Leigong Cave

2020-11-12

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a natural stone cave was discovered in a deep gorge at the junction of Xiacheng and Dahuping villages in Yijiahe Village, Zhelin. The cave is 5 meters high and extends more than 300 meters into the mountain. On either side of the cave entrance stand two stone pillars, as tall as the cave itself, which have formed naturally. Locals call them the “General Trees.” Inside the cave, immortals used to seek refuge from the heat. Legend has it that during a prolonged drought when no rain fell, the villagers of Dahuping invited a shaman to perform rainmaking rituals. They burned incense, offered paper sacrifices, beat drums, and chanted spells—each time their prayers were answered. To enter the cave, one must first lie down and slide down the first step, then bend forward and slide down the next step, repeating this motion—lying down and bending forward—until all 24 steps have been traversed. After burning incense and bowing respectfully at the cave entrance, the petitioner would catch a small snake inside the cave and quickly return to the local temple altar. There, the shaman would perform a ritual in midair, then release the little snake back into the wild. At that very moment, a fierce wind would rise, dark clouds would swirl overhead, and torrential rain would pour down. Believing that the God of Thunder controlled the winds and rains, the locals came to call this cave the “Thunder God’s Cave.”

It is said that on the mountain lived a family surnamed Cai, whose daughter was named Minghong. They worshipped the Bodhisattva Luo Wang, who happened to be the nephew of the Jade Emperor in Heaven. To find out what lay deep within the cave, Cai Minghong prayed to the Bodhisattva Luo Wang for protection and guidance. Entering the cave, he found a street lined with brightly lit stalls brimming with divine peaches and fruits—but the immortals refused to let him partake of them. Unable to bear his hunger any longer, Cai Minghong decided to turn back and asked the immortal inside the cave how he could find his way out. The immortal pointed with his hand and said, “Go this way.” As Cai Minghong walked toward the cave’s exit, he saw two giant pythons coiled across the entrance. He had no choice but to climb over their bodies. The pythons remained completely still, leaving Cai Minghong trembling with fear and breaking into a cold sweat. “Amitabha! May the gods protect me—how wonderful!” One year, when a severe drought struck, Cai Minghong beseeched the Bodhisattva Luo Wang to ascend to Heaven and ask his uncle, the Jade Emperor, to send rain. In his haste, Luo Wang accidentally knocked over the inkstone used by the Jade Emperor, causing seven days and seven nights of torrential downpours that resembled thick soy sauce.

Legend has it that when local residents hold weddings or funerals, they can borrow golden bowls, golden chopsticks, and golden cups from the immortals inside the cave. To do so, they burn paper offerings, set off firecrackers, and offer incense while bowing in reverence. As a result, tiny holes slightly thicker than the bowls appear on the cave walls. Inside the cave, a small stone will automatically open; one simply needs to reach in and take out the golden bowl, golden chopsticks, or golden cup—but they must return them exactly as they were borrowed. One year, however, a person secretly kept a golden cup without returning it. The Thunder God was furious. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of lightning and a deafening clap of thunder, and the golden cup was snatched away, sealing the cave entrance shut. From then on, no one could ever borrow the immortals’ tableware from inside the cave again.

The people of Dahu Ping deeply venerate Leigong Cave, which remains perfectly preserved to this day and is presented in its original form, with its original appearance and pristine natural state, nestled within the Grand Canyon.

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