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Furong Cave in Wulong: Is It Worth Adding to Your Day?
Furong Cave is worth adding to your Wulong day if you like caves or want a cool break: the tours give it about 1 hour, and the air deep inside stays at 16.1°C all year. This guide covers what you see on the 1,860 m visitor path, what the gate ticket costs, the opening hours, how to get there and which Wulong tours include it. It is less worth it on a short day, because the cave sits in Jiangkou town, 21 km from Wulong urban area.
Quick answer The short verdict on Furong Cave
Yes, if you have the time: the tours give Furong Cave about 1 hour, and the peak-season gate ticket is $11.99 (¥80) on the official district list. It suits travellers who like caves and geology, or want a 16.1°C break from summer heat. The cave sits 21 km from Wulong urban area, so it costs more time than money.
Key takeaways
- The cave ticket is in the price of the Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing at $100 and the 2-day tour at $207.
- The Wulong Private Day Tour with Furong Cave and Houping Tiankeng costs $185 per person, entrance tickets extra and no refunds.
- The cave sits 21 km from Wulong urban area in Jiangkou town: see how to get there.
- From September to April the cave is open 8:30 to 16:30, so read the hours and costs before you plan the day.
Is Furong Cave worth adding to your Wulong day?
Yes, if you can spare part of a day and enjoy caves, because the Furong Cave system is one of the three Wulong systems in the UNESCO listing and holds more than 70 types of secondary chemical deposit.
Furong Cave earned its place through science. Scientists from more than 20 countries surveyed it over about ten years, and the Furong Cave system is one of the three Wulong systems in the 2007 World Heritage listing. The question is whether it earns a slot in your day.
What you get
You walk a 1,860 m visitor route through a main passage 2,700 m long, past more than 30 interpreted sights in three scenic zones. The cave formed about 1.2 million years ago in Cambrian dolomitic limestone, and the long survey found a whole cave group around it.
The setting adds to it. The cave sits on the right bank of the Furong River in Jiangkou town. The Furong River is the largest tributary of the lower Wujiang, and its boat ticket is $14.99 (¥100) on the official list. The 2-Day Wulong Tour: Bridges, Furong Cave, Boat and Show pairs the cave with a 1-hour boat cruise.
What it takes
The cave sits 21 km from Wulong urban area, and the tours give it about 1 hour inside. The district's official list sets the gate ticket at $11.99 (¥80) in peak season and $9.74 (¥65) off season. Rides such as the transfer bus and cable car are charged separately from a first-gate ticket.
The pick: if Three Natural Bridges and Longshuixia Gorge are your priority, a day that adds the cave gives each site only 1 to 1.5 hours, as on the Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing. With two days, or a love of caves, put it near the top. The Wulong Private Day Tour with Furong Cave and Houping Tiankeng costs $185 per person for 10 hours, with entrance tickets bought separately.
Sources: Wulong District government, Wulong District Government, Chongqing Local Chronicles Office, Chongqing Municipal Government.
Formations above a pool in Furong Cave. Photo: Brookqi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What will you see inside Furong Cave?
You will see a limestone passage with more than 70 types of secondary chemical deposit, and five named highlights: the Giant Curtain Waterfall, Source of Life, Coral Jade Pool, Dogtooth Crystal Pool and King of Stone Flowers.
Furong Cave is a show cave of unusual variety. The Wulong government counts more than 70 types of secondary chemical deposit inside.
The scale
The main passage runs 2,700 m, and the visitor path covers 1,860 m of it. Ceiling heights usually run 8 to 25 m and reach 48.3 m at the tallest point. The cave formed in Cambrian dolomitic limestone and was carved out in the Quaternary Pleistocene, about 1.2 million years ago.
The guided route has more than 30 interpreted sights across three scenic zones.
The five highlights
The Giant Curtain Waterfall stands 30 m high and 21 m wide, 1,200 m along the visitor route. The Coral Jade Pool, 1,600 m along the route, covers 32 square m with water about 0.8 m deep all year. The Source of Life, the Dogtooth Crystal Pool and the King of Stone Flowers complete the five highlights named by the Chongqing local chronicles office.
