Plan at a glance
Drive to the car park, then walk into the cave
Penglai Fairy Cave is in Ducun Village, Renli Town, Shitai County, Chizhou, Anhui Province. The usual navigation target is “Penglai Fairy Cave Scenic Area Parking Lot (蓬莱仙洞景区停车场).” Public transport is inconvenient and finding a taxi at short notice can be difficult; after parking, you still need to walk about 10–15 minutes to the entrance, with no shuttle between the car park and the entrance.
Inside is a one-way route focused on stalactites and karst landforms. The entrance, Lower Cave, Middle Cave, Upper Cave, and exit connect in sequence, and the full route takes about 1.5–2 hours. The cave stays around 18°C year-round, but continuous steps and some climbs require effort, so cool temperatures do not mean an easy walk.
Tickets and visit time
The reference adult ticket price is about CNY 70–80; students usually pay half price and visitors aged 65 or above enter free. The cave usually opens around 08:00–17:00 and stops admitting visitors around 16:30. The jungle slide costs about CNY 40 per person and the underground-river boat about CNY 30 per person; both are optional outdoor activities rather than fixed parts of the main route.
The reference parking fee is about CNY 10 per vehicle. After leaving the cave, walk downhill for about 10 minutes, then follow a road of about 1 km back to the car park. This section may have little shade in summer, so include it in the return journey.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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Stalactites and karst scenery in the Middle Cave
The Middle Cave contains a particularly concentrated group of sights. Look for the Luosha Curtain, the Tiansi Mural, and Thousand-Buddha Mountain. The Luosha Curtain is a curtain-shaped stalactite formation, the Tiansi Mural is on the cave ceiling, and Thousand-Buddha Mountain is formed by groups of stalagmites and stone columns; each has a different shape and viewing angle.
Queen Mother’s Jade Pool and the underground-river area
Queen Mother’s Jade Pool is beside the underground river, where the water, lighting, and stalactites can create reflections. A few points here require a short return along the same path. Follow the signs; these brief turnarounds do not mean that the whole route is walked backward.
What kind of visitor is it for?
Penglai Fairy Cave suits visitors interested in cave formations, photography, and summer relief from the heat who are comfortable with continuous steps. When travelling with older adults, children, or anyone with limited mobility, first assess whether they can manage sustained stairs before deciding to enter.
Photography inside the cave follows on-site restrictions, and lighting, open points, and local passage arrangements may change. Photographers can look for angles around the Luosha Curtain and Queen Mother’s Jade Pool, but should not leave the path for a shot or stop in a crowded passage.
Build your day
Main cave route: entrance to exit
From the entrance, follow the sequence of Lower Cave, Middle Cave, Upper Cave, and the exit. The main route takes about 1.5–2 hours. The Middle Cave has a particularly concentrated group of sights and is a good place to slow down; a few points such as Queen Mother’s Jade Pool require a short return, so follow the on-site directions in and out.
The cave has continuous steps, and your pace will change with visitor numbers and photography stops. After leaving the cave, walk downhill along the path for about 10 minutes, then continue to the car park; if you skip the slide and underground-river boat, walking is still the complete way back.
Optional outdoor activities
The jungle slide and underground-river boat are both optional activities. Complete the main cave visit first, then decide whether to try them according to the opening status and queue. The reference prices are about CNY 40 per person for the slide and CNY 30 per person for the boat.
The slide, boat, and cave lighting may be affected by weather, equipment, or operating arrangements. If you skip the optional activities, walk downhill and return to the car park to complete the visit.
Connecting with other Shitai attractions
Penglai Fairy Cave can be combined with Shitai Guniujiang and Zui Mountain Wilderness in a one- or two-day driving itinerary; the reference drive is about 30 minutes. If you also plan to visit Guniujiang or Zui Mountain Wilderness that day, leave time for the cave steps, outdoor walking, and a meal, and do not schedule two attractions with substantial walking too tightly.
Get there
Driving and parking
Drivers should navigate to “Penglai Fairy Cave Scenic Area Parking Lot (蓬莱仙洞景区停车场).” Parking costs about CNY 10 per vehicle as a reference, followed by a 10–15-minute walk to the entrance. There is no shuttle between the car park and the entrance, so include this walk when travelling with older adults or children.
Public transport to Penglai Fairy Cave is inconvenient, and a taxi may be difficult to arrange at short notice. If you are not driving, arrange a round-trip transfer in advance rather than looking for a vehicle after arriving in Shitai.
Returning after the cave
After leaving the cave, walk downhill for about 10 minutes and then follow the roughly 1-kilometer road back to the car park. This section has little shade in summer, so prepare drinking water and sun protection before entering the cave. Taking the slide or boat does not remove the need to walk back toward the car park.
Know before you go
Continuous steps and sun outside the cave
The cave is around 18°C and offers a short break from hot weather, but the route includes many steps and some sustained climbs. Wear shoes suitable for stairs with good grip. Visitors with limited mobility should decide at the entrance whether they can complete the main route.
The downhill path and road toward the car park may be exposed to strong sun after you exit. In summer, bring water, a hat, and sun protection; in rainy weather, take care around the cave entrance and wet steps.
Admission and additional costs
The reference adult ticket price is about CNY 70–80; students usually receive half-price admission and visitors aged 65 or above enter free. The slide costs about CNY 40 per person and the underground-river boat about CNY 30 per person, selected according to the day’s opening status. Prices, discounts, the final admission time, and activity operation may change.
If you skip the slide and boat, you can continue your return after walking downhill for about 10 minutes. Photography, lighting, and the opening status of individual sights may also change; follow the day’s passage and photography requirements.
Visitor numbers and food
The cave can be crowded and stuffy on public holidays, and queues slow the one-way route. Entering on a weekday or around 08:00 can avoid some visitor volume, but holiday visit times are still affected by queues and the number of people inside the cave.
Restaurants such as Sisters Tucaiguan and Xiaoshiju are available around the scenic area, although meals may involve a wait. Penglai Fairy Cave is relatively close to Guniujiang and Zui Mountain Wilderness; when driving between several attractions, choose a restaurant along the way where possible to reduce backtracking.