Da Hong Shan is home to the Huangxian Cave and the Niang Niang Zhai
Village.
There is a Sister EarthCache for you to log as well here.
Click on it to see additional info on the cave itself: GC11FPA
This site is well off the international tourist path today, but
that may soon change. The area is being developed for tourism by a
private investor, with a large resort hotel, restaurant, and
grocery store all under construction in early 2007. The most
convenient way to get here is by taking a tour bus from Wuhan,
capital of Hubei Province. Plan for an all day trip as it took
us 9 hours round trip, including dinner in the village, from nearby
Zhongxiang.
The closest small city is Zhongxiang, about 60 km away.
Zhongxiang is know as the hometown of an Emperor and they can prove
it too. Emperor Jiajing’s Ming Dynasty Tomb is nearby as well as
other sights.
Zhongxiang is also called “long life city”. Resident’s enjoy the
minimal pollution, relaxed healthy lifestyle, and honest hard work.
Meat is deemphasized in the diet and some people are vegetarians
here. The result is that it is not uncommon to live past 100 years,
with several women reportedly 118 years old in 2007. Apparently
some of these very old people still work in the family shop making
sales and counting money. I can only hope I’m alive and alert at
118!
The cave is absolutely massive, on the scale of the USA’s
Mammoth Cave, but much prettier. There are good paths, lights and
LOTS of stairs as you go through the cave. The path ascends from
the bottom to the top, culminating in the God Steps. When you climb
them you will appreciate the name may have a meaning beyond the
local legend, since you might expect to see God in Heaven at the
top after such a steep climb through the manmade tunnel.
Unfortunately, when you make it to the top you are more likely to
see a non-angelic security guard instead.
To find the cache, forget your GPS until you reach the top of
the God Steps since there is very poor satellite reception in
the heart of the mountain. You will walk through several additional
tunnels along the base of a cliff, exiting into the valley between
the mountain peaks.
Now you can hunt the cache (the real reason you came so far
right!) Once you have finished learning about Niangniang (wife)
Stockade Village, turn around. With your back to the village
legend, you are looking directly at the cache hiding spot. The
Cache is slightly off path (no climbing required) in the base of
the rocks to the left of the tunnel exit.
Be sure to replace the cache carefully to ensure it is not
discovered by muggles. BRING YOUR OWN PEN as there was no room
for a pen or trade items in the Cache. This cache is about the
experience of the area, not trading.
Take a good look at the photos of the area to get a good idea of
the location before setting out. You will not want to re-climb the
mountain again after going down to your bag for the photos.
Be sure to go interact with the local villagers. Long isolated
way up here, a long hike from anywhere, they now make a living
selling locally produced tea eggs, berries, honey, and vegetables
along with bottled drinks to tourists. If you can post a photo with
you and one or more of my new (very old) friends from Niangniang
Village, or with "Dinner the Dog", that would be wonderful. See
photos below. I would love to see how they are all doing.
Along the way be sure to read and obey the very interesting
signs. 
See more examples in the photos below.
Good luck with the climb and enjoy this world class location. On
the way down, try to stop in the little restaurant at the upper
edge of the more modern part of the village for some super fresh,
super cheap, super good local food. We spent 100 RMB for 5 people
and at lots of food left over. Also check out the mushrooms that
the villagers grow on special Da Hong wood. The fancy gate on the
road into the area is actually to protect the villagers livelihood
by searching trucks that might try to smuggle out the special
species of wood required for growing the mushrooms, .
Note regarding Cache Maintenance: The Cache Owner visits an
important supplier in nearby Zhongxiang regularly, so he can
replace the cache reasonably quickly if required. Due the remote
location, however, any assistance that other cachers can provide
to help maintain the cache would gratefully appreciated.
Note regarding Terrain/Difficulty Rating: I set both to 4.5 to
reflect the shear difficulty and time required to reach this
amazing area, combined with the 4 plus hour climb through the cave
and back down the mountain. No special equipment required, and
plenty of tourists do the climb everyday, but you ARE going to be
reminded of the adventure by your legs the next day.