Jiudongtian Scenic Area
Jiudongtian, which means "nine caves in the sky" in Chinese, is 60 kilometers away from Bijie's Dafang county and 50 km away from Nayong county. The area has an average annual temperature of 11.8 C, an average annual rainfall of 1,086 millimeters, and an annual sunshine of about 1,440 hours.
The Jiudongtian Scenic Area is located on the border between Nayong and Dafang counties in Guizhou Province. Being situated about 228 kilometers (around 142 miles) from Guiyang, it covers an area of about 10 square kilometers (around 2471 acres). It has rare features which are to be found both above and below ground. These include both 'u' and 'v' shaped valleys, limestone caves and underground streams. Some geologists consider that Jiudongtian is a marvelous natural phenomenon which outshines any other limestone region in the world. It is a national 4A-level scenic spot which is home to rivers, canyons, caves, sinkholes, peaks and fossils, making it "the encyclopedia of China's karst landscape".
The Liuchong River runs under the earth at the Jiudongtian Scenic Area. At this point the river is named the Guazhong Underground River. Downstream the underground river runs across mountain ridges and comes to the surface at nine points. This gives the appearance of nine pearls threaded onto a pearl necklace. Tourists who travel along the underground river are amazed when the darkness under the earth is suddenly broken by bright daylight as the river momentarily surfaces. The nine caves have various shapes; some are like gourds whilst others, for example, are shaped like the leg of an elephant. Each cave contains spectacular karst features. Furthermore, located in the second cave, there is the Jiudongtian Hydropower Station which is the only natural limestone cave power station in China. Other features to be found in the caves include a large natural bridge, an extensive underground lake and several waterfalls.
Tourists can travel in this scenic area either along the underground river or on foot via a cement road.
