Leye Tiankengs

Leye County, located 460 kilometers from Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, boasts the world largest clustered distribution of magnificent and broad Tiankengs. Among them the Dashiwei Tiankeng is generally viewed as the top spot in the world for its concentration, vastness and uniqueness. Dashiwei Tiankeng is 613 meters deep and has a volume of 80 million cubic meters. The primitive forest at the bottom of Dashiwei Tiankeng is the largest of its kind around the world, occupying an area of 96,000 square meters.

The Leye Tiankengs also boast many rare animals and plants, which offer invaluable resources for scientific research and exploration. The forest at the foot of Dashiwei Tiankeng is inhabited by more than 1,000 varieties of plants, including many rare and precious species, and such animals as blindfish, crabs, shrimp and flying squirrels. Besides the many geological discoveries in the region, biological findings had also surfaced in the caves, pointing to new animal species. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that a new crab species and a new type of spider were found in the caves. Chen Guoxiao, research fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said: "It is the first time a crab species has been found in a cave in China. It is also very rare in the world. This has significance in biological research."

China is planning to develop the Tiankengs in Leye County into an international tourist resort. So far, 20 Tiankengs of different types have been found in Leye. Guangxi is now working on a tourist development plan in this area that covers transportation, infrastructure construction and environmental protection. International bidding will also be invited for the development of certain large-scale projects.

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