The table shows where the two measured highlights sit on the route and how big they are.
| Highlight | Where on the route | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Giant Curtain Waterfall | 1,200 m in | 30 m high, 21 m wide |
| Coral Jade Pool | 1,600 m in | 32 square m, about 0.8 m deep |
Sources: Chongqing Local Chronicles Office, Wulong District government.
What does Furong Cave cost in money and time?
The official district list sets the gate ticket at $11.99 (¥80) in peak season and $9.74 (¥65) off season, and the tours give the cave about 1 hour inside.
Money here is the smaller part of the bill. Time and transfers are what decide whether Furong Cave fits your day.
Tickets
The district's official list of A-level scenic areas sets the Furong Cave gate ticket at $11.99 (¥80) in peak season, against $10.49 (¥70) for Three Natural Bridges and $7.49 (¥50) for Fairy Mountain. Off season, Furong Cave drops to $9.74 (¥65). A first-gate ticket does not cover the transfer bus, battery car, cable car, elevator or small train, so budget for those rides on top.
The Furong River boat is a separate ticket at $14.99 (¥100) in both seasons.
Time
The tours give the cave about 1 hour on a visitor route of 1,860 m. Furong Cave keeps the same seasonal hours as Three Natural Bridges: 8:30 to 17:00 in May, 8:00 to 17:00 from June to August and 8:30 to 16:30 from September to April. The official list gives opening hours, not a last-entry time, so confirm the last entry on the tourism area phone line, 4000235666.
The table puts the cave's official figures and the tour timing side by side.
| Item | Figure | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Gate ticket, peak season | $11.99 (¥80) | Wulong District list |
| Gate ticket, off season | $9.74 (¥65) | Wulong District list |
| Furong River boat | $14.99 (¥100) | Wulong District list |
| Time inside the cave | About 1 hour | Tour itineraries |
| Hours, September to April | 8:30 to 16:30 | Wulong District list |
Compare it with a guided day
If you would rather not piece the rides together, a guided day does it for you. The Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing runs 12 hours at $100 per person, with the Furong Cave ticket included when you select it, and holds a 4.9 rating from 29 reviews. The Wulong Private Day Tour with Furong Cave and Houping Tiankeng costs $185 per person for 10 hours, rated 5 from 7 reviews, with entrance tickets bought separately and no refunds.
The 2-Day Wulong Tour: Bridges, Furong Cave, Boat and Show costs $207 per person with the cave, the river boat and the show tickets in the price.
Sources: Wulong District Government, Chongqing Municipal Government.
Tours That Fit
Guided days that work well alongside or instead of a self-planned Furong Cave visit.
from $185
Furong Cave and Houping
Wulong Private Day Tour with Furong Cave and Houping Tiankeng
The one day that adds Furong Cave and the Houping Tiankeng to the bridges, by private car. Non-refundable.
Check Availability
from $207
2 days with show
2-Day Wulong Tour: Bridges, Furong Cave, Boat and Show
Two days from Chongqing: Furong Cave, a Furong River boat, Fairy Mountain, the bridges, the gorge and the evening show.
Check Availability
from $100
Editor's pick
Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing
A 12-hour shared day from central Chongqing with an English-speaking guide and the entry tickets for the sites you choose in the price.
Check AvailabilityHow do you get to Furong Cave from Chongqing?
Take the fastest train from Chongqing East to Wulong South station in 34 minutes and continue by road to Jiangkou town, or join a day tour that drives about 3 hours each way.
Furong Cave sits on the right bank of the Furong River in Jiangkou town, 21 km from Wulong urban area. The last leg is by road however you arrive.
By Train and Road
The Yuxia high-speed line stops at Wulong South station, and at its opening the fastest of five daily trains from Chongqing East took 34 minutes. Fares are set on 12306. From the Wulong urban area the cave is 21 km by road to Jiangkou town.
At the site, the transfer bus and cable car are paid separately from the gate ticket, so keep some yuan or a payment app ready.
From urban Chongqing
Drivers can take the Banan to Wulong section of the Yuxiang second expressway, 127 km with a toll of about $15.29 (¥102) for a small car. An official report puts the drive from Chongqing main city at three to four hours in traffic, against about one hour by high-speed rail to the foot of Fairy Mountain.
The simplest option is a guided day. The Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing picks up in Yuzhong District and drives about 3 hours each way. The 2-Day Wulong Tour: Bridges, Furong Cave, Boat and Show starts with the Furong River boat and the cave on day one.
