Guangxi Travel Notes: Rongshui Laojun Cave
On the morning of October 25, 2024, after breakfast, we stored our luggage at the front desk and took bus 33 to Liuzhou South Bus Station. We had checked online previously that there were buses from South Bus Station to Rongshui or Rong’an, departing every half hour. Our destination that day was the Rong’an Shimen Xianhu Scenic Area, which is located in Daliang Town. Buses from Liuzhou to Rong’an and Rongshui both pass through there, so taking a bus from South Station was most convenient.
We arrived at South Station at 8:50 and asked the ticket clerk about the buses to Daliang Town. The clerk said that one had just left at 8:40, and the next one wouldn’t be until 10:30. My wife complained a bit, so we asked if there were buses from the main bus terminal. The clerk said she didn’t know. At that moment, a young man nearby, probably a passenger, used his phone to call the main terminal directly and found out that there were buses, running every half hour. We thanked the young man, took a taxi for 8 yuan to the main terminal, and caught the 9:25 bus to Daliang Town. It seemed that online information wasn't always accurate.
We arrived at Daliang Town at 11:50. On the bus, a local woman heard we were going to Shimen Xianhu and was very warm-hearted. She helped us look for transportation once we got there, but there were no public buses—only minivans. The charter price was 50 yuan for a distance of just 6 or 7 kilometers, which seemed unreasonably high. We couldn’t find other tourists to share the ride, so we had no choice but to give up that scenic spot. At 12:20, we decisively took a bus to Rongshui.
At 1:15 p.m., we arrived at Rongshui Bus Station. A short walk took us to the City Comfort Hotel, where we checked into a king-bed room for 120 yuan, with breakfast for two included. After settling in, we had lunch outside, and at 2 p.m. took bus 23 to the Laojun Cave scenic area.
Rongshui Laojun Cave, also known as 'Zhenxian Rock' or 'Ling Rock,' is located 1.5 kilometers south of Rongshui County town in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The scenic area covers over 10 hectares and includes two karst caves. The cave entrance is about 20 meters high and 30 meters wide, with a depth of 50 meters. Inside, there was originally a naturally formed stalactite statue of Laojun (the Taoist deity) over 7 meters tall, with white hair and silver beard, incredibly lifelike—hence the cave’s name.
The religious and garden structures at Laojun Cave were first built during the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Since Tang and Song times, many literati have left behind a rich collection of poems, travelogues, inscriptions, and over a hundred cliff carvings, making it a precious historical and cultural heritage site. Emperor Taizong of Song personally issued 120 'imperial stele' scrolls that were stored in the cave, and he bestowed upon Laojun Cave the title 'Zhenxian Rock.' The Ming Dynasty traveler Xu Xiake once stayed in this cave for 13 days—the longest he ever spent in a single cave during his 30 years of travel. He wrote a 5,000-character travelogue vividly describing the beauty of the surrounding landscape and legendary myths. The famous Song Dynasty poet Fan Chengda praised it in his 'Record of Jiahui Rock Cave,' saying: 'In Rongzhou there is Ling Rock and Zhenxian Cave, renowned as not falling short of Guilin.'
The Laojun Cave scenic area originally had a full set of structures, including the Sanqing Hall, Yushu Pavilion, Ziwei Pavilion, Bao'en Temple, Suihan Xuan, Hongyin Tower, Lushi Pagoda, Qingfeng Pavilion, Wangyuan Pavilion, the Five Hundred Arhats at Fengdu Mountain, and other pavilions and towers, as well as the natural stalactite statue of Laojun. Due to historical reasons, many of these sights were destroyed. The stalactite statue of the Supreme Laojun that Xu Xiake described as 'white-browed and silver-bearded, sitting serenely facing visitors,' and the breathtaking stalactite formations he exclaimed over as 'dripping milk-like flows, in myriads of strange and varied shapes,' are completely gone. Inscriptions such as the 'Jiaren Hexagram' written by Sima Guang in the 19th year of the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1149) and the calligraphy 'The Number One Zhenxian Rock Under Heaven' by Zhang Xiaoxiang, Prefect of Jingjiang and Military Commissioner of Guangnan West Circuit, have survived because they are located high on the cliffs. Relevant departments have begun restoration, opening Hidden Immortal Cave, Water Moon Cave, and Sheep Horn Cave, and adding a bonsai garden, peach garden, lotus pond, and a statue of Xu Xiake for visitors to enjoy.
We entered the core area of Laojun Cave, but the stalactites inside were poorly preserved and heavily damaged, leaving little to see. The lighting deep inside was dim, and we didn’t dare venture too far. With few other visitors around, we made a quick tour and hurried out. Around 4 p.m., we left the scenic area, crossed the road, and found a newly built ethnic customs park. We strolled around a bit, then took a bus back to the hotel to rest.
