Embrace Waterfalls in Anshun

Situated to the east of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the mid-western part of Guizhou Province, Anshun City has become the center of tourism for the western part of Guizhou. Located directly on the route between Qian (Guizhou) and Dian (Yunnan), it has been the collection and distribution center for commercial goods since ancient times. Due to its important strategic position, it is also known as – “the belly of Qian, the throat of Dian, the lips and teeth of Shu (Sichuan) and Yue (Guangdong)”.

Many beautiful mountains and rivers decorate this mysterious land. Three national scenic and historic interest areas are located here including: Huangguoshu Waterfall National Park (National AAAAA Level), Dragon Palace Cave Scenic Spot (National AAAAA Level), and Getu River Scenic Area. Anshun City also hosts one national forest park, Jiulongshan Forest Park, as well as a number of province-level and city-level scenic spots. The spectacular scenery of this area is most often associated with the typical Karst type of topography. In addition to the scenery, there are many notable historic places of interest that leave an everlasting mark on visitors including: Puding Chuandong Human Fossil Site renowned as “Asian Lamp of Civilization”, the “Red Cliff Relics” – one of the eight mysterious writings in China – a book from Heaven, Anshun Wenmiao Temple - renowned for stone-carving building complex, the cliffside inscriptions, ancient rock art, and ancient tombs. With so many places to visit, Anshun City has become a well known tourist resort.

I. Natural Scenery

Huangguoshu Waterfall

Huangguoshu Waterfall, a milky way in miniature, is the largest waterfall in Asia. Seventy-four meters (243 feet) high and eighty-one meters (266 feet) wide, it is a scenic marvel. Do not miss it if you are in Guizhou Province.

Known as the Huangguoshu Waterfall National Park, it is 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Anshun city in Guizhou Province. Together with minor waterfalls, the charms of Huangguoshu Waterfall are a natural tourist drawing card. Hospitable ethic groups add the human touch.

There are mainly three National Parks in the Huangguoshu National Park: Waterfalls Cluster, Water-Curtain Cave and Rhinoceros Pool (Xi Niu Tan).

Huangguoshu Waterfalls Cluster: Huangguoshu is the best known of some 18 in a cluster of waterfalls. Its flow is seasonally adjusted. A reservoir behind the waterfall holds back some of the water. Doupotang Waterfall, one kilometer (less than one mile) up the river to Huangguoshu Waterfall, at 105 meters (344 feet) across is the widest. It is 21 meters (69 feet) high. Other waterfalls like LuosiTan Waterfall, Silver-Chain Waterfall and Dishuitan Waterfall all have their distinct features.

Water-Curtain Cave: The Water-Curtain Cave dissects Huangguoshu and provides visitors view ports on the waterfall. The total length of the cave is 134 meters (440 feet), including windows and halls. A road on the mountainside leads into the Water-Curtain Cave, where the waterfall can be heard, watched and touched. On a sunny day, a rainbow arches over the falls.

Rhinoceros Pool (Xi Niu Tan): Eleven meters (36 feet) deep, the pool is Rhinoceros shaped and stays submerged year round. Standing inside Water-Viewing Pavilion (Wang shui Ting) beside the Rhinoceros Pool to enjoy the flowing-down of the Huangguoshu Waterfall, you may feel bunches of pearls and silver chains are falling upon you. What a grand and peculiarly attractive scene!

View a different Huangguoshu Waterfall from vantage points. We recommend the following. The first one is Waterfall-Viewing Pavilion (Guan Pu Ting), where you could see the panorama of the whole waterfall. Then, seen from Water-Viewing Pavilion (Wang shui Ting), you could view the grand scene of surging water. The third one is the Water-Viewing Pavilion (Wang shui Ting) beside the Rhinoceros Pool. The marvelous night scene of the grand waterfall creates lasting impressions. Don’t miss it, please.

The climate in the area is moderate. Average temperature is 16 degrees centigrade – an ideal summer resort. Nearby Huangguoshu Waterfall Hotel is rated three-star.

Dragon Palace Cave

In the western suburbs of Anshun in Guizhou Province, there exists a magnificent underground cave system with lakes, waterfalls and stalactites, covering an area almost 60 square kilometers (about 23 square miles). Because the main cave looks like the crystal palace where the dragon king lives, it is known as Dragon Palace Cave.

The scenic spot has four main areas, namely, the Rape Lake, the Whirlpool, the Leech Pass and the Dragon Palace itself. Among them, as the most famous and wonderful scenic spot, the Dragon Palace includes various Karst (Limestone) landscapes, solemn steep cliffs and jagged stone forest. The longest underground river in China, some 5,000 meters (over 5468 yards) in length flows beneath more than 30 hills connecting over 90 limestone caves within this scenic spot.

The Dragon Palace can be divided into five groups of limestone caves connected by the underground river. The depth of the river can reach to 28 meters (about 15 fathoms) and the width can expand to over 30 meters (about 32 yards). Therefore, it is a fascinating adventure for visitors to float past the magnificent and ever changing views as you journey deeper into the cave by boat.

