[2025 Yixing Attraction] Travel Guide for Zhang Gong Cave (Updated May)

Here's a travel guide for Yixing Yaohu Town 🎀🎀: 🎈Preparation 🏷- Documents: Bring your ID card and other documents like student or senior cards for discounted tickets. 🏷- Clothing: Pack long-sleeve jackets for spring and fall, light breathable clothes and sun protection for summer, and warm clothing for winter. 🏷- Items: Phone, camera, charger, power bank, and comfortable shoes. 🚌Transportation Guide 🚗- Driving: About 1.5 hours from Wuxi/Changzhou via S48 Shanghai-Yixing Highway (Yunhu exit); about 2 hours from Nanjing/Suzhou. 🚄- High-speed rail: Take a taxi for about 40 minutes from Yixing Station to the town. 🚍- Bus: Take Yixing rural bus route 202, though service is limited. 🌲Attractions 💐- Yaohu Core Area: Enjoy lakeside walks and cycling during the day; watch light shows at night (open on weekends and holidays). Take a rowing boat to experience the charm of Jiangnan water towns. 🌷- Pottery Culture Experience Area: Try hand-making pottery and purple clay teapots at pottery workshops; appreciate traditional Yixing purple clay and Jun pottery at the exhibition hall. 🌹- Tea Gardens and Bamboo Forests: Experience tea picking and tasting in spring; hike through the bamboo forest sanctuary for a serene atmosphere. 🥃Food Recommendations 🧉️- Yixing Black Rice: Glutinous rice with Nanzhu leaves, fragrant and soft. 🍹- Salted Meat with Bamboo Shoots: Tender local bamboo shoots stewed with salted meat, delicious flavor. 🍸- Yangxian Snow Bud Tea: Local green tea with a fresh, sweet aftertaste. 🍻- Heqiao Dried Tofu: A specialty snack with rich braised flavor. 🏠Accommodation Options ⛪- Yaohu Resort Hotel: Located in town, newly opened in 2024, elegant environment. ⛪- Yixing Longyin Creek Mountain Homestay: 10-minute drive, wabi-sabi design style. ⛪- Yixing Futao Hot Spring Hotel: 15-minute drive, perfect for relaxing in hot springs. 💡💡Travel Tips 🛎- Best Season: Spring and autumn are ideal; tea picking from March to May, beautiful autumn colors from September to November. 🛎- Visit Duration: Half-day tour can include lake scenery, pottery experience, and tea tasting; full-day tour can be combined with Yixing Bamboo Sea or Zhanggong Cave.

#discoverchina For those who crave excitement, Zhanggong Cave offers an exhilarating journey into the depths of nature’s masterpiece. This karst cave is not just about stunning rock formations—it’s a real adventure, where twists, turns, and hidden chambers keep explorers on their toes. The cool, shadowy passages create an atmosphere of mystery, while towering stalactites and eerie limestone corridors set the scene for an unforgettable expedition. Whether navigating the rugged terrain or marveling at nature’s underground artistry, this cave is perfect for thrill-seekers looking for something beyond the ordinary. Zhanggong Cave isn’t just a scenic spot—it’s an experience that pushes curiosity and exploration to new heights. 🌿✨🏞️🧗♂️

📍Zhangyang Village, Huqi Town, Yixing City, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province. ☀️***Tickets***: Tickets (cave + pottery bar) are 70 yuan for adults and 35 yuan for students; combined ticket is 160 yuan, including cave, pottery bar, rafting, underground river exploration, etc. 🚉Transportation strategy: 1. By car: Take the Yixing exit of Ninghang Expressway, or take the Yixing exit of Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway or Xiyi Expressway. 2. Public transportation: There are minibuses that go directly to Yixing from the parking lot on the west side of Wuxi Railway Station. You can transfer to the tourist bus line at Yixing Bus Station. 👍Recommended attractions: 1. Zhanggong Cave: The area of ​​the cave is more than 3,000 square meters. There are sea house squares, sea king hall, etc. There are caves in the cave, which are connected to each other, and there are a variety of landscapes such as stalactites. 2. Dongling Temple: It was first built in the Tang Dynasty and rebuilt in 1995. It has eight temples including Lingguan Temple, Jade Emperor Temple, Tianshi Temple, and Sanqing Temple. 3. Harmony Square: Also called Tai Chi Square, it has a sculpture called "Harmony Water Granting". There are interesting interactive phenomena when you insert coins. 4. Taoist Cultural Monument Gallery: ⛰️Records of the founders of Taoism, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Gengsangzi, and the Eight Immortals, showing the charm of Taoist culture. 5. Liangji Pavilion: There is a stele in the pavilion that was used by the Ming and Qing dynasties. On one side is the cursive-scripted stele of "Travels to Zhanggong Cave and Yunutan" by Ye Xianggao of the Ming Dynasty, and on the other side is the founding record of Chaoyang Taoist Temple.

