Early Summer at Tonglu's Tianzi Di: Wandering the Dinosaur Valley and Exploring Ancient Caves

Tianzi Di, Meeting the Mountains and Countryside

On weekends, where do you most want to go? Although this year has been a bit special, we can still try more distinctive outdoor experiences during the best time for outdoor activities. After holding back for so long, I can finally breathe the most natural air in the countryside. The first stop for a weekend getaway is Tianzi Di in Tonglu, Hangzhou, with its Penglai fairyland, summit viewing platform, popular dinosaur park, dry slide, and many other sights and experiences... Nature’s fun will make you forget the worries of the city, and even more, forget the stress and troubles of work, because here you can have a vibrant early summer. Bring friends or family, take the high-speed train to Tonglu Station, then drive an hour and a half, and you’ll arrive at this idyllic retreat. At Tianzi Di in Tonglu, enjoy a rich holiday.

First Encounter with Tianzi Di: Gazing at Distant Mountains from the Summit

This isn’t my first time in Tonglu, but every time I come, I fall a little more in love with it. Tonglu truly has great mountains, great waters, and a great life. For many who want to temporarily escape the city’s pressure, just a few hours’ drive can bring you a fresh and leisurely mountain countryside life, and Tianzi Di Ecological Scenic Area is the treasure destination I’ve found. There’s a folk legend here about a young emperor, dating back 1,600 years to the birthplace of Liu Yu, Emperor Wu of the Southern Song Dynasty. It’s a secluded paradise where extraordinary karst cave landscapes merge with forest ecology.

Praised as “gathering the beauty of Tonglu and Fuchun River’s mountains and waters,” Tianzi Di Ecological Scenic Area lies on the banks of the Fuchun River. It’s elegant outside and wise within. Outside, the jungle is dense, streams burble, waterfalls splash against rocks, and hundreds of birds sing. Inside, there are magnificent karst caves and murmuring underground rivers. Here, one step back and you’re in a paradise; one step forward and you’re in the wider world. At Tianzi Di, you feel nature’s charm.

Arriving at Tianzi Di, hop on a mountain cable car and travel through the mountains, enjoying the splendid scenery of Tonglu. Here, peaks stretch endlessly, layered in lush green. The main peak, Yunti Ridge, rises over 1,100 meters, densely wooded with intertwining vines. The forest colors change with the seasons, and I arrived right at the cusp of late spring and early summer. If you come in March, you can see the mountainside covered in blooming wild cherry blossoms.

At the summit of Tianzi Di, there’s an observation deck, the best spot to admire the wild cherry blossoms. Of course, cherry blossoms bloom for a limited time. All the lush green layers you see now were actually filled with cherry blossoms in March — truly beautiful. Now that the cherry blossoms have fallen, the fresh, green natural mountain landscape of Tianzi Di returns before my eyes.

Up on the peak, the air even smells much better. Gazing out at the waters of the Fuchun River, I can’t tell you how pleasant it was. The young lady traveling with me was mesmerized by the scenery. Since this year’s special circumstances, we’ve rarely been able to go out and freely enjoy the view like this. Now that the pandemic situation has improved, we can at last come out to get some fresh air.

Hangzhou is not an unfamiliar place to many. Mention Hangzhou, and people think of West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Xixi National Wetland Park, and more. Although the pace of life in Hangzhou is getting faster, compared to first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, Hangzhou is a place both suitable for striving and for living. Come the weekend, Hangzhou residents head to the outskirts to get close to nature.

Tianzi Di in the outskirts of Hangzhou, in Tonglu, is just that kind of haven. Surrounded by the Fuchun River, this rather spiritual place, set amid blue mountains and green waters, is arguably the best choice for city dwellers seeking refuge. Walking along the shady plank road, feeling the long-lost breath of nature, my mood lifted considerably.

At the end of the tree-lined path, there’s a Guanyin Temple. The rock inside has been carved later into a stone statue of Guanyin. Locals still come here in their free time to pay their respects and pray for peace.

Occasionally, on the roadside leaves, I spotted a caterpillar — moving very nimbly on the leaf, full of vitality. I stared at it for a long time. In the city, you hardly ever get such a chance.

On the way to Tianzi Cave, you can also play the drum, as if steeling yourself for the journey ahead. Let’s head off and explore Tianzi Cave to see what’s inside.

