Ye Shengtao
On April 14 this year, I visited two caves in Beishan, Jinhua, Zhejiang, namely Shuanglong Cave and Hubing Cave. There are three caves here, and the highest one is called Chaozhen Cave. The spring flow in the cave is connected with the curling dragon, but I didn't arrive because I was unable to do it.
It's about five kilometers from Jinhua to Luodian. The agricultural cooperatives there also grow flowers, which are beneficial to jasmine, white orchid and pearl orchid, which are not available to our Suzhou Tiger Hill. It is said that bergamot can only grow well if it is cultivated in the soil there and irrigated with Shuanglong spring water. If you move to another place, the bergamot is like a fist, and it is not a "hand" without long fingers.
After Luodian, I gradually entered the mountainous area. On the winding road, workers are filling stones, raising soil and tamping the road surface. The mountain is almost full of azaleas, and potted azaleas, regardless of flowers and leaves, are particularly energetic. Tung trees are also blooming, a cluster here, a cluster there, a lot. I thought it was a pear flower at first, and I didn't know it was a pear flower until I recognized the leaves. There are several veins on the mountain, and the sand on the mountain is pink, which seems to have never been seen elsewhere. Pink mountains, the backlog of azaleas, or deep or light new green, make people shine.
All the way to the stream. With the mountain, the stream is wide, sometimes narrow, sometimes slow, sometimes urgent, and the sound of the stream changes its tone from time to time. About five kilometers into the mountain, you can reach Shuanglong Cave, and the stream comes out of the cave.
Looking up at the mouth of the cave, the mountain is quite high, abrupt and gloomy, and very imposing. The mouth of the cave is dome-shaped and wide like bridge opening. When you walk in, it's like you're in a hall, surrounded by stone walls and with a high stone roof above your head. If you gather 1000 or 800 people to have a meeting there, you won't feel crowded. The spring water flows out from the right side of the hole. This is the outer hole, because there is a hole on the side, and the light in the hole is bright.
Looking for the source of the spring water in the outer hole, it originally flowed from the hole under the stone wall on the left. Although it is a gap, it can accommodate a small boat. How about a boat? Two people lie on their backs side by side, just right, there is no room for a third person. It is such a small ship. Both ends of the boat are tied with ropes. The workers in the management office advanced into the inner hole, pulled the rope inside, and the boat went in. The worker in the hole outside pulled another rope and the boat came out. I was lying on my back alone in the boat with curiosity. According to other people's instructions, I thought that everything from the back of my head to my shoulders, to my hips and to my heels was stuck to the bottom of the boat before I said "OK". The ship moved slowly. My eyes are a little blurred, but I can still feel the rocks on the left and right and above seem to be squeezing me. I also think that if I look up a little, I will definitely bump my forehead and scratch my nose. After about 20 or 30 feet of water (this is really inaccurate), I landed. This is the inner hole. If it weren't for the workers carrying gasoline lamps, the inner hole would be really dark and nothing could be seen. Even if there is a steam lamp, you can only see a small place, and the rest are all dark, I don't know how wide it is. As tour guides, the workers held up gasoline lamps and pointed out the scenery of the inner hole one by one. First of all, of course, there are Shuanglong, Huanglong and Qinglong winding at the top of the cave. I followed his instructions and liked it a little. Followed by stalactites and stalagmites, what is this and what is that? Most of them are imagined as immortals and animals entering the palace according to their shapes, and there are more than 40 pieces. This is a common practice in caves everywhere, and all central caves have similar names. I'm not interested. Although I listened, I don't remember any of them.
Mountains and rivers with caves are full of limestone. Limestone has been eroded by groundwater for a long time, forming caves. Groundwater contains carbonic acid and limestone is calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate becomes acidic carbonate when it meets carbonic acid in water, while limestone becomes acidic carbonate when it meets carbonic acid in water. Acid calcium carbonate is soluble in water, which is due to the formation and gradual expansion of caves. When water gradually dries, the carbonic acid in it is decomposed into water and carbon dioxide gas, and the rest is solid calcium carbonate. Stalactites that hang down from the top of the cave and solidify into solids are stalactites, and stalagmites that pile up and condense at the bottom of the cave are stalagmites. The reason is the same. Only in this way, the shape of condensate is varied, and with different colors, it is worth seeing if nothing is done.