It is rumored to be the place where Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals, practiced Taoism. The cave is very cool (suitable for summer). The main hall in the cave is the filming location of the TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". There are also many undeveloped small caves inside, some places are particularly low and slippery, please pay attention to safety! Especially the elderly and children! There is also a Taoist temple at the exit, you can worship according to personal preferences. In addition, there are other entertainment projects such as drifting to choose from.

Escape the concrete jungle of Shanghai 🏃‍♀️ and plan a weekend trip to a nearby small town with friends. With limited time, we did our homework and chose Yixing Yangxian 🉑️. “Buy a field in Yangxian and grow old there, simply because of the beautiful streams and mountains.” I have to say, we chose Yangxian partly because of this poem by Su Dongpo. A place where he was willing to settle and retire must be worth looking forward to 🥳. Let's talk about a few must-visit spots ✍️. ✔️ Zhangzhu Food Street 📍 Location: No. 78, Renmin South Road As a food blogger, the first thing to do in a new place is to eat, eat, eat! Zhangzhu Food Street is worth checking out. It's not very big, but there are many delicious foods. Highly recommended are Sanwuqiao Pancakes, Lao Wu Wontons, and Lu Ji Soup Dumplings (see a separate article on Yangxian snacks for a detailed guide 😎). 〰️ ✔️ Blueberry Picking 📍 Location: Near Jianzhuang, Daxuan Line, Yixing City, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province Yangxian not only has nationally famous peaches 🍑 and bayberries, There are many fresh fruits worth trying all year round. June is the blueberry 🫐 season, so we arranged to visit a local blueberry orchard to experience the fun of picking. Unlike the blueberries from the northeastern plains, these are mountain blueberries with 3-4 varieties. Grown with mountain spring water, they are particularly fragrant and sweet 😋. After the rain, it wasn't very hot, and the orchard owner thoughtfully prepared sun protection sleeves. Everyone can pick 2 pounds to take home, which is really fulfilling ✌️. 〰️ ✔️ Hongshanwu 📍 Location: No. 99, Hehuasi, Nanmen Village, Zhangzhu Town A free attraction, and it smells great! 🉑️. When we arrived, it had just rained 🌧️. From a distance, the misty rain and the reflections of the lake and buildings created a picturesque scene. In the haze, it felt like traveling back to the Jiangnan water town described in ancient poems. Listening to the sound of flowing water under the small bridges and enjoying the ancient charm, it was particularly photogenic! 📷. 〰️ ✔️ Zhanggong Cave Scenic Area 📍 Location: Zhangyang Village, Yixing City, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province A 4A-level scenic area, the legendary “paradise on earth, a wonder in the world” is here 🤩. It is also the cave residence of Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals, which adds a sense of mystery. A single ticket allows you to enjoy everything. It is recommended to first visit the Zisha Experience Hall to create your own zodiac Zisha ornament 😉. Then, climb the ladder and cross the sky bridge to reach the top of Mengfeng Mountain ⛰️. After that, experience bamboo rafting and underground river exploration, which are thrilling and fun, relieving stress and bringing joy 🥳. 〰️ Two days to fall in love with a small town 😘. Experience slow time between mountains and waters. This is the leisure and ease that first-tier cities lack. With mountains, water, and delicious food, Yangxian is worth another visit! After all, places like Bamboo Sea and Yun Lake are still left for next time.

