Introduction to Xiao Putuo: Xiao Putuo, also known as Xiayu, is an oasis that often hangs alone in the center of the lake. The island is locked in fog and has strong currents. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Xiayu Temple, Guanyin Cave (Butuo Cave), Wanghu Pavilion and other historical sites dating back more than 800 years were built.
The Butuo Cave was drilled by Shi Shi, a bachelor of the Zizheng Palace at that time, around the first year of Kaiqing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1259). At that time, the Xiayu Temple was built next to the cave. The temple was abandoned in the 19th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1380). It was rebuilt in 1433 and abolished in the late Qing Dynasty. The grottoes were also blocked and abandoned around this time. It was excavated during the dredging of the lake in 1976. The cave is an east-west tunnel with a length of 40 meters and a height and width of about 3 meters. There is a grotto in the middle, forming a cave within the cave. There are stone Buddhas and stone dragons carved in the cave niches.