Sources: Chongqing Municipal Government, Chongqing Municipal Government, Chongqing Municipal Government, Chongqing Local Chronicles Office.
How do you get the most from your visit?
Dress for a cave that holds a steady 16.1°C deep inside, go early, and treat the Furong River as part of the visit.
A few practical habits separate a good visit from a rushed one.
What to wear and carry
The temperature deep inside Furong Cave stays steady at 16.1°C all year. That makes it a cool break on a hot summer day, and a light layer helps on the way out. The one-day tour that includes the cave involves about 8 km of walking across the day, and its operator advises comfortable soft shoes.
Bring your passport too, because several tours scan passports at the scenic entrances. Ceilings run 8 to 25 m, so the cave feels open rather than cramped.
The Furong River
The Furong River is the largest tributary of the lower Wujiang, 243 km long, with 32 km of its main stream inside Wulong. It opened to visitors in 1995, and the official boat ticket is $14.99 (¥100) in both seasons. The 2-Day Wulong Tour: Bridges, Furong Cave, Boat and Show includes a 1-hour boat cruise after a round-trip cable car, then free time for lunch at Jiangkou Ancient Town.
Book that tour if the river matters to you, since otherwise the boat is a separate $14.99 (¥100) ticket.
Timing your day
Go early. From September to April the cave closes at 16:30, and from June to August it opens at 8:00. Pairing the cave with Three Natural Bridges and Longshuixia Gorge in one day works on the Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing, which gives the cave 1 hour and the other two 1.5 hours each.
Self-planned, two days is the calmer choice, with the cave and the river on one of them.
Sources: Wulong District Government, Chongqing Local Chronicles Office, Wulong District government.
How was Furong Cave discovered?
Furong Cave was discovered on 26 May 1993 and opened to visitors on 1 May 1994, and the Furong Cave system joined the UNESCO World Heritage list on 27 June 2007.
The cave is young as a tourist site and ancient as rock.
From farm field to World Heritage
The cave went from discovery to open doors within a year. The Furong Cave system became part of the South China Karst World Heritage listing on 27 June 2007, and the wider Wulong Karst tourism area was approved as a national 5A scenic area on 6 July 2011. The Chongqing government describes that tourism area as three main parts: Three Natural Bridges, Fairy Mountain and Furong Cave.
The Wulong District government lists the three World Heritage systems in the district as the Furong Cave system, the Three Natural Bridges karst system and the Houping erosional tiankeng karst system.
Sources: Chongqing Local Chronicles Office, Wulong District government, Chongqing Municipal Government, Chongqing Municipal Government.
Is Wulong karst worth visiting?
Yes, Wulong karst is worth visiting, because UNESCO lists three of its systems, the Furong Cave system, the Three Natural Bridges karst system and the Houping erosional tiankeng karst system, as part of the South China Karst World Heritage Site.
Wulong is one of China's great karst landscapes, and Furong Cave is one of its three heritage pillars.
How the sites fit together
The Wulong District government's protection scope has three parts: the Three Natural Bridges area including Longshuixia Fissure, the Furong Cave area including the Furong River basin, and the Houping erosional tiankeng area. Most day tours pair Three Natural Bridges with Longshuixia Gorge or Fairy Mountain, and Furong Cave fits best on a second day. Peak-season gate tickets are $10.49 (¥70) for Three Natural Bridges, $7.49 (¥50) for Fairy Mountain and $11.99 (¥80) for Furong Cave on the official list.
To see the headline karst without planning, the Wulong Karst and Fairy Mountain Small-Group Day Trip costs $216 per person for 11.5 hours with the tickets included. The Wulong Karst Private Day Tour with Tickets at $179 per person includes the bridges and Longshuixia tickets, with free cancellation 24 hours ahead.
Sources: Wulong District government, Wulong District Government.
What is the most famous cave in China?
No official body ranks China's caves, but Furong Cave is the cave named in Wulong's UNESCO listing, one of three Wulong systems in the South China Karst World Heritage site.
Fame among Chinese caves splits between show caves and scientific ones. Furong Cave counts as both.
