Mysterious Caves in China: Aliens or Unknown Civilization?

The Longyou Caves are also known as the ninth wonder of the world

(Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay)

The Longyou Caves can be found beneath the surface of Zhejiang province in eastern China. All visitors are fascinated by the large scale and impressive grandeur of this vast network of ancient underground caves. These underground caves, discovered accidentally in 1992, are often referred to as the ninth wonder of the world. Carved with an almost mechanical level of precision. It's unclear why, how, or who constructed them.

Could an ancient civilization that is unknown have created these caves? Is it possible that these mysterious caves were built by extraterrestrial beings? Are there any connections between these caves and the mystical practices of Taoist magicians?

Join Worldmysterieshub as we explore the depths of this mystery.

The Enigma of Longyou Caves

Who dug these underground structures is still a profound mystery. The reason for their creation is also unknown. No legends or historical documents mention this large group of underground caves, despite their enormous scale. Only their discovery in the summer of 1992 made the world aware of their existence. Even after more than 30 years, we still have little knowledge of them, but what we do have is quite intriguing.

How The Caves Were Discovered

The Longyou Caves were discovered by accident. The area surrounding the caves is characterized by a typical Chinese agricultural landscape, which includes rice fields, farms, meadows, and forests. Agriculture is the primary income source for the residents of the region, while the younger generation has moved to urban areas to find employment. Several naturally formed ponds of different sizes are a unique feature of an otherwise monotonous area.

Until a day in June 1992, the villagers had no idea that a great mystery could be concealed in the ponds they used for washing. With the aid of strong hydraulic pumps, local officials decided to drain the ponds on that day, revealing an amazing discovery - the Longyou caves.

The underground labyrinth is made up of seven man-made caves that are connected by narrow passages. The complex exhibits unmistakable signs of deliberate human craftsmanship, which disproves any notion of natural formation. Fine diagonal lines carve the ceilings, walls, and stone pillars of the caves with almost mechanical precision. The underground complex's large size and layout suggest careful planning. It's evident that the caves were constructed for a specific reason, but we're unsure what it is.

The Mysterious Man-Made Caves of Enormous Proportions

In succession, seven caves, each of identical shape but with varying heights and supporting pillars, follow one another. The largest cave is over 10,000 square meters in size, while the tiniest is only a few hundred square meters. The height of the caves ranges from over 40 meters to less than 20 meters. Each cave is topped with 2-5 thick stone pillars that smoothly transition into a ceiling.

The only clue left behind by the creators of the caves is the relief depiction of a horse, fish, and bird

No writings, coins, or cutting tools were found. The vastness of the caves is only interrupted by a headless stone figure and a single rock relief depicting a horse, a fish, and a bird. These artifacts offer only glimpses into the identity of the ancient creators.

Despite the first archaeological surveys of the site, were carried out immediately after the discovery, there are still many unsolved mysteries surrounding this underground complex, such as its origin and purpose.

Unanswered Questions and Unsolved Mysteries

The question of when the caves were built is one of the biggest mysteries. Considering the scale of these caves, which can only be matched in the ancient world by structures commissioned by kings. It seems unlikely that a few dozen villagers alone could have created them.

It's unusual because there's no record of a king creating these caves, even though ancient Chinese were known for their detailed records of history. They diligently recorded the names of even the least significant kings of the small kingdoms, as well as mentions of ancient structures that were much smaller than the Longyou Caves.

Their age cannot be directly proven because there are no historical documents that mention caves. In this regard, archaeological finds can provide valuable information. The tools used were probably made of bronze, as evidenced by the chisel marks on the walls. This leads to the conclusion that the Longyou Caves were built during the Bronze Age.

The Purpose of the Caves?

What motivated the construction of such a massive underground structure in the Bronze Age?

Many people believe that the main purpose of the caves was to serve as tombs for the King. This argument may seem plausible, but it has a significant loophole. If the caves were indeed built as royal mausoleums, similar to the pyramids of Giza, one would expect to find numerous burial objects inside. The absence of these objects is a surprise and raises doubts about the validity of this theory. It's possible that the Longyou Caves were initially intended as a mausoleum but were abandoned for unknown reasons.

The cave walls are adorned with intriguing chisel marks, looking as if made by modern mechanical instruments

Other, more prosaic explanations suggest that the caves are actually the remnants of an ancient quarry. Although this theory may seem plausible at first, if these caves were solely for mining, why didn't the ancients opt for open-pit mining?

Underground mining is a challenging endeavor, even in modern times, let alone 3,000 years ago, especially when compared to open-pit mining. Why complicate things when there is a much easier way to achieve the same results?

Another theory posits that the caves were used as granaries. While this theory is plausible, if these caves were granaries, their sheer size would suggest that they must have been connected with an important king of whom there is simply no historical record. Of course, this also does not explain why reliefs were created and a statue was placed in the space previously used for storing grain.

According to another perspective, the Longyou Grottoes were utilized for defense purposes in ancient times. Their location in a strategically advantageous part of the country could have allowed soldiers to be placed inside to surprise potential enemies. While this theory seems plausible, it should be emphasized that nothing has been found inside or outside the caves to indicate an extended stay by soldiers. Where are the coins, weapons, or tile fragments that would have been left behind by such an immense army?

Was It a Haven for Taoist Sages or an Ancient Alien Base?

There are those who propose more unconventional theories, such as the notion that the caves were the home of Taoist immortals and the location of their feasts. According to them, the headless figure is proof of this and supposedly represents one of the immortals.

There is another theory that suggests that ancient aliens constructed the caves. It is argued by some that the technological expertise of any ancient culture would not have been sufficient for the construction of such caves. They claim that aliens themselves might have constructed the caves, using them as ground bases for their ships. It is important to note that no alien artifacts were found inside the caves.

Another Peculiar Aspect of the Caves

It is undeniable that the construction of the Longyou Underground Caves was a massive project. We can even consider it a masterpiece of ancient technology. Even today, processing excavated materials remains a crucial challenge in engineering. The usual way to deal with this is to transport the excavated material to nearby locations with heavy trucks and create small artificial mounds in the landscape. Any alternative method is too expensive. In the area around the Longyou Underground Caves, all you can see is a flat plain that is uninterrupted. Where is the excavated soil and rock from the cave?

The Longyou Caves Are Huge. Each Cave Is Supported by Several Pillars

According to calculations, if the soil and stones extracted from the caves were used to build a wall that is one meter high and one meter wide, it would be possible to construct a wall that is at least 1000 kilometers long. However, no traces of this excavated earth have been found yet. Even after an extensive search stretching hundreds of kilometers, there is no evidence of the existence of this material.

During that period, there was no such thing as modern transportation like trucks, ships, or trains. Manual labor was the only method available for waste disposal. Manually moving such vast amounts of earth and stones is simply impossible. Where did the millions of cubic meters of earth and rock disappear? It is still a mystery to this day

As we can see the mystery of Lyongnan caves gives more questions than answears. Whether built by ancient civilization, extraterrestrial forces, or formed for a purpose lost to time, their existence challenges our understanding of history and engineering. The Longyou Caves remind us that the past holds secrets for which we will be never able to find asnwers, but we never need to cease to try.