Self-driving through the Xijiang Corridor to Baishiyan and Shuanglong Cave

Baishiyan and Shuanglong Cave are located at the foot of Longshan Mountain in Yulao Town, both of which are Carboniferous limestone lava landscapes. In the scorching afternoon sun, climbing the steps to the entrance of Baishiyan, which is tens of meters above the ground, you are immediately enveloped by the cold air inside the cave, and the summer heat dissipates instantly. The cave ceiling is as white as jade, resembling a fairyland. Stalagmites stand tall like dense forests, and the stone waterfalls flow like the Milky Way in reverse. The stone walls have curtains of west wind and floating clouds, and the ground springs with stone flowers like lotus reflections in a cold pond, with neon lights flashing, making it hard to distinguish between reality and fantasy. The deeper you go, the more slippery the stone steps become, and the cold seeps into your skin. With every step, the scenery changes. The cave chambers are as spacious as halls, and looking up, one wonders how high the ceiling is. A sudden long howl echoes deeply and continuously. There are sights named 'Eight Immortals Celebrating Longevity', 'Water Flooding Jinshan', 'Lantern Festival', 'Cloud-Lingering Pagoda', 'Spring Colors of the South', all magnificent works of nature's craftsmanship. Unaware of how long you've walked, you suddenly feel a gentle breeze and dazzling sunlight. Stepping out of the cave entrance, you find yourself halfway up the mountain, transitioning from winter to summer in an instant, and soon you are sweating profusely again. After turning over a hundred steps, a small store suddenly appears, and two young companions run towards it excitedly, wielding ice cream and Sprite, busy and overjoyed. Not far away, under a stone cliff, incense curls around, and a sign hanging above shines brightly in the sunlight with red background and yellow characters: 'A firecracker goes off, and a fortune in gold is made.' Reaching the opposite mountain peak, a row of wooden fences stretches across, resembling a bandit's stronghold. The cave entrance is deep, and the interior is spacious. To the right, a wooden ladder leans against the stone wall, about ten meters high, made of fir and polished to a shine, known as the 'Century Ladder', used by the mountain people as a lookout to avoid bandits in the past. Passing through the Changle Hall, there is a woman performing the Rainbow Skirt Dance. Moving forward, you see stalagmites like a forest, called the Arhat Temple. Bodhidharma sits cross-legged facing the wall, with countless arhats behind him. Further on is the 'Undersea Dragon Palace', where you don't see a dragon emerging from the sea, but you do see a man-made green python coiling around. The stone walls are painted with various colors, resembling grass and vines, and there is a woman posing as a dragon maiden with seductive eyes and enchanting demeanor. Walking through a narrow staircase, the wonder grows. The stone walls are sprinkled with gold dust, treasure chests half-open along the way, with gold and jewels scattered beside the path, as if entering Alibaba's treasure cave. Indeed, as the music turns melodious, three Arabian-dressed dancers holding small clay pots begin to sway to the drumbeat, their ornaments jingling and hips undulating. After winding out of the cave, it's like waking from a dream. The sun is high in the sky, the mountains are lush with greenery, and a pond reflects the blue sky, with lotus leaves and a few blooming lotuses still thriving... Crossing the Yuelong Bridge and passing Taohua Island without seeing peach blossoms, only when looking back do we see the entrance to Shuanglong Cave on the left side of our exit. In the evening, we stay at Qingwatay, gazing at the Longshan Great Buddha, which looks out over a pond full of green lotus leaves. Must-try delicacies: Hejiang fresh fish (eaten for two meals), Luodong beef jerky (you need good teeth for this), farmhouse treasures, and local pork.