Locals and visitors alike are deeply amazed by Hechi!!!!!!!
Sanmenhai: Guangxi’s version of the “Blue Hole” that doesn’t require going abroad
If you ask me which attraction in Hechi impressed me the most, I would say Sanmenhai without hesitation. It completely shattered my preconceived notions of caves. It’s not an ordinary dry cave but the world’s only water skylight cluster accessible by boat, and it’s also the core area of the global karst landscape. Over 280 million years of geological evolution have formed seven skylights arranged like the Big Dipper constellation. Currently, three of these can be explored by boat, and each time you pass through a stone gate, you’ll discover a new surprise.
The water inside the cave is truly Tiffany Blue. Sunlight streams through the skylights onto the water’s surface, creating shimmering waves that look like the entire starry sky has been woven into blue-green silk. It’s so dreamy it feels unreal, a perfect alternative to foreign blue holes, and even more layered than many overseas attractions.
The best way to explore here is by boat, with a boatman providing commentary throughout the journey. You slowly glide through the cave, passing narrow dark river tunnels, and suddenly the view opens up wide. The immersive feeling of “mountains with seas, seas with gates” is absolutely breathtaking. If you have time, you can hike to the mountain top outside the scenic area for free, overlooking the entire Sanmenhai panorama. The blue-green skylights look like gems embedded in the mountains, and the view is just as stunning as from the boat.
Here’s an exclusive hidden tip: we stayed at Fengqi Homestay near Sanmenhai, which we found by following roadside lodging signs on site. Many homestays can’t be found online. It was quiet and comfortable, and we even got free Sanmenhai boat tickets. During peak season, you can use a fast track to skip long lines—truly a great deal!
⛰️ Dongtian Shengjing: The cave wonder hidden in a Yao village
This was a spot I had been looking forward to for a long time, and it did not disappoint. It’s located in the “Yao Wang Tian Xia” scenic area. With one combo ticket, you can freely visit Baiku Yao Village, Dongtian Shengjing, and Geyasi Valley, including shuttle buses within the park, offering excellent value.
A key reminder: the combo ticket is valid only for the day of purchase, so you must visit all three spots in one day or the ticket becomes invalid the next day! If your time is tight, just head straight to the core Dongtian Shengjing—it’s definitely worth the price.
Many don’t know that the Baiku Yao people living here are recognized by UNESCO as the most culturally preserved ethnic group, hailed as “living fossils of human civilization.” They still maintain national intangible cultural heritage skills like bronze drum dancing and indigo dyeing. The embroidery patterns on their clothing are called “history books worn on the body,” stitching thousands of years of ethnic history into their garments. After visiting Dongtian Shengjing, you can stroll through the Yao village to see authentic Yao dwellings. If you’re lucky, you might catch a bronze drum performance and immerse yourself in this millennia-old ethnic culture.
🍶 Dongtian Jiuhai: The giant underground wine city inside a cave
Who would have thought that deep in the mountains, there’s a “world’s largest natural wine storage cave” certified by Guinness World Records? There’s even an eight-story wine storage building inside the cave. Seeing it in person was truly awe-inspiring.
This Dongtian Jiuhai is located in Nandan County and serves as the natural wine storage base for Danquan Liquor. The cave covers 133,000 square meters and stores 90,000 tons of sauce-flavored liquor. The temperature is constantly maintained at 16.9°C with humidity between 85%-95%, creating an ideal environment for wine storage. Walking inside, you’re greeted by a strong aroma of liquor mixed with the cool moisture of the cave, making you feel slightly tipsy just from the scent.
You can stroll along the trails to see the Bai Fu Wine Corridor stretching for kilometers, with tens of thousands of ceramic jars neatly arranged like a terracotta army. You can also check out the underground wine river, the “world’s largest jar,” and the 13,000-square-meter wine storage building deep inside the cave. The collision of industrial architecture and natural karst landscape is truly fascinating. Even if you don’t drink, you’ll be impressed by the scale and ingenuity.