😍Dear friends, today I want to recommend Jiangsu Yixing to you, a charming place👏! Yixing is known as the "Ancient Capital of Pottery, World of Caves, Oasis of Tea, and Ocean of Bamboo"😜. It boasts beautiful natural scenery, rich historical culture, and delicious local cuisine, making it a paradise for tourists😎! Top 10 Attractions and Opening Hours: 1. 🏞️Yixing Bamboo Sea: Open all day. The dense bamboo forest and fresh air make you feel like you are in a green ocean🎋. 2. 🌅Shanjuan Cave: 7:30-17:00. The cave scenery is magical, with various shapes of stalactites that are astonishing👀. 3. 🌊Zhanggong Cave: 7:30-17:00. The underground river rafting is thrilling and fun, giving you a unique experience😜. 4. 🤩Longbeishan Forest Park: Open all day. The beautiful scenery is a great place for leisure walks👣. 5. 🏯Ceramics Museum: 8:30-17:00. An excellent place to learn about Yixing's ceramic culture🎨. 6. 🌸Yangshan Dang Park: Open all day. The sea of flowers by the lake is breathtaking, perfect for photography📸. 7. 🛤️Linggu Cave: 8:00-16:30. The strange rocks inside the cave are fascinating🤩. 8. 🌳Longchi Mountain Bicycle Park: Open all day. Ride through the beautiful nature and feel the embrace of the wind🚲. 9. 🏛️Dongpo Academy: 8:00-17:00. Feel the literary atmosphere and appreciate the charm of history📜. 10. 🌾Yunv Pool: 7:30-16:30. The clear mountains and waters are like a paradise on earth😍. Reasons for Recommendation: These attractions each have their own unique features. Whether you want to enjoy natural scenery or learn about historical culture, they can meet your needs👏. Travel Route: Day 1: Yixing Bamboo Sea - Ceramics Museum Day 2: Shanjuan Cave - Zhanggong Cave - Longbeishan Forest Park Day 3: Linggu Cave - Dongpo Academy - Yunv Pool Preparation Before Departure: 🎒Light backpack 🚗Transportation planning 📱Phone charger 📷Camera Local Cuisine: 1. 🍲Yixing Wumi Rice: Fragrant and soft👄. 2. 🐟Yixing Gehu Lake Crab: Fresh and delicious, with full crab roe😋. 3. 🍜Yixing Bamboo Shoots: Tender and tasty, with a chewy texture👅. 4. 🍗Yixing Braised Chicken: Rich in flavor, perfect with rice😍. 5. 🍘Yixing Sweet Taro: Sweet but not greasy, soft and fragrant👍. 6. 🍲Yixing Clay Pot Fish Head: The fresh fish soup is unforgettable😜. 7. 🥟Yixing Xiaolongbao: Thin skin and large filling, a bite full of happiness🤩. 8. 🍜Yixing Tofu Pudding: Delicate and smooth, with special seasoning, simply amazing👏! Local Specialties: 1. 🏺Yixing Zisha Teapot 2. 🌳Yixing Yangxian Tea 3. 🎨Yixing Ceramics 4. 🌰Yixing Chestnuts 5. 🐟Yixing Silver Fish 6. 🎻Yixing Bamboo Flute Travel Tips: 🚩Pay attention to safety 🚩Respect local customs 🚩Protect the environment Yixing, a place that makes people linger😍. Dear friends, hurry up and go on a spontaneous trip👏!

🌅**Day 1: Yixing in the Early Morning, Dancing with Tea** In the early morning, take a stroll in **Yixing Tea Garden**, feel the tranquility amidst the lush greenery. The sunlight filters through the tea trees, casting mottled shadows, a perfect time for taking photos. For lunch, **Yixing Tea Restaurant** is recommended, where you can taste the authentic Yixing tea-flavored chicken and tea snacks. In the afternoon, visit **Yixing Ceramic Museum** to appreciate the charm of ceramic art. At night, head to **Jiubin Night Market** to try local snacks and experience the city's nightlife. 🏞**Day 2: The Call of Nature, Exploring Yixing's Mountains and Waters** Get up early and drive to **Bamboo Sea Scenic Area** to feel the serenity and tranquility deep within the bamboo sea. For lunch, **Bamboo Sea Villa** is recommended, where you can taste bamboo tube rice and bamboo shoot stewed chicken. In the afternoon, continue your adventure to **Shanjian Cave**, to experience the natural wonders. At night, return to the city and take a walk on **Walking Street**, feeling the night colors of Yixing. 🍲**Day 3: Culinary Journey, The Taste of Yixing** For breakfast, **Old Yixing Noodle House** is recommended, try the authentic Yixing Xiaolongbao and Yangchun noodles. Then, head to **Zisha Village** to experience the fun of making a purple clay pot by hand. For lunch, dine at **Zisha Village Farmhouse** to taste the delicious home-cooked meals. In the afternoon, proceed to **Zhanggong Cave** to explore the mysterious world of karst caves. At night, take a walk in **Lakeside Park** to enjoy the peaceful night of Yixing. 💡**Warm Tips**: 1. Please check the weather forecast before you go and prepare sunscreen and rain gear. 2. Pay attention to safety during your visit and follow the regulations of the scenic area. 3. When tasting food, please order in moderation to avoid waste.

