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Swallow Cave
Known as one of " the biggest
and most splendid cave in Asia," the Swallow Cave Scenic
Region is located in the mountains 30 km east of Jianshui,
and consists of a dry cave, a water cave and a 30,000-square-meter
natural forest, with a total area of 100,000 square meters.
Every year between spring and summer, thousands of swallows
will fly here from Malaysia, building nests and giving birth
to and raising young swallows. Thus it is named "the
Swallow Cave". The local environment is a perfect dwelling
for swallows because steep cliffs make it impossible for
mice and snakes to come up, and bushes and grassland outside
the cave help produce insects that provide abundant food
for swifts. The special ecosystem makes a grand scene-"the
gathering of thousands of swallows".
Swallows build their nests with grass
and their nutritious saliva. The steamed swallows 'nest
is a delicacy-edible bird's nest. Every year from August
8 to 10 during the famous "Bird's Nest Festival",
some local people will climb up the dazzling 50-meter-high
cliffs to fetch these nests. During the three days, many
people will gather here and watch the dangerous but exciting
nest-collecting activity.
Every year on March 21, another special
but even more dangerous and exciting activity is the board-hanging
ceremony. As a rule, firecrackers are let off to express
people's good wishes to climbers. Then in a merry atmosphere,
those brave men slowly and carefully climb up, barehanded.
Although it is very dangerous, no one has failed to hang
a board onto the top. Nowadays, over 1,000 boards hang on
the stalactites over the entrance, some of which have been
there for generations.
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Inside the Swallow Cave, there is
a tourist track of about 3,000 meters. The upper part is
a dry cave and the lower part is a water cave. Along the
track, there are three main scenic areas, namely, "Exploring
Along Dragon Spring", "Picking up Beauty in Heavenly
Streets" and "Wonder Land". The total tourist
area reaches 40,000 square meters. Entering the cave, steeping
up the stairs on the left and passing through a narrow cave,
one arrives at the "air veranda", which gives
people a dazzling feeling. The scene in the water cave is
marvelous as well, which a 50-meter-high and 30-meter-wide
entrance. The Lujiang River pours into the cave through
the entrance as its underground river. Experts have proved
that the water cave has had a history of three million years.
Due to the wash of water, stalactites of different shapes
have come into being. The dry cave is shaped like a grand
hall, big enough to contain 1,000 people. It is a place
for rest and for watching local performances. At the exit,
three different pieces of the sky can be seen at three different
positions. This is another unique scene, which adds luster
to the cave.
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