On the opposite side of the
Holy Bell Peak, numerous rugged caves are scattered across the surface of the
rock wall, resembling niches. How did these niches come into being?
A large number of coarse
minerals such as feldspar, quartz, and mica were distributed in granite in this
area. As easily weathered minerals, feldspar and mica could cause small,
mesh-like depressions to form on the surface of the granite. The small
depressions continued to grow large under the influence of physical-chemical
weathering. Especially, as snow and ice melted, the flow of cold water would
erode the surface of the soft rocks, causing the rocks within these depressions
to continually fracture and crumble. Thus, large and small pits took form and slowly
transformed into caves. In addition, substantial quantities of snow accumulated
at the base of cave clusters as a result of obstacles, transforming into ice
during winter. With prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and the harshly
intensified frost weathering, freezing and thawing, frost wedging, as well as
other physical weathering conditions, along with the potent effects of chemical
weathering and varying rock structures and hydrodynamic forces, the caves and
their walls exhibit a diversity of shapes and formations.