|
|
|
||||||||
|
DFP'S PLACE
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
REMEMBERING GUILIN'S REED FLUTE CAVE...
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Although it has a population of well over a million, Guilin is as country as a city can get in this part of China. Unlike some of China’s more northern metropolises, Guilin does not have extensive suburbs or an expansive outlying urban area. Here, country and city are more precisely divided; and lots of green fields, rice paddies, placid rivers, and “dragon teeth” mountains can be found not far from the city center. Unfortunately, like Shanghai, the June humidity in Guilin was practically intolerable. So, what better way to find some relief than to drop into a cave?
Well, it just so happens that Guilin has a remarkable cave to drop into. It is the Ludi Yan, or “Reed Flute” cave. The cave got its name from the reeds which used to grow around the cave’s entrance. These had musical qualities much suited for flutes. Alas, today there are no more musical reeds; and, in fact, you must climb up several terraces to reach the cave entrance.
The interior of the cave is damp, cool, and humid; and it is not unusual to find a drop or two of calcium carbonate dropping on your head every now and then. There are some fantastic formations inside, most of them back-lit by multicolored lights. You will find lions, vegetables, a snowman, Santa, theatre curtains, and hundreds of stalactites and stalagmites that don’t resemble anything in particular.
The highlight of the cave is the “Crystal Palace”, the largest room in the cave. It can hold over 1,000 people, and it served as a bomb shelter during World War II. Here, there is a large, natural reflecting pool behind which are small formations which, combined, look like a modern cityscape. Quite extraordinary.
Unfortunately, my camera was insufficient to the task of taking photos in the cave, and the postcards that I bought of the cave formations refused to upload. So please utilize the links provided below to check out the Reed Flute Cave.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![](http://www.myaffiliateprogram.com/u/infohub/b.asp?id=2013&img=banners/120x60/29.jpg&p=scripts/HTML_cgi/affiliate/index.php?af_type=1&cus_id=29") |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SOME RELATED SITES:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| page created with Easy Designer |