World heritage expert goes to ice cave

An ice cave stays below freezing despite the arrival of spring in Ningwu county, North China's Shanxi province. The ice cave was formed about 3 million years ago and its temperature stays at -6 Celsius degrees throughout the year. [Photo by Wang Quan/chinadaily.com.cn]

 A world heritage expert has visited an ice cave in Shanxi province believed to have formed 300 million years ago.

Located in Luya Mountain, Ningwu County, the cave dates back to the Cenozoic quaternary glacial period and has been dubbed the "ice cave of ten thousand years".

The cave maintains a constant temperature of 6 degrees below zero all year round. With the arrival of spring, flowers are in full bloom outside the cave, while the cold bites inside the cave.

Stalagmites, glazed ice and icicles of various shapes sparkle in the light, creating a magical fairyland. In 2005, the "ice cave of ten thousand years" was listed as national geological park.

In March 2011, it was also named a national 4A level scenic spot. Recently, the UNESCO World Heritage expert Edmund Mukalla was awed by the wonders of the cave during a visit at the request of the World Heritage Center.

Luya Mountain was formally incorporated into the World Heritage declaration list on March 14, 2017, by the World Heritage Center.