The Dragon Gate is actually the general name of a series of spectacular caves and grottoes carved on the cliff between the Cave Leading to a Wonderland (Bieyoudongtian) and the Cave Leading to Heavens (Datiange) Walking up the steps from the Filial Calf Spring, going past the winding stone path, you get to an open terrace at the Phoenix Rock out of which the Cloud Sea, the Stone Forest and Laojundian (also called the Old Stone Room) grottoes are carved. The Suspended Corridor, starting from "the Stunning View of Putuo" via Benevolent Clouds Cave (Ciyundong, the second stone room) to Yunhua Cave with a statue of Guanying (Avalokitesvara) in it, is a tunnel chipped out of a living rock. At the far end, it opens out through a stone archway. The characters "Long Men" (Dragon Gate) are inscribed in red and gold upon the arch. A shrine in the rock wall, called the Cave Leading to Heavens, holds the lively golden image of Kui Xing, the Patron God of Scholars. He is flanked by Wen Chang, the God of Literature, and Guan Yu, the god of War andjustice. Ascending the Dragon Gate, looking far into the distance by the railing, enjoying the wide expanse of Dianchi Lake with glittering waves and sailing boats, you would feel relaxed, happy and carefree.

The marvelous Dragon Gate Grotto complex was chiseled out through 72 years hard work, much appreciated in the mystical story widely circulating among the people.

In the Qing Dynasty, a man named Wu Laiqing, an improverished Daoist monk from the Lower Fishing Village, built bridges and paved roads in Kunming striving for virtue. And as an ascetic, he unhesitatingly accepted the proposal for chipping a stone path to save the people from the danger of going up on the plank road built along the face of the cliff. Working day and night, rain or shine, he inched upward from Sanqingge Temple to the Old Stone Room. Before long, on the Pheonix Rock, Wu Laiqing continued to carve the "Stunning View of Putuo" and the Benevolent Clouds Cave. These two wonderful and difficult projects took him 14 years to complete. The tunnel between the Benevolent Clouds Cave and Yunhua Cave was carved in 1840 by masons upon the invitation of Yang Rulan, and it was completed in 9 years. Yang Jitai continued his father's project. Aided by 70 masons from the foot of the mountain, they chipped out of the living rock the Cave Leading to Heavens including the archway of the Dragon Gate, one platform and numerous stone completes, images, incense burners, candlesticks, offerings, etc. The whole project of the Cave Leading to Heavens was not accomplished until 1853. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Zhao Heqing, a calligrapher, expressed in a couplet inscribed on the facade of the cave his emotion and feeling of ascending the Dragon Gate.