Beneath the rock

Nazrul Islam Mithu

Water seeps in places, a slow persistence. Elsewhere, the deafening roar of waterfalls ricochets off the uneven ceiling and walls of white limestone. The churning tumult gobbles up other creepier sounds; but somehow, paradoxically, creates a feeling of deep relaxation. Warm artificial light — orange, amber, saffron, crimson — fills up the space, draping it in a theatrical, almost mystical glow. This is yet another wonder, hidden in Yiliang County near Kunming, the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in southwest China.

I am speaking of a particular section, developed for tourists, of a vast limestone karst cave, a part of the Jiuxiang Caves, within the Jiuxiang Scenic Area, a place visited by millions from across the world each year.

The journey toward the cave is itself so intriguing that the sheer depth of its pleasure and surprise remains unfathomable even as you approach the ticket counter. It was unfathomable, too, when I watched the brief three-dimensional video depicting the slow drama of rock formation, the transmutation of life, and the eventual hollowing of the space beneath a mountain wrapped in lush green.

The writer stands inside one of the Jiuxiang Caves at Yiliang County near the Chinese city of Kunming. Photo: Courtesy

The tour included a slow-moving hill train — a ride of no more than ten minutes covering a distance that would require less than five on foot — to reach the platform of a cable car station. The station sits surrounded by miles of open land thick with native vegetation. A nine-minute journey through the air follows.

Once you land at the other end, crossing a vast sweep of picturesque hills dotted with small lakes and settlements, a boat awaits. This brief glide along the Maitian River leads you to yet another boat ride, through the same river now flanked by towering piles of rock.

The only comparison I can offer is the Lost Canyon in Wisconsin Dells — except the Lost Canyon is dry, traversed by horse-drawn carriages, while here, the boat drifts through water, passengers clad in high-safety life jackets and helmets, to witness the beauty of nature.

A narrow bridge runs through one of the Jiuxiang Caves at Yiliang County near the Chinese city of Kunming. Photo: Nazrul Islam Mithu

The wonder truly begins to unfold after the boat journey ends. A sidewalk opens to the right, toward the Gorges and Caves of Jiuxiang, with a warning sign: 'Caution: Slippery Road Ahead'.

Natural daylight still spills into the cascade of standing rock walls. But the deeper you go, the more the atmosphere changes. A warm orange glow appears far ahead, while darkness closes in behind. The view forward resembles a dark cloud carried on a gentle, chilly wind from the uneven limestone ceiling. Below, the Maitian River flows in hymns and rhythm along its rocky bed.

The farther you walk, the colder it grows inside the tunnel, now illuminated by ever more colors of artificial light — as if the sky itself had turned orange in the falling afternoon.

The entrance to a vast limestone karst cave, a part of the Jiuxiang Caves, within the Jiuxiang Scenic Area, located at Yiliang County near Kunming, the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in southwest China. Photo: Nazrul Islam Mithu

More colours join, washing the rock walls and casting a dramatic, earthy radiance. Before you lies a wide, artificially lit passage carved through a massive rock formation. The path is paved with large, dark rectangular stone or concrete tiles arranged in a staggered pattern.

On the right side, a sturdy wooden handrail — thick, natural-looking logs with visible grain and traces of red marking — runs along the edge, offering safety and guidance. 

The ceiling hangs low and dramatic, with massive overhanging rock masses creating an enclosed, immersive feel. 'Mind your head', reads a cautionary sign, asking travelers to take care as they move deeper inside.

It takes more than two hours to walk through this beautifully lit, man-enhanced natural rock tunnel, with its dramatic limestone-like formations, warm coloured lighting, paved walkways and safety railings. Photo: Nazrul Islam Mithu

The tunnel curves gently to the right and continues onward, more colored lights flickering in the distance. Then it veers left, rising into stairs carved through walls and ceiling that display highly irregular, jagged, fractured surfaces — sharp angles, crevices, rounded bulbous protrusions.

Prominent vertical and diagonal cracks suggest natural jointing or fault lines in the bedrock. Many surfaces show rounded, flowing shapes and small hollows, the signature of limestone slowly dissolved by water over millennia.

The Maitian River still runs through, splitting into different streams, forming large waterfalls inside the cave. It creates a surreal feeling inside the tunnel. "What a wonder!" — any visitor, almost spontaneously and automatically, would say in astonishment.

The cave, filled with amazing stalactites and stalagmites, is illuminated with multicolored neon light, like every other cave in China. Photo: Fabio Nodari

The ambiance speaks of mystery and adventure — a marriage of raw, ancient rock with modern safety features and theatrical lighting, creating an otherworldly yet accessible experience. It takes more than two hours to walk through this beautifully lit, man-enhanced natural rock tunnel, with its dramatic limestone-like formations, warm colored lighting, paved walkways, and safety railings.

And yet, it never feels exhausting. The rocks display classic sedimentary textures — solution features, fractures, mineral staining — all beautifully accentuated by the light. It is relaxing.

As I stepped out of the cave, I still felt as though I were in a place still surreal. Surrendering.

* The writer, Nazrul Islam Mithu, is a renowned Bangladeshi journalist and a globetrotter who regularly writes travelogues and essays on varied topics.