Longyou Caves is a complex of 24 artificial caves, constructed into the sandstone geology of Fenghuang Hill in the area. The caves were discovered by accident in 1992, when local farmers drained several ponds revealing five large manmade caverns and 19 smaller caves.The question on who, when, and why the Longyou Caves were created has been an ongoing investigation by archaeologists and academics since their first initial discovery. Few historical records or dateable evidence has been found to answer any of these questions. Archaeologists have recovered glazed clay pots in the silt soils of the cavern floor, dated to the Western Han Dynasty from 206 BC to AD 23, which suggests the caves were constructed earlier and date from around 2,000 years ago.