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Huangguoshu Waterfall
Huangguoshu or 鈥淵ellow Orchard鈥?Waterfall is the most famous waterfall in China. Located 128 kilometers west of Guiyang, capital of the southwest province of Guizhou, Huangguoshu Waterfall boasts breathtaking size 鈥?74 meters in height and 81 in width 鈥?and beauty. Designated a 4A tourist site, the waterfall is often compared with Niagara Falls.
Visitors to Huangguoshu Waterfall spend most of their time on walks, intent on forging memorable experiences with the waterfall. Hiking about nearby hilltops, the rock terraces of Rhino Pool at the base of the waterfall, like so many giant stair steps, come into stark relief. Behind Huangguoshu Waterfall lies a cave 130 meters in length featuring tiny waterfalls and natural skylights amidst its karst walls. Venturing in, with the thunderous roar of falling water reverberating throughout the cavernous space, you feel you've stepped through the looking glass into a moist, timeless wonderland.
Doupotang Waterfall
Most people don't know there are dozens of waterfalls near Huangguoshu Waterfall. Though not as impressive in size, they all have the power to renew the spirit upon sight.
Doupotang or 鈥淪teep Slope Pool鈥?Waterfall is 1 kilometer upriver from Huangguoshu Waterfall and is the widest waterfall in the area, measuring 105 meters in width and 21 in height. There is an interesting legend associated with Doupotang Waterfall鈥?
Once upon a time, a handsome Buyi boy was bathing in a pool when he found a bright, shining ball. The ball shone like the moon so he took it home and hid it in his barn in a pile of rice grains. The rice grains began to multiply under the light of the magical, shining ball. The boy now had an endless source of rice.
News spread of the boy's magical ball. An evil noble in the village heard about the news and sent his son to demand the ball. In the inevitable fight that followed, the son of the noble, thinking he was very clever, swallowed the magical ball. Upon swallowing the ball, the noble's son became extremely thirsty. He soon drank all the water in the village, but that was not enough to quench his thirst. He then ran to nearby Doupotang Pool, submerged his head, and began gulping down water. He drank so much that he turned into an evil dragon and jumped into the pool. Every year on June 6th he demanded the sacrifice of a six-year-old child or he would destroy the village's crops.
The Buyi boy, brave and good, knew he had to help his village. He asked the village blacksmith to make him a 250-kilogram iron chain and spent a long time learning to use it as a lasso. When he had perfected his technique, he built up his courage and went to the pool to face the evil dragon. He lassoed the dragon with his iron chain and forced it to live on the surface of the pool in order to warn the village of flood. The dragon became the rocks of Doupotang Waterfall, and nearby villagers can still watch the flow of water of the waterfall for signs of flood.
Shitouzai Village
Shitouzai is a small village near Huangguoshu Waterfall. It is famous for its traditional handmade wax prints and for its prominent use of stone in construction. Stone roofs, stone walls, even stone furniture.
Tourist Event 鈥?The Huangguoshu Waterfall Festival
On August 27th, Huangguoshu Waterfall welcomed its one-millionth visitor amidst great fanfare as part of the first annual Huangguoshu Waterfall Festival. The festival was organized to promote tourism to the area and lasted nearly a month from early August through early September. At one point ten thousand minority singers paid homage to mountain and river gods by singing folk songs from a number of area mountaintops, forming the largest chorus ever in Chinese history 鈥?and perhaps that of the world. (Text by Chu Daye and Allen Chai).
Huangguoshu Travel Info
Transportation
Take a train to Guiyang. (For details on getting to Guiyang by train see Guiyang Transportation.) From there take one of the many private minibuses (faster and cheaper than the state-owned ones) that run between most Guiyang bus stops and Huangguoshu town every fifteen minutes. The trip from Guiyang to Huangguoshu town takes about 3 hours and tickets cost RMB 30 / person.
You can also reach Huangguoshu town by air or train depending on your departure city. Flights to Huangguoshu town leave from Qingdao and Kunming. For train information see Guizhou Transportation. Recommended Itinerary
Arrive at Huangguoshu town in the evening; find a hotel and have a rest.
Get up early the next morning; go to Tianxing (鈥淗eavenly Star鈥? Stone Forest to admire the karst landscape 鈥?a geological wonder.
Return to Huangguoshu town for lunch. Visit Huangguoshu Waterfall in the afternoon. Make sure to go into the cave behind the waterfall. Admission during the busy season is RMB 90 / person, rest of the year RMB 70 / person.
Return to Guiyang or head to Longgong (鈥淒ragon Palace鈥? 鈥?a fancy water cave 30 kilometers south of Huangguoshu town.
Tips
1. There are a number of 2- and 3-star hotels in Huangguoshu town. However, if you don鈥檛 plan on seeing much besides Huangguoshu Waterfall, you could simply lodge in Guiyang.
2. If you don鈥檛 want to walk to the base of the waterfall, there is an elevator that can take you. Tickets are RMB 50 / person.
3. Officials have recently begun allowing night visits to the waterfall. Romantic and mysterious, visiting at night is recommended if you have the time. (Note: For visitor safety the path to the cave behind the waterfall is not open at night.)
4. The paths near the waterfall are slippery at all times, so be careful and make sure to wear appropriate footwear.
5. Bring a plastic bag to protect your camera. Water droplets are everywhere. (Text by Chu Daye and Allen Chai)
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