I walked around the cave and found that the inner hole was much bigger than the outer hole, about ten times as big as entering the house. The spring water flows slowly on the right, with a soft voice. The source is in a dark cave.
Look up Xu Xiake's Travels. On October 10th, 9th year of Chongzheng (1636), Xia Ke visited the three caves. Yu Dafu also checked his travel notes, which was 1933 1 1 month 12. Duff's travel notes say that there are many stone carvings on the stone wall of the inner cave. I have seen the stone carvings of Li Qing for four years, which are the oldest. ..... The walls of the Qing Dynasty have not existed since the Qianlong period, because the holes here have been blocked since then. "Damien duff, beishan tidy up, the old cave opened. It has been more than 20 years now. Recently, Beishan has been rectified, the roads have been repaired, the rest places for tea and rice have been renovated, and the outer holes and inner holes have been cleaned up. The day I went was Sunday, and there were many tourists, including workers, farmers, cadres and students. The cave outside was very noisy, so I had to wait in line for a while before getting on the boat. This kind of sight, let alone Xu Xiake, if my husband were still alive, I couldn't have imagined it twenty years ago.
I waited in line, then lay on my back in the boat and got out of the hole. Have a rest in front of the outer cave, which happens to be Hu Bing Cave. According to the experience just now, I know that the hole is wet, and wearing cloth shoes is not only easy to get wet, but also unstable. I bought a pair of straw sandals to wear on cloth shoes.
There are stone steps from Shuanglong Cave to Hubing Cave. I don't exercise at ordinary times, and I get angry after climbing thirty or fifty levels. My legs are getting heavier step by step, and the Shushan factories on both sides are also unintentional. Climb to Binghu Hole to rest, I didn't count many levels, about three or four hundred. The hole is only as big as the gate of a small county, so you have to go down when you enter the hole. It's not fun to cut stone steps along the stone wall and erect wooden railings to prevent falling. The workmates walked in front with petrol lamps. I pay attention to my feet, walk firmly and then move one foot. I don't think it is easier to go down than to climb up.
Suddenly heard the sound of water, down a few steps, the sound is very loud. It seems that the whole hole is full of this magnificent sound, which is really imposing. I saw a hanging waterfall spit out from the stone gap, and the stone potential at the spit out was prominent, so the waterfall was all hanging, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and about ten feet high. In a cave I don't know how big it is, I looked up at the image of flying beads splashing jade by the light of the steam lamp. I only heard its rumbling sound in my ear, and my face and hands were covered with flying tiny drops of water. This is a realm I have never experienced in my life, and the feeling at that time is really hard to describe.
Going down dozens of steps, the waterfall is right above us, and we have to look up. At this moment, I saw a strange sight, as if it was raining heavily in Guang Chen at dawn, and thousands of silver arrows were falling straight, and some stars remained on the horizon. This analogy was told to me by my workmates. After listening to his words, I looked up at the waterfall, and the more I looked, the more meaningful I felt. This contrast compares stalactites to lions and elephants, and the artistic conception is much higher.
Looking up from that position, the waterfall is bearing the light from the hole, and it doesn't need illumination, and its whole body is bright. The so-called remnant star is actually the reflection of white stalactites.
Unlike ordinary waterfalls, there is no pool under this waterfall. When it falls to the bottom of the cave, it becomes an undercurrent, which is the upper source of the spring water in Shuanglong Cave.
Now, I want to copy the sentence "Hu Bingdong" written by Xu Tu Xiake here for your reference. "David kiss back. Throw the staff down first, and you won't see the end. It is climbing up the gap and leaning into the air. Suddenly, I heard the sound of water rumbling and the torch lowered. In the middle of the cave, a waterfall falls from the sky, and ice and jade chips shine brightly from the darkness. In the water holes and rocks, Mo Ren left. This is a poor torch, it is in the depths of truth, but it is not so embarrassing. "