It was February, with gentle breeze and bright sunshine. We met at the Dragon Palace, and then, we met you all.

Twenty-seven kilometers southwest of Anshun City in Guizhou Province, there is a cave that is remarkable for its underground lake. Taking a boat ride on the lake allows you to explore the cave. It is called the Dragon Palace.

This is the place where we spent the day together and created memories.

The length of the Dragon Palace is over 3,000 meters. It is composed of five groups of caves connected by underground rivers. The locals call it "Five Stages of the Dragon Palace". The first stage of the Dragon Palace starts from the palace gate to the Shell Rock. The second stage starts from the Shell Rock to the Flower Fish Pond. The third stage starts from the Flower Fish Pond to the Silver Carp Cave. The fourth stage starts from the Silver Carp Cave to the Maple Tree Cave. The fifth stage starts from the Spiral Pond via the Guanyin Cave to the Little Flowering Kale Lake. The deepest part of the underground river is 28 meters, the widest part is over 30 meters, and the narrowest part can only accommodate a small boat to pass through. It really gives you a feeling of a tomb robbery manual.

The Dragon Palace has a vast and deep pool, known as "Heavenly Pool" or "Dragon Pool". The water is crystal clear and the depth reaches 43 meters. The cliff by the pool rises sheerly, and ancient trees and vines cover it. Entering the palace gate, "a group of dragons greet the guests". The dark cave roof hangs down dozens of stalactites, stretching out their jaws and limbs, resembling the shape of a dragon. The underground river flows steadily and steadily, deep and mysterious, with winding and confusing docks.

The Dragon Palace is different from ordinary dry caves. It is immersed in a pool of clear water. Paddling through the caves, it feels like cruising in the "Crystal Palace of the Dragon King".

The Longgong Scenic Area, covering an area of approximately eight square kilometers, also has more than twenty large and small karst caves, including Xinzhai Cave, Longqi Cave, Tianjian Cave and Huxue Cave. Among these four caves, Xinzhai Cave is the largest and is also known as "Yuzhu Cave". It is about one kilometer deep and has seven chambers and magnificent karst landscapes. Yuzhu Cave, Longqi Cave and Tianjian Cave got their names because there are peculiar stone pillars, stone curtains and stone stalactites in the caves, resembling jade pillars, dragon flags and swords. Huxue Cave got its name because there is a mountain head nearby that resembles a fierce tiger.

The scenic spots outside the Dragon Palace include the Longmen Waterfall, the Shell Rock Flying Swallow, the Flower Fish Peach Garden, the Cloud Mountain Stone Forest, the Sleeping Dragon Pool, the Baima Bridge, etc. The Longmen Waterfall is located near the entrance of the Dragon Palace. It is formed by the water from the Heavenly Pool flowing straight down through the cave window. The waterfall is about 25 meters wide and 34 meters high. The sound of the waterfall is like an avalanche thundering, and its width and height are rare among the waterfalls in the cave. Local people call this scene "The White Dragon Emerges from Its Nest". On the back mountain of the Heavenly Pool, there is a Stone Forest Park. 

Xuan Tang is located near the "Four-Entering the Dragon Palace" Clear Water Cave. It is a name for a pond, and this pond was used as the name of the fortress. The diameter of Xuan Tang is 120 meters. The water in the pond rotates continuously throughout the year, flowing from the edge of the pond to the center. The reason for the continuous rotation is that there is a drainage pit at the center of the pond. The flowing water rapidly sinks, creating a unique landscape. Inside the fortress, there are two beautiful stone mountains, and the mountains, water, and the fortress are beautifully complemented, forming a picturesque scene.

"Bamboo Shell Swallow", located at Bamboo Shell Rock. Bamboo Shell Rock is a large inclined rock, with its upper part leaning forward, resembling a bamboo shell. There are numerous caves of various sizes on the rock.

Swallows build their nests among them. Thousands of swallows soar up and down, constantly moving back and forth. Below Bamboo Shell Mountain, there is the "Tiger Cave", inside which there are "Multiple Mountains", "Facing Scenery", "Upper Fairy Terrace" and other scenic spots. 

Longgong is a national-level scenic spot. It is 27 kilometers away from Anshun City, a major tourism center on the western route of Guizhou Province. There is a high-grade road directly leading to the scenic area.

The Longgong Scenic Area is mainly composed of karst water caves. It also integrates dry caves, waterfalls, canyons, peak clusters, sheer cliffs, lakes, streams, ethnic customs, and religious culture, forming a picturesque picture of an idyllic earthly paradise.

The Longgong Scenic Area is renowned for its extraordinary beauty. In particular, the central scenic area's karst cave is the longest in the country, the waterfall inside is the highest in the nation, and the natural radiation rate is the lowest in the world. It has been hailed by experts and tourists as the "three greatest" in China. Adjacent to it is the Xuantang Scenic Area, which is famous for its "three wonders": the uniqueness of the whirlpool water, the abundance of short rivers, and the grandness of the Buddhist hall inside the cave. Entering the Longgong area feels like stepping into an earthly fairyland and a secluded paradise, leaving one yearning to stay and never wanting to leave.

The trip was over. We gathered with our friends at a restaurant for lunch. Ctrip had prepared a sumptuous lunch for us. We sat together, although we were already quite familiar with each other, we still introduced ourselves. We also got to know each other more deeply. I glanced at the camera, then at the person opposite me, and smiled at each other.

Thank you, Dragon Palace, thank you, Ctrip. Meeting, memories. 

Guizhou Normal University, Chu Ning