Notes on Flying Tiger Cave
Flying Tiger Cave is located within the Longshan Grand Canyon Scenic Area. On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month in 2002, I stayed one night with photographer Luo Zhaoyong in Jiatianxi, Longshan. After interviewing Commander Qu Boping, the next day we walked more than 20 li to the side of a highway from Longshan to Guitang, then hitchhiked more than 10 kilometers to reach the grand canyon. At that time, the sign hanging here called it Huoyan Scenic Area. After getting off the bus and buying tickets to enter, I saw a stone arch bridge flying across the stream mouth…
Feihu Cave is located within the Longshan Grand Canyon Scenic Area. On the 27th day of the 12th lunar month in 2002, I stayed overnight with photographer Luo Zhaoyong in Jiatianxi, Longshan. After interviewing Commander Qu Boping, we walked over 10 kilometers the next day to a section of road leading from Longshan to Guitang, then hitchhiked over 10 kilometers to reach the Grand Canyon. At that time, the sign here read Huoyan Scenic Area.
After getting off, we bought tickets and entered, and saw a stone arch bridge spanning the stream mouth. Standing on the arch bridge and carefully observing the scenery, I found this place very distinctive. First was that long stream, winding and turning, appearing full and deep, lovely in its emerald green. On both banks of the stream, several villas were built against the mountains, with green willows and bamboo partially veiling the stream gully, adding to the charm of this little stream.
Even more remarkable was that just across the stream there was a cave, with a small boat placed at its entrance. Inside the cave it was dark and eerie, unfathomably deep. The water in the cave merged with the stream water, making it impossible to tell whether the stream flowed into the cave or the cave water flowed into the stream. Because there were few companions, we did not take a boat in to view the cave. Following the stream downstream, there were several more quite remarkable karst caves. For example, the Remi Cave has over 30 wondrous stalactite scenes, among them a sky-piercing pillar over 40 meters high with a circumference of 3.4 meters. In the Stone Flower Cave, there is a stalactite stone flower that looks like a blooming plum blossom. The amazing Wind Cave has a strong wind continuously blowing out from within; using this wind power, a generator was installed at the cave entrance, specifically to supply lighting for the scenic area.
Above the road on the right side of the stream, looking up one can see another enormous rock cave—this cave is Feihu Cave. From the cave entrance to the roadside is a stone stairway thirty to forty meters high and over ten meters wide. The first time, because the cave door was tightly locked, I did not go in and only looked for a while from the roadside. On December 19, 2006, accompanying a film crew from Hunan Political and Legal Channel, I drove from Longshan county town and once again arrived in front of Feihu Cave. This time I finally walked into the cave. I saw that the cave entrance is very spacious, with a basketball court inside, the ground hardened with cement. It is said that during the Great Leap Forward era, four iron-smelting furnaces were built inside, and during the "Cultural Revolution," the commune revolutionary committee often held mass meetings in the cave. Now, various sports competitions in the county are still often held here. In addition, the Tujia people of Longshan County often perform the Hand-Waving Dance here on holidays. Inside Feihu Cave, a tourist path has been built further in, but due to time constraints, we did not go in to see it. It is unknown how far this cave extends; it is said that explorers from abroad have entered many times to explore. Before Liberation, the largest armed leader in Longshan County, Qu Bojie, once captured a "fat sheep" (a wealthy landlord) and ordered his men to hold the hostage in this cave. Later, a Nationalist regiment commander was ordered to suppress the bandits at Feihu Cave, and the two sides fought for several days and nights. Finally the attacking troops broke into the cave and saw that the "fat sheep" was still tied up, not killed, but they did not catch a single defender—they had already slipped out through another cave entrance.
There are many mysterious and legendary matters inside Feihu Cave that are little known. And within the beautiful Grand Canyon Scenic Area, the total number of karst caves is in the hundreds. What has been developed for tourism so far is only a small portion. With so many karst caves and this deep-pool stream, viewing them is truly delightful. Unfortunately, when we visited it was winter; if one visited in midsummer, the cool, refreshing feeling would surely be even more pleasant and comfortable!