华阳洞

Huayang Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Damao Rd, Jurong, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China, 213255. (31.792216, 119.316746)
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Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Incandescent
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Address:	Huayang Cave, Damao Rd, Jurong, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China, 213255, Tel: +86-511-8782-7158.
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History

Description

华阳洞 (Huayang Cave) is located on the west side of Laohugang in Maoshan Scenic Area. The cave is long known and was already described in the Maoshan Chronicles from the Qing Dynasty. They say that the cave has five entrances, three visible and two hidden. It was 45 li long from east to west and 35 li wide from north to south, with an empty area of 170 zhang. The entrance which is used today is the west entrance with an inscription cut into the rock above. The three large characters are each about 1 m² in size and according to legend, were written by Su Dongpo, a great calligrapher of the Song Dynasty.

The cave was once the home of Tao Hongjing, a famous Taoist scholar during the Qi and Liang dynasties. He lived her in seclusion and wrote books and taught accepting disciples. The Tang Dynasty poet Liu Changqing praised the cave in a poem, as well as Zhang Shangying in the Song Dynasty.