Besides the gate of the Dragon Palace, a waterfall pours straight down along the Dragon Palace from Tianchi Lake. The waterfall is 34 meters (over 37 yards) high and 25 meters (over 27 yards) wide and described as a white dragon leaving its cave by the locals, namely, the Dragon Gate Fall. This spectacular waterfall is considered one of the three natural wonders in the Dragon Palace by both geologists and tourists alike.

As a region inhabited by the Bouyei ethnic group in compact communities, the trip to the Dragon Palace is also a good chance for visitors to experience the charming and colorful life of this Chinese ethnic minority. At the same time, it is a comfortable place for people to relax because the radiation frequency in this region is the lowest in China.

II Cultural Relics

Tun Bu Village

A twenty-minute drive from Anshun will take you to the Tun Bu village. It is a very old and peculiar Han Chinese settlement existing in the southwest part of China. Here women wear Ming dynasty costumes and the houses, typically featuring Ming architectural styles, are frozen in time.

Historic records tell the story about the village. The imperial court of the Ming Dynasty had sent a garrison force to Anshun six hundred years ago. The garrison turned the neighborhood into farmland, grew crops, and build up villages for its own needs. The Tun Bu Village is the best among the well-kept settlements, where people have changed little in lifestyle.

The Tun Bu Village population is over 5000, or 1250 families. They have largely kept to themselves. They developed sophisticated stone masonry skills. You will find this all over the place: a unique stone culture. There is a 100-meter long business street -- the only market square where the trades congregate, and the practice continues to this day.

The people are hospitable and friendly to visitors. You may examine the women’s clothing up close. The garments are usually long robes with loose sleeves. The cuffs are embroidered with laces. Some wear handkerchiefs over their heads, and some adorn themselves with silver hairpins. The villagers, at peace with nature, are devout worshippers of the supernatural. There are temples of various faiths: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Tiantai Mountain features a temple complex at its summit. Spectacular Buddhist artifacts are everywhere to be seen among the marvels of nature.

Villagers sing folk songs in the evening to entertain their guests. Tourists are invited to visit village homes, where they may sample tea and local food.

Wenmiao Temple

The Wenmiao Temple at Hongxue Ba, in the northeast of Anshun (Guizhou Province) dates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was renovated and rebuilt during the Ming and the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, making the temple a magnificent ancient architectural accomplishment. Also known as the Confucius Temple, the Wenmiao temple is a shrine for commemorating and worshipping Confucius (551B.C.-479 B.C.), the ancient Chinese educator and founder of the Confucians school of thought.

This architectural complex rests upon a sloping field and as such, the buildings appear to rise as you go up the slope. Stone stairs lead you to the front of the architectural complex. Artistically, the Wenmiao Temple is a masterpiece in the field of stone-carving and famous for the exquisite craftsmanship that went into its creation.

At the entrance of the Wenmiao Temple you are met by a stone wall and two overbearing stone memorial archways. The top and the lintel of the archways are beautifully carved with lions, flowers and the Chinese characters for vigor. The wall symbolically reflects both the importance of Confucian doctrines and rituals in ancient Chinese education and Confucius colossal reputation in the ancient Chinese history. Climbing the stairs you pass the “Li Men” (Ritual Gate), the “Yi Lu” (Loyalty Path) and the “Pan Chi” (Pool in front of ancient school), and then another gigantic stone memorial archway carved with flowers will grab your attention. The railings of this memorial archway are carved with many ancient portraits, depicting some classic and instructive Confucian stories. Through the stone yard, you come to the “Gate of Great Completion” (Dacheng Men). Stone pillars on both sides of the gate are engraved with two dragons in relief (a method of carving in which the design stands out from the flat surface). At the foot of pillars two lions crouch – also engraved in relief. Past the gate, the “Hall of Great Completion” (Dacheng Dian), a main hall in honor of Confucius, lies in front of you. The gate, the hall and two houses constitute the courtyard house. Here you will see the highlight of the Wenmiao Temple. Under the hall you are met by two huge pillars made of a whole stone and carved with lions and dragons using a unique carving method (ornamental work containing numerous openings, usually in set patterns). These pillars show an amalgamation of many carving styles, such as deep and low relief, reflecting the ancient carvers’ skill and intelligence. Staring at these stone creatures, your mind easily conjures up an image of two huge dragons descending from the heavens. In the mist-shrouded sky, dragons loom and jump out of the sea whilst a pair of stone lions at the foot of the pillars open their mouths wide and snarl ferociously. These stone creatures carved onto the pillars truly are incomparable stone-carving masterpieces and offer a unique visual experience. The Wenmiao Temple is therefore the embodiment of the Confucian spirit.

As one of the most renowned sightseeing spots in Guizhou Province, The Wenmiao Temple of Anshun should definitely be incorporated into your Guizhou travel plans.