Ancient Alu Cave
Location: 200Km from Kunming, Yunnan Province
Transportation: Bus from Kunming
Culture/History Rating: 2/5
Scenery Rating: 4/5
Hotels: N/A
Summary: I didn't have the chance to visit this place. Heard from some people that this place is pretty cool. If you have not been to a limestone (or whatever that is called) cave then you should definitely pay a visit. There are some more famous caves located in Stone Forest.
Description:
| This scenic region is situated 200 kilometers away from Kunming , the provincial capital of Yunnan Province . The scenic region covers an area of 54 square kilomerers, consisting of three parts: the Ancient Alu Caves , Dailu Waterfall and Banqiaohe Reservoir. The Ancient Alu Caves , known as "the First Caves in Yunnan", is a large underground karst cave group . "Alu" is a Yi word , the name of a tribe during the Nanzhao Period . The Ancient Alu Caves used to be the cave dwelling of the Alu Tribe. The Ancient Alu Caves have a total length of 3 kilometers , composed of three dry caves and a water cave - the Luyuan Cave , the Yuzhu Cave, the Biyu Cave and the Yusun Steam . The Luyuan Cave is 760 meters long, made up of more than 10 hall-like caves connected by narrow paths. The biggest cave can hold 4.000 people .The stalactites in the cave are in different shapes , some looking flowers or pearls , some like waterfalls or peaks and others like pillars or bamboo shoots. |  |
 | The Yuzhu Cave has a length of over 800 meters. It is named "Yuzhu Cave" because the cave is mostly occupied by stalactites and stalagmites . The most typical scenic point is "the Jade Pillar Supporting the Sky ", with a height of 8 meters and a diameter of about 30 centimeters . There are many other stone pillars in the cave . Near the entrance of the cave there is a large stone pillar, which is round and smooth as if it were carved by man .Other scenic are "the Natural Fresco", "the Axi Dance" and so on. The Yusun Stream flows under the Yuzhu Cave . It is an underground river , where tourists can so some sightseeing by boat . The stream is over 800 meters long and the stream bottom is clearly visible . Illuminated with lights , the blue ripples look as clear as crystal; boating on the stream , you will have a wonderful and peculiar feeling . In the stream there is a rare fish species, named "the blind fish", which is transparent and whose bones are visible. |
| The Three Pagodas are located 1 km northwest of Dali Old Town at the foot of Zhonghe Peak. They are historical witnesses of the prevailing Buddhism in those days in Dali. The Three Pagodas consist of one big pagoda and two small ones. They are one of the wonders in Dali. The Three Pagodas were built respectively at different periods of time. The main pagoda, the Qianxun Pagoda, which is named after its height, was ereted when the Chongsheng Monastery was built. The Qianxun Pagoda is a sixteen-story tower and height of 69.13 metres.On the south and north side of the main pagoda stand two small octagonal ones with closed eaves. Each has 10 stories at a height of 42.4 metres. They were erected during the Wudai Period of the Dali Kingdom. The Three Pagodas are representation of the ancient architectural and cultural arts of the Bai nationality. |  |
Climate:
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statistics |
Average values in the last 20 years |
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month |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
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average temperature |
8.0 | 9.0 | 12.0 | 16.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 20.0 | 19.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 | 11.0 | 8.0 |
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Highest temperature on the average (centigrade) |
15.0 | 17.0 | 21.0 | 24.0 | 25.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 23.0 | 20.0 | 18.0 | 15.0 |
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Lowest temperature on the average (centigrade) |
1.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.0 | 16.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 |
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rainfall (mm) |
13.0 | 11.0 | 16.0 | 27.0 | 95.0 | 178.0 | 221.0 | 212.0 | 91.0 | 91.0 | 41.0 | 14.0 |
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largest amount of rainfall (mm) |
24.0 | 41.0 | 47.0 | 35.0 | 95.0 | 85.0 | 88.0 | 110.0 | 85.0 | 85.0 | 42.0 | 36.0 |