🚗🚗🚗 Travel Route: Day1: Zhanggong Cave > Yada•Yangxianxi Mountain Town Center → Taozu Holy Land → Yixing Bamboo Sea It takes 3H to navigate from Suzhou to Zhanggong Cave in Yixing (a bit congested during May Day), and parking at the scenic area is quite convenient. Zhanggong Cave: Entered from the cave entrance and somehow ended up climbing the mountain, descending from the Taoist temple. There is a pottery art gallery at the exit where you can make clay pottery for free. Yangxianxi Mountain Town: A free scenic area, next to it should be Dongpo Pavilion, worth a visit, with nice scenery, and you can have lunch here. Missed Linggu Cave, which is a bit of a pity. Yunv Pool, a small mine pit, was also not visited. Taozu Holy Land and Bamboo Tip Corridor (glass walkway) are together, Taozu Holy Land has Fan Li Cave, even more magical than Zhanggong Cave, worth a visit. The Yixing Bamboo Sea is so-so, with swings for children to play in the bamboo forest, and the glass walkway has been there for many years, a bit worn. Suzhou Leisure Annual Card and Water Charm Jiangsu Tourism Annual Card include admission, but the little train inside Taozu Holy Land cannot be ridden with the card. These four attractions are more or less on the same road, worth visiting if time allows, with zero admission fee. Dinner: Recommend Dream City, Jiangnan Dongfeng in Zhangzhu Town, with an average cost of thirty to forty per person for a decent meal.

Yixing Bamboo Sea is located in the county-level city of Yixing in Wuxi City, a "famous pottery capital of China and a tourist city of Taihu Lake Scenic Area" at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. Bamboo Sea Introduction: Yixing is rich in bamboo, and has been known as the "ocean of bamboo" since ancient times. The Bamboo Sea stretches for 800 miles, covering hundreds of thousands of acres in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, and is beautiful and spectacular. The Bamboo Sea Scenic Area is located in the center of the ocean of bamboo. The central area of the scenic area covers 10,000 acres and is known as the "First Bamboo Sea in East China", "First Source of Taihu Lake" and "First Peak in Southern Jiangsu". It is a representative scenic area of bamboo scenery, bamboo sentiment and bamboo culture in China. The scenic area is beautiful with clear water and mountains. Within a day, between the four seasons, it is naturally interesting. Bamboo Sea Tourist Attractions Mirror Lake: There are a large number of living fossils - peach blossom jellyfish in the Mirror Lake of the scenic area. Seabed: Watching bamboo at the bottom of the sea, through the misty fog, you can see the deep and shallow green, the swaying bamboo shadows, the waves, the wonderful and magical, in the bamboo sea, people are also green, the heart is also green, listening to the bamboo waves with a green heart, sand... sand... sand... like a kind mother singing a warm lullaby, soft, tactful, harmonious, smooth, the sound of the bamboo sea, how fragrant, how beautiful. Natural Oxygen Bar: Doing 15 deep breaths here will give you a fairy-like drunkenness. Concentrate and breathe, as if you really breathe with the earth, like forgetting all the worldly things. Stretch out your arms, to the sky, to the mountains, sing freely, that distant echo, that sound of the wind passing through the bamboo forest, and the voice of the heart that breathes with the earth, intertwined into a green bamboo love song. Tickets Adult ticket: 70 yuan Scenic area opening hours: 8:00-16:30 Bamboo Sea Accommodation and Catering: 1. Yixing Xingwang Cultural Park 2. Yixing Ding Shu New Port Bay Hotel 3. Yixing Yunhaijian Resort Hotel 4. Yixing Bamboo Sea International Conference Center The hotel has several luxury Chinese and Western restaurants and multi-function banquet halls. Chinese food - elegant and chic, you can see the continuous bamboo sea view outdoors, the interior is a combination of European and modern minimalist design style, known for its exquisite mountain delicacies and local dishes. Western Restaurant Coffee Shop - exudes a romantic and leisurely California style, integrated with the outdoor green shade, combined with mouth-watering global cuisine, people linger. Bamboo Sea Surrounding Attractions: Yixing Shanjuan Cave: Shanjuan Cave is the first of the "three caves" in Yixing, and is known as one of the three wonders of the world with the Han Cave in Belgium and the Lyon Cave in France. It is the "hometown of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in China", and it has the "first slide in East China". Zhang Gong Cave: Yixing is a typical karst landform. According to the records of Yixing County Chronicles, there are 84 limestone caves, so it is called "Dongtian World". "Yuquan Cave" is the sixth karst cave developed in Yixing. The new cave is characterized by underground dark rivers. The underground river twists and turns, running through the entire mountain. The strange rocks in the cave are rugged, and the stone pillars, stalagmites, stone curtains, and stalactites in several halls are well preserved. The hall in the cave is like a fairy palace, which is beautiful. The Yixing Bamboo Sea in winter is even more dreamlike, with snow filling the air, presenting a scene of silver-clad purity. When bamboo meets snow, it is a natural elegance.

