Xiaozhai Tiankeng:
Imagine going on a hike, and all the sudden you stop at the site of a large mouth in the earth! It must have taken the breath of the explorers who found it!
The Heavenly Pit is an amazing geological wonder of the world found in the Northern forest region of China. Known by its Chinese name, it holds so many secret mysteries and is currently the largest sinkhole in the world!
Of course, you would most certainly want to go down into it wouldn’t you? Maybe catalogue all the wildlife and plants that lived there.
The First Discovery:
Although the first discovery had not been officially documented by the locals in China, its name was taken from the nearby abandoned village called: “Xiaozhai” or in English: “Little Village”. Undoubtedly, this little people group must have enjoyed this little paradise for hundreds of years!
Xiaozhai Tiankeng was discovered by specialists in 1994 during the search for a new exploration site for British cavers in the China Caves Project. This daring group lowered themselves into the hole by and began documenting the plants and animals that might be hiding watching at the curious sign of human’s first entrance in many years.
It was quite a treat to find the reason for the Tiankeng! An underground river that ran into Difeng Cave (so deep it crossed over into another province!)
Difeng cave was slowly created by this river flow through karst rocks. And they believe that at one time the Tiankeng was once a large empty cavern belonging the cave before it all collapsed and became its own ecosystem of wildlife.
This is one big sinkhole! In Speleology, scientists call all sinkholes that are deeper or wider than 328 feet (100m) “tiankengs”.
You’d have to watch out for the clouded leopard though, as rare as this leopard is, it was certainly a thrill to find them! The team that explored the area documented around 1,285 species of plants that all live in the sinkhole. It is as if the large hole is a world all its own! It is quite its own ecosystem!
He was also able to video briefly, some beautiful Parrot Balsams or “Parrot flower” in an unusual light pink hue in the sinkhole. The reason for their unusual name is that Botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker thought the flower looked like a flying cockatoo when looking at it from the side.
Interestingly enough, the locals informed him that in 2003, there was an acrobat who stretches large cables all the way across the mouth of the Xiaozhai Tiankeng! Talk about daring entertainment!
When God’s light hits the surface of our hearts, it changes us into a whole new creature of light and love! Jesus changed everything! And we will never be in darkness ever again but have the Light of life!
Yes! Sinkholes are a perfect illustration of what God can do in our hearts. Just like the Heavenly Pit is a perfect place to witness: “from darkness into His Glorious Light!”
