Leye Tiankeng Group

A tiankeng, literally a heavenly pit, is a giant collapse doline formed when the roof of a cave chamber falls in, and Leye county holds one of the largest concentrations known, around thirty of them in a small area. Dashiwei is the biggest, over six hundred metres deep with vertical walls, and its floor carries primary forest that has grown undisturbed because nothing can reach it easily, with plant and animal populations isolated from the surface. Some pits connect to cave systems and underground rivers explored by caving expeditions. Viewing platforms overlook Dashiwei, and easier pits and caves nearby are visited on foot.

What you actually see

• Dashiwei - a sinkhole over six hundred metres deep with sheer walls.
• The floor forests - isolated woodland at the bottom of the pits.
• The smaller tiankengs - a cluster of around thirty in the county.
• The cave systems - passages and underground rivers connecting them.

When to go

October to April for dry weather and clearer views into the pits; mist frequently fills them in the mornings and in the wet season. Summer rain makes trails slippery.

Honest expectations

Descent into Dashiwei is for equipped expeditions, not visitors; you look in from the rim. Mist often obscures the bottom. The county is remote with slow roads and basic facilities.

Nearby

Bama lies south; Baise is southwest.