宝珠洞, Buddhist cave in Shijingshan District, China

Baozhu Cave, the seventh site of Badachu Park in Shijingshan District, is a small Buddhist cave-temple on the summit of Cuiwei Peak. Its gate faces northeast and its halls southeast; inside are a three-bay Guanyin hall, a three-bay Amitabha hall and the cave itself, under six chi high and about one zhang deep, its walls of black and white pebbles. A pavilion for distant views stands in the courtyard.

The cave is a Tang-dynasty foundation, rebuilt during the Qianlong reign of the Qing. The monk Haixiu, whom Kangxi made abbot of Shenggan Temple, is said to have lived here; he died in 1686 and was buried in a stupa near Manjing village. Qianlong visited in 1748 and wrote three poems, carved on a rock by the path.

This cave forms part of a sacred complex with eight Buddhist temples where visitors can observe traditional Chinese religious architecture in action. The site shows how believers created holy spaces within nature over many generations.

Access is through Badachu Park, which requires an entrance ticket and operates from early morning until evening. It is best to arrive in the morning to enjoy the views and avoid crowds that gather later in the day.

The cave is only about 1.8 metres high and 3.3 metres deep, with walls of black and white pebbles that resemble pearls. A white marble seated statue now replaces the former gilded flesh-body image of the monk Haixiu, whose yellow silk cap and purple shoes were once kept in a glass case.