On top of a nameless mountain, at least 200 coffins, surrounded by vibrant shrubs, lie in a giant cavern about 40 meters tall, 70 meters wide and more than 100 meters in depth. Here, life and death coexist in great harmony.

From Guiyang, capital of Southwest Guizhou Province , through Huaxi, Qingyan, and Qiantao to Gaopo, the elevation rises from 1,000 meters to 1,500 meters, though it takes only two hours to cover the 48 kilometers.

In Gaopo, which is located in a high and cold mountainous area, the highest point reaches 1,712.1 meters, and the northern part is higher than the southern part, as the northern area consists mainly of high mountains and mesas. The area boasts of typical karst topography, and caverns of various sizes can be seen everywhere. According to the locals, the cave burial custom dates back to 600 years ago, and cave burials abound there.

  About Guiyang's Cave Burial Custom

As revealed in a survey by a scholar in 1981, there are eight cave burial sites, but researchers believe the real number is far more.

"Since these burial sites are ages old, and the custom is no longer popular at present, many sites have been forgotten. Up to now, there are two sites that have been kept intact: one is the Jiading cave burial site, and the other, the Shaping cave burial site," said the researchers.

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  Origin of the Cave Burial Custom

According to a villager in Jiading Village, the custom of cave burial has a long history in Gaopo County.

Once a girl from Mengxiang County was married to a man in Gaopo County. However, she refused to live with her husband's family. When asked why by her parents, she said her brothers would have the mountains and forests as well as the house they were living in after their death, while she would get nothing.

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  "Cave Ghost "

In Gaopo, the Miao people refer to cave burial as "Ba Ge Du." It is said that "Ba Ge" means cave, and "Du" indicates ghost in the Miao language. Combined, the three characters means "cave ghost" or "ghost in the cave."

Caves, for the Miao people who have been living in mountains, play a significant role in local people's daily life. For example, their ancestors lived in caves, and the young people usually choose to develop a romantic relationship in the caves.

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Author: Jessie

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