Suiyang:French caver Jean Bottazzi has spent over 20 years exploring the vast Shuanghe Cave in southwest China's Guizhou Province. This cave system, the longest in Asia and the third longest in the world, is located in Suiyang County and has been the focus of international exploration for 25 years.According to Namibia Press Agency, the first joint China-France exploration took place in 2001, and since then, the mapped passages have grown from several dozen kilometers to over 480 kilometers. The most recent, 25th international expedition, announced last month, added another 41.8 kilometers to the mapped system, bringing its total length to 481.5 kilometers and a vertical depth of 912 meters with 124 interconnected entrances.The Shuanghe Cave system serves as a significant natural archive, providing insights into the evolution of species, climate changes, and geological history of southwest China. During the latest expedition, researchers discovered nine additional giant panda fossils, bringing the total fo und in the cave to 61. Two sites with giant panda claw marks were also found, suggesting how these animals may have died after entering the cave.New findings included fossils of a giant tapir and a clouded leopard, uncovered for the first time in the cave. The exploration also led to unexpected discoveries, such as a wall of gypsum crystals, which Bottazzi described as a thrilling surprise.Researchers have been conducting uranium-series dating of calcite deposits within the cave, which has proven to be an invaluable archive of paleoclimate data. A breakthrough in this research determined that some secondary carbonate deposits in the cave are over five million years old, significantly extending the chronological understanding of Shuanghe Cave and similar karst formations.The cave is not only a treasure trove of scientific discoveries but also a testament to international cooperation in research. Bottazzi, now a resident of Shuanghe Village, highlighted the collaborative nature of the work, stating that a ll data and maps are shared among Chinese and foreign researchers for the advancement of science.