The Swallow Cave is situated 40 kilometers east of Jianshui county. It is a gigantic karst cave in the ravine of the Lujiang River. Hundreds of thousands of swallows fly to the cave in spring and summer, so it was called the Swallow Cave. The Swallow Cave is also named after the population of swallows that nest in its impressive portal, which is 30 meters wide and 50 meters high. The steep wall protects the birds from enemies such as snakes and mice. They raise their children in the cave entrance and build nests of saliva. The steamed swallow's nest is edible and considered a delicacy. The swallows fly from Malaysia. They belong to “white-waist swifts” species.  

    The cave has two sections: one is on the left, and the other is on the right. It has a great hall which can hold one thousand people. Originally, there was a three-layered pavilion with a giant tree growing through the roofs, called“an arrow piercing through the pavilions”. It is a great pity that although the tree is still there, the pavilion is no longer staying. There are engraved inscriptions composed by ancient people on the rock walls. Regarding “A cave locks the three heavens” and “A marvelous scene never to be found elsewhere in the world”. 

    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 street” and “dream world”. 

    With stone steps on the left of the hall-like cave, and going through a small hole and another stone hall, there will be a wooden plank road leading to another pavilion on the cliffs. The plank road is about 33 meters high, hanging over the Lujiang River, with only a wooden pillar supporting the pavilions on the protruding rock, just like a basket with eggs hanging on the cliff. It is popularly known as a “pavilion suspended in the air”. It has now been reconstructed and made into a reinforced concrete“Air Veranda”, peeping down from the balcony will make you dizzy. 

        The lower cave is about 33 meters in height, with myriads of stalactites hanging down from the roof. The Lujiang River flows into the cave and becomes a subterranean river, running for 7 to 8 kilometers inside the cave. Inside the cave, the roaring of the rushing river and the twittering of the swallows can be beautiful sounds. People had composed poems comparing the swallow's sound to the battle cries of the warriors engaged in a fierce struggle at Feishui, a famous battlefield of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

    From time immemorial, the Swallow Cave has attracted numerous visitors from near and far, and people passing by this place consider it a great pleasure to visit the Swallow Cave because this is a place where Marshal Zhu De had visited the cave on many occasions during his lifetime. 

Photo Resource: Internet

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