This monstrously long (10km) cave is the biggest in the country – a visit will satisfy everyone from hardcore spelunkers to wide-eyed tourists with a penchant for subterranean beauty. Pockets open up to 150m high to reveal Zhijin's organic splendour twisting upward like a stone forest.
Tickets to the cave, which is 15km outside Zhijin and 125km north of Anshun, include a compulsory two-hour Chinese-only tour (minimum 10 people). The tour covers some 6km of the cave, up steep, slippery steps at times, and there are English captions at the main points along the way. Solo travellers visiting outside peak summer months or Chinese holidays should be prepared for what can be a tedious wait for enough people to roll up to form a group.
Zhijin is doable as a day trip from Anshun. Buses leave Anshun's north bus station regularly (¥35, one hour, from around 7am). From the bus station in Zhijin, you'll need to get a shuttle bus to the cave (¥10, 40 minutes). Buses run from Zhijin back to Anshun until around 6.30pm, although check last departure times. Alternatively, you can take a train to Zhijin from Anshun station (¥15.50, 1½ hours, four daily) and then transfer to a shuttle bus (¥10) to the caves. The last train departs from Zhijin at 6.17pm.
From Guiyang, a bus leaves the tourist bus station on Jiefang Lu at 8am (return ¥70, two hours) and returns between 4pm and 5pm – check with the driver for exact return time.