Where Furong Cave stands
Scientists from more than 20 countries surveyed Furong Cave over about ten years and found a cave group around it. More than 70 types of secondary chemical deposit and five named highlights, from the 30 m Giant Curtain Waterfall to the Coral Jade Pool, give it a scientific profile on top of the show. The cave opened to visitors on 1 May 1994 and its visitor path runs 1,860 m.
If your trip is about geology, it earns its place next to the bridges.
Sources: Wulong District government, Chongqing Local Chronicles Office, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
What is the most mysterious cave in the world?
There is no official title of most mysterious cave in the world, and Furong Cave's appeal is variety: more than 70 types of secondary chemical deposit along a 1,860 m path.
This question has no single answer, but Furong Cave has its own case worth knowing.
What Sets Furong Cave Apart
The cave is fully developed for visitors, with more than 30 interpreted sights in three scenic zones. Its scale shows in height: ceilings run 8 to 25 m and reach 48.3 m at the tallest point. The Dogtooth Crystal Pool and the King of Stone Flowers are two of the five named highlights.
The survey by scientists from more than 20 countries also found a whole cave group around Furong Cave, formed in rock about 1.2 million years ago.
Sources: Wulong District government, Chongqing Local Chronicles Office.
Is Furong Ancient Town real?
Yes, Furong Ancient Town is a real place, but it is outside Wulong District and has nothing to do with Furong Cave, which sits on the Furong River in Jiangkou town.
The shared name Furong causes confusion in trip planning. Check the district before you book.
Do not mix up the two Furongs
Furong Cave is in Chongqing's Wulong District, on the right bank of the Furong River, 21 km from Wulong urban area. The old town on the Wulong tour routes is Jiangkou Ancient Town, where the 2-Day Wulong Tour: Bridges, Furong Cave, Boat and Show stops for lunch after the 1-hour river boat. When you search, check that results mention Wulong, Chongqing or the Furong River before you trust them.
Source: Chongqing Local Chronicles Office.
Is it worth it, line by line?
For cave lovers and travellers with half a day spare, what Furong Cave gives outweighs what it takes, and for travellers squeezing Wulong into one rushed day it does not.
Here is the whole decision on one table.
What you get against what it takes
Read the left column as your reward and the right column as your cost, then match it against how much time Wulong gets from you.
| What you get | What it takes |
|---|---|
| One of the three Wulong systems in the UNESCO listing | A 21 km trip from Wulong urban area |
| About 1 hour inside on a 1,860 m route past more than 30 sights | Transfer bus and cable car paid on top of the gate ticket |
| Five named highlights, including a 30 m by 21 m curtain waterfall and the Coral Jade Pool | Gate tickets of $11.99 (¥80) peak and $9.74 (¥65) off season |
| A steady 16.1°C deep inside on a hot day | A 12-hour day on the one-day tour that includes it |
| The Furong River boat, $14.99 (¥100) | Closing at 16:30 from September to April |
Sources: Wulong District Government, Chongqing Local Chronicles Office, Wulong District government.
Furong Cave FAQ
How long does a visit to Furong Cave take?
The tours give it about 1 hour inside on a 1,860 m visitor route, as on the Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing. Add the drive and the rides, and it fills a good part of the day.
What are Furong Cave's opening hours?
8:30 to 17:00 in May, 8:00 to 17:00 from June to August and 8:30 to 16:30 from September to April, the same as Three Natural Bridges. No last-entry time is published, so see hours and costs and call ahead.
How much do Furong Cave tickets cost?
The official district list sets the gate ticket at $11.99 (¥80) in peak season and $9.74 (¥65) off season, with rides charged separately. The cost table sets it out.
How far is Furong Cave from Wulong town?
It is 21 km from Wulong urban area, in Jiangkou town on the right bank of the Furong River. See how to get there.
Can you visit Furong Cave and Three Natural Bridges in one day?
Yes. The Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing fits the cave, Three Natural Bridges and Longshuixia Gorge into 12 hours. Self-planned, two days is calmer.
Is Furong Cave cold inside?
The temperature deep inside stays steady at 16.1°C all year, so bring a light layer. The tips section covers what to carry.
Which Wulong tour includes Furong Cave?
The Wulong Private Day Tour with Furong Cave and Houping Tiankeng visits it at $185 per person for 10 hours, entrance tickets extra. The small-group day tour and the 2-day tour include the cave ticket in the price.
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