan ‘s Kaiyuan County, the Nan Caves is not as famous as other Karst caves like Alu and Jiuxiang in the province. However, it has its own characteristics and is a worthwhile destination.

There are eight caves of different sizes in the scenic spot. Some of them are half way up to the mountain. Others are hidden in precipitous cliffs. Each of them has its own uniqueness. In the caves, stalactites differ in thousands of ways. Traveling the caves, one can find many stalactites that look like animals, plants and man-made products under the light of different colors.

Besides, there is a local saying that water is the ‘soul’ of the scenic spot. The most representative is the water in the Taoyuan Cave. As a underground water cave, the Taoyuan Cave is more than one thousand meters deep. The water flows out from the depth of the cave all the year round, forming a clear underground river. Rowing a boat on the river, one can enjoy the cooling breeze and stalactites in different shapes. 

Photo by Zhang Wenhai; Editor: Wang Shixue