Wandering through the Cave: A World Apart

Tonglu itself is a rather mountainous area. The caves at the foot of the mountains all have underground rivers. Tianzi Cave, also known as Immortal Cave, boasts the largest vertical shaft karst cave in Asia.

Walking into the cave, the colorful lights were a fresh experience for me, exploring a cave like this for the first time. The flashing fluorescent lights reminded me of the discotheques I used to love in my early days. Tianzi Cave was originally dark, but now with lighting and music, it has become a truly dreamlike place.

Going deeper into the cave, I saw a gorilla suspended in mid-air — a true beauty-and-the-beast pairing, only this gorilla had twinkling red eyes, looking a bit goofy.

Inside the cave, the scene was striking and filled me with awe. The multicolored lights made the stalactites glisten, as if I were in a fairyland. Each uniquely shaped rock was imbued with legendary colors and stories. This was my first time seeing such cave scenery; walking through it felt surreal and dreamlike.

Tianzi Cave consists of three connected chambers, totaling about 16,000 square meters, with a touring route of more than 1,200 meters. The cavern is lofty and vast, with deep underground rivers, hanging waterfalls, and dense, crystal-clear stalactites so lifelike they seem carved by divine hands — a magnificent spectacle of cave wonders.

The cave is very cool, at a constant 18°C (64°F). The underground river water is icy cold but crystal clear. Though the river channel is very dark, once illuminated by light, you can see the riverbed clearly, a testament to the river’s clarity. Sailing along the winding waterways, flanked by bizarre stalactites, nature’s craftsmanship is displayed to the fullest in the caves of Tonglu’s Tianzi Di.

While boating through the cave, you can admire ancient traces imprinted on the rock walls. The stalactites inside have been forming for over a thousand years. Illuminated by today’s lighting, these long-hidden stones once again reveal spectacular beauty, earning continuous admiration. The cave lighting meshes perfectly with the stories the rocks tell. On the blue stone walls, dots of white light flicker like twinkling stars, turning the dark cave into a fairy-tale world thanks to these glimmers.

Dry Slide through the Forest: Speed and Passion

What’s it like to speed through the forest? After emerging from Tianzi Cave, we reached a classic attraction: the dry slide. That is, experiencing the thrill of sliding down a dry chute through the woods — let’s race down and explore the primitive plant world.

Sitting on the slide and swooping downhill, remember to take in the unfamiliar forest around you, the birds and the stones. A different angle on the forest broadens your perspective.

The dry slide is very long, running all the way from Tianzi Cave to the foot of the mountain. You can control braking and acceleration yourself. During the accelerating descent, you feel what it’s like to plunge down three thousand feet.

The dry slide is at the very top of the mountain; you need to walk through the cave to reach the highest point, and the starting point of the slide is just near the cave exit — it’s the fastest way downhill.

The Popular Dinosaur Park: Stepping into Jurassic World

China is a country rich in natural resources. All kinds of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas can be turned into scenic spots, creating fierce competition in tourism. Every scenic area hopes to attract more and more visitors, so on top of the original natural scenery, they purposely build Instagram-worthy attractions to draw people in with novelty.

In Tonglu, where Hangzhou’s tourism resources face ever greater competition, it’s no different. Tonglu can be said to have grown through tourism. Various mountain landscapes have given rise to one scenic area after another, and Tianzi Di among them is especially unique, enhanced by the legend of the emperor’s birthplace, making it even more appealing.

To further enrich the fun of mountain jaunts, Tianzi Di’s Dinosaur Valley grandly opened in the balmy spring. Along the downhill path, dozens of differently shaped “dinosaurs” gathered, as if you’d walked into the Jurassic world. These dinosaurs blend into the mountain scenery perfectly, inviting you to explore.

Actually, Tianzi Di’s Dinosaur Valley doesn’t have real dinosaurs — they are props crafted into various dinosaur forms, lifelike before your eyes, with mouths wide open, somewhat intimidating. When you pass, they emit roaring sounds, as if real dinosaurs were beside you.

The dinosaur park boasts a wide variety of species. These prehistoric giants land in the serene and ethereal nature of Tianzi Di. Stepping into Dinosaur Valley, you return to the Jurassic dinosaur era for an exploration trip millions of years in the making. Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Pterosaur, Therizinosaurus — a dizzying array.

