Karst cave in NE China becomes internet sensation

Snow and ice frost trees and the surface of the Taizi River in Northeast China's Liaoning province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Benxi Water Cave, a huge cave on the Taizi River in Northeast China's Liaoning province, has become an internet sensation thanks to snow and ice.

The five-kilometer-long cave is one of the longest underground karst caves in China and mainly consists of two parts, shuidong(water cave) and handong(dry cave).

At the mouth of the cave lies a lake that never freezes in winter, even if the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees. The water vapors on the lake help to form the beautiful rime scenery when it snows.

The water cave's reception hall is 1,000 square meters wide, which could berth 40 boats. Tourists are strongly advised to wear insulated boots, jackets, and gloves because the temperature keeps dropping as the boat goes deeper into the cave.

The oldest stalactite to date is a small stalagmite on the platform about 18 meters from the water surface on the right bank of Yuhuang Palace. Geology experts estimate that it is around 145,000 years old.