Gosudonggul Cave, Danyang

Site details

Gosudonggul Cave is a well-known limestone cave in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do Province. Out of its total length of 1.4 kilometers, approximately 940 meters are open to the public. The cave entrance was formed naturally, but an exit (no longer in use) was artificially excavated. With an elevation change of about 30 meters between the lowest and highest levels, visitors can feel shifts in temperature as they move through different reaches of the cave. Designated as a Natural Monument in 1976, Gosudonggul Cave was opened to the public in the same year. It has since become an essential destination for visitors to Danyang. Among the caves open to the public in Korea, it is regarded as one of the finest in terms of the distribution and density of speleothems. A wide variety of cave formations can be seen along most of the visitor route, creating a spectacular underground landscape. Water flowing from the far end of the cave is discharged through the entrance at the lowest level. To date, forty-six species of cave-dwelling animals have been recorded in the cave, and visitors can observe amphipods within the open section. Past archaeological surveys have uncovered polished and chipped stone tools near the entrance, suggesting that the cave may have been used as a dwelling place in prehistoric times.