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Where is the giant sinkhole in China?
The sinkhole is near Ping’e village, in Luoxi township, Leye County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It was explored by a Guangxi 702 cave expedition and is one of at least 30 large sinkholes identified in Leye County, according to Xinhua.
Guangxi is part of China’s extensive karst landscape, where soluble limestone has been shaped by water into caves, underground drainage systems and collapse features.
How big and deep is the tiankeng?
| Measurement | Reported value | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 306 metres | Measurement reported by Xinhua |
| Width | 150 metres | Measurement reported by Xinhua |
| Depth | 192 metres | Measurement reported by Xinhua |
| Estimated volume | More than 5 million cubic metres | Reported as exceeding this figure by Xinhua |
Those dimensions make it a large sinkhole, but no definitive worldwide ranking has been published. Claims such as “largest” depend on whether length, width, depth or volume is being compared.
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What explorers found at the bottom
A living forest
On May 6, 2022, expedition members abseiled more than 100 metres into the opening, trekked for several hours and returned safely that evening. At the floor they found a dense, well-preserved primitive forest. Expedition leader Chen Lixin described trees approaching 40 metres in height and shade-loving plants reaching a person’s shoulders. The Guardian reported the same approximate tree height and the unusually intact underground setting.
Three wall caves
Zhang Yuanhai, a senior engineer at the Institute of Karst Geology of the China Geological Survey, reported three large caves in the sinkhole wall. He said they were presumed to be remnants of an early stage in the sinkhole’s development. Their presence, together with the deep opening and forest floor, gives researchers several connected environments to investigate rather than a single isolated cavity.
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What does “tiankeng” mean?
Tiankeng translates roughly as “heavenly pit.” Xinhua uses the term for giant dolines in karst terrain that develop through repeated cave-ins. National Geographic’s explanation of karst formation describes rainwater absorbing carbon dioxide, becoming mildly acidic and dissolving soluble rock—usually limestone—over very long periods. Enlarged underground cavities can eventually lose support, causing the surface to collapse and create a steep-sided pit.
How could a forest survive at the bottom?
A species-by-species ecological study and measured age for the forest have not been published. They do, however, show conditions that can support substantial vegetation:
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- Light: The opening is large enough to admit direct and diffuse sunlight to the floor.
- Water: Karst landscapes channel rainfall through surface openings and underground drainage, supplying moisture even when the surrounding surface is dry.
- Shelter: Steep walls can buffer wind and limit routine human access.
- Isolation: The depth and difficult descent reduce disturbance, allowing mature plants to persist.
- Connected habitat: Wall caves and the floor may provide different humidity, temperature and shelter conditions.
These factors explain why a forest can be both light-accessible and unusually protected. They do not prove that every plant has remained unchanged or isolated for thousands of years.
Were undiscovered species found?
No new species has been confirmed in the published accounts. Chen Lixin said he would not be surprised if future work found species never previously reported or described by science. That is a prediction about research potential, not confirmation of a new species. A formal discovery would require collection or observation, taxonomic analysis and publication by specialists.
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Why the site matters to science and conservation
UNESCO describes Chinese tiankengs as underground sanctuaries for distinctive plant, animal and microbial communities and notes 40-metre-high trees in a pristine underground forest in the Leye area. This sinkhole offers an unusual natural laboratory because it combines a very deep collapse feature, an opening that admits light, mature vegetation and multiple wall caves.
Researchers can study how karst collapse creates habitat, how plants and microbes move between surface and subterranean environments, and how isolated communities respond to changing moisture and light. The same isolation that protects the forest also makes it vulnerable: climbing, collecting specimens, trampling seedlings, introducing pathogens or altering drainage could damage a system that took a long time to develop.
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What the reports do—and do not—establish
- The location, dimensions and 2022 expedition are documented by Xinhua.
- The forest’s approximate tree height and preserved setting were also reported by The Guardian.
- Three wall caves were observed, with their evolutionary interpretation presented as a presumption.
- The forest is described as ancient or primitive, but an exact age in years has not been published in these accounts.
- No published account confirms a newly discovered species.
- No reliable “oldest” or “largest in the world” ranking is established without a defined comparison metric.
Can people visit the forest?
The 2022 descent required ropes, specialist expedition skills and hours of trekking. That is very different from ordinary sightseeing. Unless local authorities create a controlled program, visitors should treat the forest as a protected scientific site rather than an informal attraction. Responsible karst tourism should keep people on designated routes, prohibit collecting and avoid introducing food, soil or organisms into the pit.
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