Firefly Water Cave • Underground Grand Canyon Tourist Area

1. Introduction

The Firefly Water Cave • Underground Grand Canyon Tourist Area is located in the heart of the Yimeng Mountain region. It boasts unique attractions such as the rare firefly spectacle in Asia, a distinctive karst cave kingdom, a karst underground lake with a water volume of 350,000 cubic meters, an underground river stretching over 6,100 meters, an exciting cave drift, the largest ecological butterfly valley in northern China, and the country's premier original ecological immersive firefly science education and fun learning hall. It is a large-scale comprehensive ecological tourist area integrating leisure sightseeing, study tours, science education, and scientific exploration.

The Firefly Water Cave features an exceptionally large underground lake karst cave, renowned as a mysterious world of underground fireflies. This cave formed approximately 65 to 230 million years ago, with a total length of 1,200 meters. The fluorescent lake covers an area of 25,000 square meters and has a volume of 240,000 cubic meters. The cave is vast in scale, adorned with diverse karst landscapes. The underground lake within the cave is abundant with clear, sweet, and mysteriously deep water that flows continuously. Inside, there are not only numerous stalactites and peculiar rocks but also a species of firefly that inhabits only damp, dark caves. These fireflies cover the cave ceiling like twinkling stars in a clear night sky, creating a spectacular scene of countless sparkling lights. Visitors enter the dark cave aboard a small boat pulled by a rope, gliding through the water. As they proceed, the space suddenly opens up, revealing a sky full of shimmering stars, as if entering a fairy-tale world that sparks imagination and leaves one lingering, reluctant to leave.

The Underground Grand Canyon features a unique canyon-like formation, cutting nearly 100 meters deep with sheer cliffs on both sides. The wider sections can accommodate vehicles and horses, while the narrower parts are just wide enough for a single person. The stalactites take various forms, with over 100 scenic spots including "One River," "Nine Springs," "Nine Palaces," "Twelve Waterfalls," and "Twelve Gorges." The underground river within the cave stretches over 6,100 meters. The drift project, developed by harnessing the river's flow, ingeniously leverages the cave's resource advantages, representing an innovative upgrade for karst cave tourism brands. Spanning over 1,000 meters, it is certified by the Shanghai Great World Guinness Headquarters as the "Longest Cave Drift." Riding through it offers a thrilling experience of the cave's profound depths, undulating terrain, and exhilarating moments. The underground river drift vividly showcases its wild, untamed nature, meeting tourists' demands and earning their trust and affection. Notably, the successful launch of the First China Yishui Underground River Drift Festival from July 25 to 27, 2008, adhered to market orientation, elevated the festival's standard, enriched its content, created a city名片 (name card), and promoted tourism industry culture. With its biennial recurrence, the "Underground River Drift Festival" is poised to become a prestigious tourism event that aligns with tourism culture and gains widespread influence domestically and internationally. In February 2017, according to the National Tourism Resources Planning and Development Quality Assessment Committee's "Notification on the Expert Review Results of the Landscape Quality for Applying to Create 5A-Level Tourist Attractions," the Firefly Water Cave • Underground Grand Canyon Tourist Area met the landscape quality requirements for applying to create a 5A-level tourist attraction and was included in the list for creating 5A-level tourist attractions.

2. Main Attractions

2.1 Southern Charm Garden

The Southern Charm Garden is a tropical viewing area that combines tropical plant cultivation with wellness and leisure functions. It features a rich variety of tropical crops, vibrant flowering and fruiting plants, lush pastoral scenery with abundant harvests, and a spectacular, orderly tourist corridor, creating a green oasis that remains evergreen throughout the year.

2.2 Lotus Valley

Stretching over 2,000 meters, Lotus Valley has a river flowing through its base. Graceful lotus flowers compete in beauty, some in bud and others in full bloom, displaying countless charming postures that delight the senses and uplift the spirit.

2.3 Treehouse Area

This area boasts the beautiful scenery of natural wilderness and the poetic freedom of rural life. Green mountains, clear waters, croaking frogs, chirping insects, treehouses, hammocks, and趣味 bridges (fun bridges) are harmoniously arranged, complementing each other perfectly. It offers aesthetic appeal, broad participation, and a transcendent experience.

2.4 Butterfly Valley

Butterfly Valley is a large-scale butterfly culture park in northern China that skillfully combines natural and artificial elements, as well as a major butterfly research base in the region. Naturally formed against a lake and nestled by mountains, it is rich in tropical vegetation. A stream runs through the valley floor, where thousands of brightly colored butterflies live naturally, including over 50 world-renowned species such as the swallowtail butterfly, dead leaf butterfly, and musk swallowtail. The park's small bridges, flowing water, secluded valleys, flowers, dancing butterflies, and various原始植被 (primitive vegetation) create a tranquil, natural paradise.

2.5 Dream Love Corridor

The Dream Love Corridor spans 500 meters and is also known as Oxygen Bar Street due to its high negative oxygen ion content. It consists of three parts: the vast and boundless cosmic starry sky, the colorful underwater world, and the原始森林 (primeval forest) teeming with diverse species.

2.6 Firefly Water Cave

Fireflies have extremely stringent requirements for their living environment, preferring areas with pure air, minimal light pollution, and abundant aquatic plants. Visitors enter the underground lake to admire奇特景观 (unique landscapes) such as stalactites,奇石 (peculiar rocks),天河 (celestial river),天锅 (celestial pot), and天桥 (celestial bridge). Aboard a small boat in the pitch-black space, they can get up close with fireflies and experience their tranquil world. Thousands of fireflies cling to the stalactite cave walls, resembling twinkling stars in a clear night sky, evoking childhood memories and sparking imagination, making visitors linger, reluctant to leave.

3. Transportation and Recreational Facilities

3.1 Sightseeing Vehicles

The tourist area is equipped with various transportation and recreational facilities. It currently has 2 large旅游观光车 (tourist sightseeing vehicles) and 5观光车 (sightseeing vehicles) with 17 passenger seats, shuttling between the Southern Charm Garden and Butterfly Valley over a total distance of more than 1,500 meters.

3.2周边漂流 (Peripheral Drift)

The tourist area ingeniously developed a cliff waterfall drift project utilizing the surrounding山水 (landscape).游客 (Tourists) ride in rotating inflatable rafts, drifting downstream while chatting and laughing with friends and family, enjoying 360-degree views of the beautiful scenery, playing with the water, and experiencing刺激好玩 (excitement and fun).

3.3滑道车 (Slide Car)

The滑道车 (slide car) track is 1,200 meters long, descending along the轨道 (track) directly to the Firefly Water Cave parking lot. The slide car features a long body, wide frame, and安全刹车装置 (safety braking device).游客 (Tourists) can control the speed themselves, with a designed speed of up to 15 km/h. The ride is comfortable, safe, reliable, and thrilling.

3.4萤语谷 (Firefly Whisper Valley)

萤语谷 (Firefly Whisper Valley) is the country's premier original ecological immersive firefly science education and fun learning hall. Adhering to the design philosophy of respecting ecological texture and highlighting ecological vitality, the project combines scientific knowledge with humanistic sentiment through innovative sensory experiences and creative content presentation, creating a new exhibition environment that is natural, participatory, and artistic.