It is not just the vast glaciers, the lofty peaks and the tropical forests that hide dazzling delights away from the glaring human vision. Because even the deep and dark caverns concealed by Mother Earth are home to equally stunning sights that leave you craving for more.

Image by rpoll

Concealed in the anonymity of the northwest region of Guilin in China, this is the visually dramatic Reed Flute Cave that stuns with its beauty and enormity, its sights, sounds, shades and colors.

Image by proggie

Image by proggie

Nestled five kilometers away from the quiet city of Guilin in the shoulder of the Guangming Hill, the caves of Reed Flute are a must-stop spot on the map of any tourist who wishes to experience China’s finest.

Legends of the past, mythical stories shrouded in mystery, wartime relief and modern tourism, the cave’s astonishing depths (240 meters) hide  a subterranean universe unlike anything else you have experienced ever before; an awesome array of stalactite and stalagmite structures formed 600,000 years ago and continually shaped ever since by a cave river.

Image by proggie

Image by proggie

Image by proggie

But what you get once you step inside is anything but dark caverns and suffocating depths. That’s because it’s been “pimped” into an ambient spectacle of lights and sounds. Dubbed by the locals as the “Palace of natural arts”, it got its name from the verdant reeds growing at the cave’s mouth, that people have been using to build flutes from. After stepping inside you can find shapes such as Pines in the Snow, Mushroom Hills, A Dragon Pagoda, Sky-Scraping Twins, Virgin Forests and Red Curtain. Of course, it does help if you have a vibrant and active imagination.

Image by kamarochi

Image by kamarochi

The underwater river and the cave roof on top are illuminated in cold-blue to create a glacial effect – the best chamber of them all. Then there is the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, which can hold more than 1000 people and houses the fabled Dragon King’s magic needle. Legend has it that it was used as a weapon by the Monkey King in the popular Chinese fable and novel “Journey to the West.” Apart from these sweeping large chambers inside the cave, the multitude of formations and the innovative lighting will leave you with a rich vein of memories.

Image by cheddarcheez

Image by oopsilon

Image by Kent Wang

The Reed Flute Cave has huge historical significance as well as it acted as refuge to thousands of war soldiers during the Sino-Japanese war.

The entire cave system has been open to tourists since 1962 and while 240 meters is not a terribly huge cave system, the formation makes up in quality for what it lacks in quantity.