If I’m not mistaken, this one is Tyrannosaurus rex, living at the end of the Cretaceous period, one of the fiercest carnivores in history, with deadly serrated teeth. Look at its strong hind limbs; when it opens its mouth, the sharp teeth make your hair stand on end. Its stare seems like it just emerged from the bamboo grove to hunt prey. Passing by, you hear its roar, so realistic that you can’t help but tremble.

The one with back covered in sword-like shapes is Stegosaurus, with a body like an elephant and a bird-like sharp beak. On its back are two rows of triangular bony plates, like inserted daggers. It’s said that this dinosaur can absorb and dissipate heat according to the air temperature — after all, the hot summer is coming.

The tall one with a long neck is Brachiosaurus, living at the end of the Jurassic, a herbivorous dinosaur with a huge body, long neck, short stubby tail, and flat, sharp teeth that can swallow whole chunks of food. But since it’s herbivorous, it looks rather dopey. Walking under it, you can’t help worrying if it will lower its neck.

There are also other less familiar dinosaurs like Therizinosaurus and Dilophosaurus, with their gaping mouths looking really scary. But after watching them for a while, I dared to lightly touch its sharp teeth and found it not as terrifying as I thought. Still, I must say they are incredibly lifelike.

Tianzi Di’s Dinosaur Valley is more like a Jurassic museum. Through these dinosaur models, it teaches children fascinating facts about prehistoric dinosaurs, making it very educational. So if parents bring their kids here, they’ll definitely learn a lot. Have you ever been to a dinosaur park? What do you think of Tianzi Di’s dinosaur trail?

At the entrance of Tianzi Di, there’s a sea of wisteria blossoms that deeply caught my attention. It was originally just a corridor, but the trellises are covered in wisteria vines, instantly turning it into a romantic wisteria flower sea. With the current weather, the wisteria is blooming perfectly. The romantic purple paired with nature’s green makes for a truly fresh and lovely sight.

The cascading wisteria blossom like a purple waterfall. This scene has become a popular photo spot. Walking through such a flower sea, surrounded by wisteria, is simply beautiful.

Such a purple ocean would make anyone’s heart flutter, especially girls who can’t bear to leave — perhaps this is the fairy-tale world they dream of.

A Little Time at Tianzi Di

At Tianzi Di, there are also plenty of leisure facilities, such as swings and seesaws, which instantly brought me back to childhood. The joyful play made me immediately forget the worries of life and work. Time at Tianzi Di is this carefree and relaxing.

Besides the lively fun, Tianzi Di also has a quiet side. The lake at the foot of the mountain is so calm, with a pavilion in the distance connected by a wooden boardwalk, as if everything has quieted down again.

As the saying goes, the duck is first to know when the river warms in spring. Tianzi Di keeps a swan, which we all call Xiao Hei, so not all swans are white. We’d occasionally bring some food to feed it, fattening it up.

In my spare moments, I just sat by the corridor, zoning out, savoring the slow life. Listening to the splashing of the big water wheel nearby, I felt an unprecedented comfort. In the fast-paced rhythm of life, occasionally you need to slow down like this. So come to Tianzi Di in Tonglu.

Actually, in March and April, Tianzi Di also has vast expanses of cherry blossoms in bloom. But when I visited in May, I could only admire fake flowers to satisfy my craving.

Since there’s only one restaurant in Tianzi Di Scenic Area, during my days of holiday here, all meals were taken at the same restaurant, all classic farm-style dishes. The highlight was the authentic, original flavors of the ingredients.

This crispy rice crust was especially tasty, one of my favorite dishes during my stay.

The scenic area has its own wellness resort hotel, a high-end retreat featuring Jiangnan-style residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, with beautiful scenery and quasi-five-star facilities, it allows guests to enjoy a secluded life in a forest villa.

See, this is a little courtyard house with four rooms around it, perfect for several families to vacation together.

The rooms are retro yet clean, with amenities approaching those of a five-star hotel.

Surprisingly, the hotel even has a KTV room, so after dining, everyone can sing a song.

The hotel also has a conference hall for business travelers, suitable for hosting annual meetings and events of various sizes.

The End

Two days and one night at Tianzi Di flew by. As the sunset glow descends with the evening cooking smoke, capture a ray of the setting sun. Spend a cool summer at Tianzi Di, an early summer at 20°C — you deserve it.