Located in the eastern suburbs of Tunxi district in the Anhui province city of Huangshan, a visitor will find Huashan Caves steeped in ancient, mysterious legends.

We drove to the foot of Huashan Mountain in the intense heat of summer. On the verdant, wild grounds, Xin’an River curled around the mountain. It was a year with less rainfall, and the river level was low. Horses feeding on grass would regularly stop to drink water from the riverbank.

On one side of the river stands Huashan Mountain, crowded with bamboo, pines and wildflowers. On a huge rock are carved four Chinese characters that read: Huashan Mountain Mystery Caves. This was our destination.

We climbed onto a hanging cable bridge about three stories high and then climbed a dozen stairs to the entrance of one of three caves open to the public. The entrance to Huashanhu Cave was sealed by mud and stones. It was accidentally discovered by a local medicinal herb collector.. The chilled air inside the cave posed a great contrast with the hot summer air outside. Inside, bats were hanging from the ceiling.

All the Huashan Caves, each ranging from 10 meters to 20 meters in height, were manually chiseled more than 1,700 years ago. Stone chambers in the cave were sometimes connected by way of corridors. Stone columns in various shapes – such as an elephant or a boot – supported the ceiling. Altogether, 36 chambers have been found among the Huashan hills. Some chambers are filled with water, and some are two-story chambers.

Deep in the cave, there was a crystal-clear pool. It was as cool as well water. A tour guide told us there were no living fish in the water because of the high mineral content.

The history and purposes of Huashan Caves are now untraceable due to the lack of any words in books or on cave walls describing their use.

Why was this magnificent project built? Were they built for troops, or is one an abandoned imperial tomb? Why does each cave have different marks chiseled into the stone? These unanswered questions proved mysterious and added to the fun of our adventure in the Huashan Caves.

By Chen Zhilin (chinadaily.com.cn)

Editor: Renee Haines and Li Jing