Zhangjiajie Jiutian Cave
Jiutian cave is named from nine sky gates connecting the ceiling of the cave. It is well known as the biggest underground cave in Asia for its extremely large sky gate. because nine means extremely high,large and far, so people replace the original name “Big Temple of Heaven” with Nine Sky Cave. The cave is featured for its Bigness,wildness, beauty and quietness.
In 1988, more than 20 Cave exploration experts from 17 counties visited Zhangjiajie Jiutian cave for 3 times , learned out that Jiutian cave occupies a total area of more than 2.5 million square meters, divided into upper, middle and lower layers, with the bottom layer is 420 meters above the surface. There are 40 halls, 3 rivers, 12 waterfalls, 5 natural Bridges, 6 natural rice paddy, 3 natural lakes. Visitors can see a huge group of Stalagmites, stone columns, stone curtain, all of them are in a multiple shapes, so it is known as the stunning cave in China.
Cave Explorer Wang Hairan discovered the cave in 1997 , and it was officially open to public as a provincial tourists spot in 1998. In the same year, experts from the international Cave exploration organization came for expedition, they thought Jiutian cave is huge in size and unique in its landscape, there are a huge group of undeveloped caves waiting for exploration in 1995,.Jiutian cave was designated as the “exploration base of the international karst cave association” (only two in China), and was absorbed as the member of the international karst cave association (only three in China).
In late September 1989, cave exploration experts from the United States, Britain and Belgium visited Zhangjiajie jiutian cave and agreed that jiutian cave has high scientific research value and tourism value.
