Lianzhou underground river(Big mouth rock)

Lianzhou underground river is located 26 km northeast of the ancient city of Lianzhou, nestled in the towering mountains at the junction of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan provinces. It is a giant natural limestone cave typical of subtropical karst landforms. Renowned for its mysterious and magnificent stalactites and subterranean rivers, it is hailed as the premier underground river in Guangdong. The attraction features both land and water routes - the land route showcases the cave formations while the water route explores the underground river. With its grand scale, spectacular views and unique combination of features, the Lianzhou underground river is considered a marvel of Lingnan region. Celebrated writer Qin Mu described it as "a mysterious and magnificent underground river". Its distinctive characteristics include caves within caves, rivers within caves, bridges within caves and waterfalls within caves.

The Lianzhou underground river lies hidden in a karst cave halfway up the high mountain, covering an area of 100,000 m² with 60,000 m² accessible for visitors. The upper two levels feature spectacular sights like the 30 m-high sky-piercing pillar and the immortal field square that can accommodate 10,000 people. The third level consists of a winding underground river where water quietly flows into the cave's depths. The cave presents an extraordinary landscape with endless mountain-water vistas, towering cliffs, and naturally formed majestic openings that create a profound sense of discovering a hidden world - arguably surpassing even the seven-star attraction. With year-round temperatures maintained at 18-22°C, humidity at 96-98%, oxygen levels as high as 21.4-21.6%, and carbon dioxide content merely 0.01-0.019%, the cave offers fresh air, warm winters and cool summers, making it an ideal sanctuary for tourism and summer retreats.

The cave features countless stalactites of diverse shapes and dazzling colors, with the tour area divided into three levels. The upper and middle levels are land layers with tall, spacious halls and solid rock walls, presenting magnificent scenes like "waterfalls," "mountain forests," "secluded valleys," "pastoral fields," and "Yao villages," where flowers bloom in competition and birds soar amid drifting clouds. The lower level is an underground river meandering 1,500 m from north to south, passing through three beautiful gorges and beneath four mountain peaks. The river is 1.6-10 m wide and 1-7 m deep, with breathtaking scenery along both banks, including the cave treasures "Golden rooster heralds the dawn" and "Flying elephant crosses the river," as well as the two-in-one spectacle "Longevity star" in the underground river. There are also nearly 100 natural wonders formed by stone pillars, stone curtains, stalagmites, stone lotus roots, and stone flowers, such as "Flying waterfall and strange rocks" and "Flower and bird divine pavilion." Every natural wonder leaves visitors in awe, making them reluctant to leave.

Lianzhou underground river offers free guide services, and viewing the stone formations with the guide's explanation makes it more fascinating. After walking through the land layer, visitors can board a cruise boat, with each boat accommodating approx. 18 people. The small boat travels along the underground river through winding and narrow passages, where stalactites overhead are within reach. Along the way, you'll pass through three gorges: banana gorge, lotus gorge, and Lianzhou underground river-dragon gate gorge. The stalactite formations on both banks, illuminated by lights, create a breathtaking sight. Visitors often get wet from water droplets falling from the dome, unlike overdeveloped caves that have dried up and lost their vitality. Product type: Land layer tour + cruise. The Lianzhou underground river attraction operates on a single-ticket system for the cave. The standard tour duration is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours (may extend during peak season and holidays). The itinerary includes walking through the land layer and taking a cruise along the underground river. The cruise lasts about 10-15 minutes, and the entire cave tour takes approx. 1.5 hours.