Grottes et karsts de Chine
Sur les traces de Xu Xiake

Take the north bank road downstream from Wulong to the last Wulong bridge. Cross the bridge (the resugence is only about 10m downstream of the bridge on the south bank, at river level). For the showcave, walk up the steps by a house which is just across the south bank road. The steps go up steeply to a small alcove cave with a shrine in then further steps go up to the main showcave entrance. Note GPS is to a point on the road directly above the resurgence and 200m from showcave entrance on a bearing of 280.

Showcave description (the resurgence was not entered). ****NOTE UNSURVEYED SO QM's NOT MARKED***** The entrance is around 5m wide and 3m high. The floor slopes down just inside the entrance, and it continues level around 5m wide and high for around 40m to a junction.

To the right is a steeply ascending rift passage; this has a noticeable outward draught at the beginning, but this seems to come from holes in the ceiling, and the passage soon closes down.

Hard left at the junction is a pit. Skirting to the right of this on steps leads to a steeply downward-sloping passage perhaps 3m wide and 4m high. After around 30m there is an oxbow on the right and then a junction with a cross rift. To the left ends quickly; the main way is straight on, but to the right leads into a knot of smallish horizontal passages, with some bat droppings and millipedes.

Straight on at the junction leads down to a pit, bridged by stone flags with a railing. This is the lowest point reached on the initial recce. Dropping stones from the bridge suggests that the pit is at least 30m deep. Following the flagstoned path round the pit leads to a slightly nonobvious climb up a slot to emerge in a large passage perhaps 10m wide and high, continuing to the left and right.

To the left (downslope) ends after less than 50m; but to the right the passage continues in fine style (up to 15m wide and 10m high) for some hundreds of metres. On the left is a pit, possibly 10m ish. Some distance beyond this the passage forks. The smaller right-hand passage, around 3m wide, slopes sharply downwards and then upwards, then downwards again; there is a fixed polyprop handline, but this did not look particularly safe so we didn't descend it. The main branch continues to a large junction with three ways on.

The left-hand route goes off along a path with steps. There is a steep ramp up to the right which closes down after 50m or so. Following the main path it goes either side of a huge pillar and continues as a wide phreatic passage perhaps 5m wide and 2.5m high, with an attractive sculpted ceiling. Soon this narrows down at a 2m climb, reaching a chamber with a higher ceiling; at the far side of this is a steep greasy climb up which ends in a dig.

The central route is narrower, perhaps 3m wide, and slopes upwards steeply beneath a bat roost; there are many bat droppings on the floor, and more millipedes. The passage continues upwards steeply, then levelling out; there is a blind branch to the right. Straight on there is a sharp left corner to a downward slope through some reasonable (but dirty) stalactites. The passage continues to a large chamber, with a stalactite pillar on the left; ahead is a steep slope of greasy muddy rock, closing down at the top. The passage ends in a large chamber with an attractive set of wide, narrow gour pools and some interesting and fairly intact stalactites.

The right-hand route is wider, perhaps 6m wide and 4m high, and passes several pits in the floor, with a path marked out using flagstones and railings. The path continues to a viewing point, overlooking a pit which we didn't estimate the depth of, by a pleasantly decorated ceiling; it may be possible to continue by traversing round, but it looks awkward, and there is no more path