CHINA 5A TRAVEL
The cave works as a single one-way loop — dry galleries on foot, then the river by boat — so the craft is in timing, pairing and pacing. These notes blend official guidance with recent travelers' experience.
Suggested Itinerary
- One day — Underground & Above-Ground Rivers
Drive up from Guangzhou early, enter the cave at the 08:30 opening, lunch in Lianzhou old town, then the Huangchuan Three Gorges cruise and Longtan's Yao dance shows in the afternoon and evening. - Two days — The Lianzhou Weekend
Day 1: cave in the morning, Huangchuan Three Gorges and the Longtan resort in the afternoon, night scenery and Yao shows by the water. Day 2: Millennium Yao Village in Liannan — and Lianzhou Museum if time allows — on the drive south. - Half day — Cave Only
Arrive at opening, walk the galleries, ride the river and sample the cave-aged rice wine near the exit in about two hours, then lunch on Dongbei cured meats back in town.
What to See
The Three-Level Layout
Take the walkways and natural bridges slowly — 'a bridge in the cave, a river under the bridge' is the sight no other cave region repeats so neatly.
Fairy Fields
Terraced rimstone pools brimming with clear, glittering water — catch them from the lower path for the postcard angle.
The Sky-Supporting Pillar
A 30-metre flowstone column propping up the great hall, beside the vast Fairy-Field square — the dry galleries' standout.
The 'Underground Milky Way'
The lit stretch of the lower river, where stalactite reflections break against the bow — hold still for the mirror shots.
Named Rock Sculptures
Nearly 100 named formations — Golden Rooster Heralds the Dawn, Flying Elephant Crossing the River, Waterfall Curtain, Magpie Bridge, Ten Thousand Lamps — each with a story the guide will tell.
The Karst Valley Approach
The 62.1-ha scenic area wraps the cave mouth in forested slopes — the ten-minute uphill walk is the above-ground half of the experience.
Photo Gallery
Tips from Real Travelers
Food & Drink
Lianzhou Choy Sum (连州菜心)
Frost-kissed flowering cabbage at its sweetest November–January — a geographical-indication vegetable celebrated at the winter Choy Sum Festival.
Dongbei Cured Meats (东陂腊味)
Air-dried hams and sausages from the cave's own town, famous across Guangdong — the classic take-home.
Dongbei Shuijiao (东陂水角)
The town's signature steamed dumplings — soft, juicy and best eaten fresh at the source.
Xingzi Red-Bean Paste Cakes
Crisp little pastries from Xingzi town, a Lianzhou classic alongside summer's crystal pears.
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