Yellow Dragon Cave

Yellow Dragon Cave, located near Zhangjiajie (pronounced jong-jaw-gee-eh) National Park is a massive underground karst cave. It is famed for its size and complexity.

Yellow Dragon Cave Location Map

The cave extends for 15 kilometers (9.32 miles), has 13 chambers, four levels, three underground waterfalls, 3 pools, and an underground lake. The cave’s total area covers about 120 acres (485,622.8 square meters). It is large enough that visitors can take a boat ride on an underground river.

Yellow Dragon Cave Facts

• Chinese Name: Huang Long Cave, 黄龙洞
• Location: Near Wulingyuan district of Zhangjiajie City, Hunan, China
• Average Height: 44 meters (144.36 feet)
• Length: 15 kilometers (9.32 miles)
• Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00 (April 1 - October 15); 08:30-18:00 (October 16 - March 31)
• Best Time to Visit: The cave maintains a constant temperature of 16℃ (about 60℉). So any time of year is good. Weekdays that are NOT holidays are best to avoid crowds.
• Time Needed: 2-3 hours

Yellow Dragon Cave Highlights

1. Dragon Palace

The dragon’s palace is the largest chamber in Huang Long Cave, with an area covering more than 15,000 square meters (161,459 square feet). It also has an average height of 40 meters (131.23 feet). It is truly a gargantuan room.

There are hundreds of stalagmites (the ones that grow from the ground up) that stand over 1 meter (3.28 feet).

The main attraction of Dragon Palace is the “Magic Club,” a stalagmite standing at 19.2 meters (62.34 feet) tall. The stalagmite seems to stand as if by magic, as it is extremely thin in the middle but thick at the base and top.

2. Fairy Waterfall

Also known as the Fairy Palace, this area is a collection of flowstone, a type of limestone formation that resembles a waterfall, reaching 40 meters (131.23 feet) up.

In this area is also Tianxin waterfall, a 30 meters high (98.43 feet) waterfall. It is the widest chamber in the cave, measuring 96 meters (315 feet) north-south, and 105 meters (344.5 feet) east-west.

There are many stairs in Yellow Dragon Cave.

3. Labyrinth

It’s not truly a labyrinth, but more of a chamber that is so densely populated by columns that visitors have to squeeze their bodies in-between them in order to get through the room.

Visitors would be wise to bring a thick hat or helmet, as this is the least-spacious part of the cave open to the public, and the many accidentally hit their heads on the low-hanging stalactites.

4. Xiangshui River

Xiangshui river winds 2800 meters (9186 feet) underground. Were it not for the water, it would be one of the largest chambers of the cave, as the river’s average depth is 6 meters (19.7 feet).

Visitors can take a roughly 10-minute boat ride through the first 800 meters (2,624.7 feet) of the subterranean river. Along the way, they will see unique speleological formations and the occasional giant salamander.

How was Yellow Dragon Cave formed?

Huang Long Cave is a typical karst cave. Karst is a rocky, mountainous formation that is unearthed over millions of years as the soft sediment around the rock is washed away. Guilin and Zhangjiajie are excellent examples of karst landscapes.

Yellow Dragon Cave was formed by water dripping through the upper layers and dissolving limestone over the course of hundreds of millions of years. The water contains carbonic acid from the air and plants above, it then acts as a weak acid, which eats away at the existing rock.

The water also contains previously broken down minerals that form new formations. Formations formed by the slow drip of water include stalactites and stalagmites, pools, columns, massive chambers, and curtains.

Yellow Dragon Cave

In the largest caves, like Yellow Dragon, the water sinks to the lowest areas, forming pools. From these pools, the water drips even lower, forming new chambers and caves beneath the existing cave structure.

Yellow Dragon Cave Travel Tips

The Route Through Yellow Dragon Cave

Travel starts along the underground river in a small boat. After about 10 minutes going 800 meters (2,624.7 feet), visitors move by foot, along natural bridges and paths, from chamber to chamber.

In total, it takes about 2-3 hours to see all of the halls and walk the length of the cave. The total walking distance is around 2.5 kilometers (8,202 feet).

Tips Before You Go

What to Wear: The cave temperature is constant and cool regardless of the season. So dress appropriately. You may want a jacket or long sleeves.

Despite the plethora of man-made trails, you will still come out damp, and most likely, a bit muddy. Wear light shoes or sandals that can dry quickly. Don’t wear anything white or easily stained, as the cave mud is extremely fine and can permanently stain your clothing – in fact, wear clothes that you don’t mind ruining, if possible.

Tickets: Single site tickets (for the cave alone) cost 100 CNY (14.15 $) for an adult, and are free for children below 1.3 meters (4.27 feet), with an additional 3 CNY (0.43$) insurance fee. The latest time you can enter the cave is around 16:00.

During National Holiday (October 1-8) and other extremely busy seasons, you can buy tickets in advance, but otherwise, same-day purchase is fine.

Baofeng Lake or Yellow Dragon Cave?

Baofeng Lake

If you don’t have time for everything in Zhangjiajie, then here are a few ways to choose:

• If the weather is bad, then the cave may be better. Is the view obscured by fog or clouds? Well, the cave is about the same year-round.
• In the depths of frozen winter, Baofeng Lake might not have cruises, which would make the cave a good choice.
• Have you been to other caves in China? Don’t like the gaudy lights and overuse of concrete? Then maybe the lake is for you.

Can you visit Yellow Dragon Cave and the Grand Canyon in one day?

It is definitely possible. Visiting the cave first is definitely recommended- you can overnight in Wulingyuan, visit Huanglong Cave in the morning (before the mist rises), and then visit the canyon after, in the afternoon, when the weather is more clear. The cave is also on the way to the canyon, making the visiting order an even easier decision.

How to Get There?

From Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

It’s about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) to Yellow Dragon Cave. There is no direct bus, so visitors should take a taxi, or a private minivan. Feel free to contact us to arrange a private car!

From Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (Glass Bridge)

The drive from the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon to Huanglong Cave is about 14 km (8.7 miles) and takes about 20 minutes. You can take a coach bus from the canyon to Wulingyuan Coach Station, from there. It’s just a few miles, you can take a bus, taxi, or even walk to the cave.

Nearby Attractions

1. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park – This enormous area is full of attractions and things to do, from hiking to geological marvels, you shouldn’t miss the forest park if you visit Huanglong Cave.

2. Baofeng Lake – Surrounded by verdant trees in the summer time, it’s a nice place to hike, and then take a boat ride through to cool off in the summer.

3. Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge – It is one of the Zhangjiajie Area’s most famous draws- it is the longest glass-bottomed bridge in the world.

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