Shanjuan Cave is located in the southwest of Yixing City, China, and is a famous limestone karst cave scenic area. Upon entering the cave, visitors seem to have entered a magnificent underground palace, where they can not only appreciate the crystal-clear stalactites, but also see the magnificent natural boulders. There is also an underground dark river flowing in the cave, bringing a unique tour experience for visitors. Shanjuan Cave is one of the three caves in Yixing, the other two are Zhanggong Cave and Linggu Cave. Among them, Shanjuan Cave is the most representative, opened to the public in 1934, and is one of the earliest open karst cave tourist areas in China. After entering the scenic area, visitors will first see the statue of Shanjuan, a poet during the reign of Emperor Shun, who got the name 'Shanjuan Cave' because he lived in this cave. Walking from the gate of the scenic area towards Shanjuan Cave, you will pass through the Savage Valley, where there will be a 'savage performance' at regular intervals. You can see actors dressed as savages performing fire-breathing, hair-swinging dances and other programs, but sometimes they will wait until there are more tourists to perform. Shanjuan Cave is composed of four caves: upper, middle, lower, and water, each with different scenes. You can take a boat tour in the water cave, which is very interesting. The middle cave is the entrance of Shanjuan Cave. This cave is a natural large stone hall, naturally formed and magnificent. On both sides of the stone hall, there are huge stones resembling green lions and white elephants, realistic and mighty, so the middle cave is also called 'Lion Elephant Arena'.

The lake's father has many holes, and the karst terrain makes it a "rich" cave. For those who come here, "hiding into the 'hole' into a unified system, managing his spring and summer and autumn and winter" is the best choice to avoid the summer heat - although the temperature in the hole does not let you break into the ice The feeling of the cave, but once you get to the hole, look at the cold white mist that rushes out and let you enter the cool world. Zhanggongdong can be said to be one of the most famous caves of the lake. Like almost all tourist attractions in China, it also has an "old legend" - it is said that Zhang Daoling of the Han Dynasty and Zhang Guo of the Tang Dynasty They have all cultivated here. But I am interested in the development history of Zhanggongdong. The development of Zhanggongdong can be traced back to a village called Yixing Township in the south of Yixing Township. It started construction in 1919, and it has been developing intermittently for more than 10 years. Finally, in 1934. Opened at the end of the year. In other words, during the Republic of China, there were many ethnic entrepreneurs, mostly machinery and textiles, and tourist developers were quite rare. From this, I can see that although I did not know why Shuxiang had done this tourism development in the past, it was indeed in the forefront of the times. From the largest Haiwang Hall in the cave, the temperature rises steadily, and the hole is drilled. It is already the peak of Mengfeng. Looking back, it is like stepping out from a huge eggshell. The wonder of Zhang Gongdong is really "Go to heaven."