Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

Furong Dong show cave is a major relic resurgence cave modified by collapse and speleothems. The main show cave terminates in a huge boulder pile, but a small passage leads south through a crawl and down into a side passage with a very different character. The massive speleothems of the show cave are absent and the floor is covered with aragonite needles. A crystallised bat skeleton, some large bones and some teeth from a panda were discovered beneath a climb that leads into the extension. The extension is a relic phreatic passage, approximately 15 to 20 m wide, that is developed along the strike of beds dipping to the east at about 40 degrees. Aragonite crystals cover the floor and walls, and chandelier-like cluster of crystals hang from the roof. At the southern limit the passage Is blocked by a stalagmite flow fed from a roof inlet. The passage probably continues beyond this blockage. On the eastern side of the final chamber, however, a huge pit drops 200m into a fault-bounded chamber. The top of the pit is completely covered by stalactites and curtains, descent requiring the use of thread belays through curtains. At the bottom a mud slope drops 30m to a clean washed boulder choke. In wet conditions water rises here and backs up into the chamber. Unfortunately, all ways on are blocked.
YGE94 p68(S),73

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