✨ Baimo Cave: The “health sanctuary” in the longevity hometown
How can you miss the famous Baimo Cave when visiting Hechi? Located in Bama, the world’s longevity hometown, I had long admired the magnetic therapy area inside the cave. When I arrived, I saw many elderly people resting quietly on the magnetic therapy stones, soaking in the earth’s magnetic energy, hoping to absorb some of the longevity luck. The scene was both interesting and healing.
The “magic” of Baimo Cave lies not only in its health legends but also in its stunning karst scenery. The cave is divided into front and back sections. The front cave features magnificent stone forest landscapes with countless stalactites and stalagmites in various shapes, some towering dozens of meters high, making you feel tiny in the face of nature. The back cave is a huge sinkhole filled with pristine vegetation, with sunlight streaming from above, like stepping into a secluded paradise.
The cave has extremely high negative oxygen ion content and magnetic intensity far beyond ordinary areas. It’s a health retreat that many “migratory elderly” visit annually. Even just walking through it leaves you feeling refreshed and breathing deeply.
💚 Bainiaoyan: The “Three Days and Three Nights” secret realm hidden on the water
If Sanmenhai is a Tiffany Blue dream, Bainiaoyan is a poetic emerald green. The water here is crystal clear jade color, so transparent you can see the fish swimming below. The entire tour is by boat, no walking required, making it very lazy-friendly.
The most amazing feature of Bainiaoyan is its unique light and shadow spectacle. It’s the last underground river outlet of the Panyang River before it flows into the Hongshui River, with over 1,500 meters of underground dark river and three natural skylights. As you boat through the cave, you pass through these skylights one by one. Each time you emerge from a dark tunnel into bright daylight, the light and dark alternate three times, like experiencing “three days and three nights” of day and night cycles in just a few minutes. Locals call it the “Longevity Cave.”
Be sure to visit on a sunny day! When the weather is good, sunlight slants through the skylights, creating a stunning Tyndall effect. The light beams fall on the emerald water, and when mist swirls, it truly feels like entering a fairyland. Every photo looks like a professional shot with no filter needed. The cave roof is home to many rock swallows, which fly out in flocks at dawn and dusk, skimming the water, giving the place its name “Bainiaoyan” (Hundred Birds Rock).
1. Self-driving: If you’re from nearby provinces (Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan), you can drive directly from home via highway to Hechi. The roads are in great condition, and even novice drivers can handle it easily.
2. Arrival driving: For long-distance travelers, take the high-speed train to Hechi West Station. There are many official car rental outlets at the station with a full range of vehicles. Book online in advance, pick up your car right after the train, and return it at the same station after your trip—very convenient.
Tips: Prioritize SUV models for better stability and comfort on some mountain roads. During peak travel seasons, book cars early to avoid price hikes and unavailability.
Non-driving options (lazy-friendly, no driving needed)
If you don’t want to drive, don’t worry. Here are some hassle-free travel options that even solo travelers can easily use:
1. Major transport: Take the high-speed train to Hechi West Station or fly to Nanning Wuxu Airport, then transfer to the high-speed train to Hechi West Station. Transportation is very convenient.
2. Local transport: There are official long-distance buses between counties in Hechi. In the county towns of Bama, Fengshan, and Nandan, there are also urban-rural buses to various attractions. The fares are cheap, but schedules are fixed, so plan your itinerary carefully. If waiting for buses is inconvenient, you can find official carpool services locally or join a local pure-play small tour group. The cost per person is reasonable, no need to plan routes yourself, and you can hear local stories from the driver. This is great for solo travelers or those who don’t want to do detailed planning.
1. Tickets: It’s recommended to book all attraction tickets online one day in advance, which is much cheaper than buying on-site, especially combo tickets that save a lot. Confirm the validity period of the Yao Wang Tian Xia combo ticket—it’s mostly valid only on the day of purchase, so visit all three spots in one day.
2. Best visiting time: For all cave attractions, choose sunny days! Only with ample sunlight can you see the most stunning water colors and Tyndall effects. For Sanmenhai and Bainiaoyan, morning visits are best—fewer people, better light, and more photogenic.