Malinghe River Canyon Scenic Area

Malinghe River Canyon Scenic Area is a State-level scenic area located at the juncture of Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou in Xingyi city of Guizhou. It consists of the Malinghe River Canyon, Wanfenglin ("10,000-Peak Karst Forest") and Wanfeng Lake.

Known as "Earth's Most Beautiful Scar", the 75-kilometer canyon offers magnificent views of its narrow rift, deep caves, impressive waterfalls and shaped calcium sediments (calc-sinter tapestries or falls) on both faces of its steep cliffs. Its ancient temples, bridges and postal roads further enhance the area's cultural charm. At its narrowest point, the canyon is only 50 meters wide. Its deepest point goes all the way down to 500 meters. The canyon features over 100 waterfalls, with the Tianxing Gallery, the core section, offering fabulous views of the more than 20 waterfalls stretching across 1.7 kilometers.

Getting on a rubber boat down the rapid watercourse is quite a thrilling experience in summer. It's a great way to fend off the heat while enjoying the canyon's magnificent landscapes. Tourists can also walk the plank trail to enjoy the amazing scenery on foot. In 1997, the first China International Drift-Down Championship was held here.

Wanfenglin, which features a breathtaking view of dense and bizarrely shaped karst peaks extending for hundreds of kilometers, is ranked by Chinese National Geography as one of the six most beautiful peak forests in the country. Wangfeng Lake, an artificial lake with numerous karst peaks hiding inside, looks like a natural bonsai tree. The peaks, rivers, caves, farming fields and minority villages combine to create an idyllic landscape.

Tips

Best time to go: May to October

Admission: 110 yuan ($17.98)/person for Tianxing Gallery, covers the cable car; 100 yuan/person for Wanfeng Forest (western section); and 140 yuan/person for Wangfeng Lake and Wanfeng Forest (eastern section)

Drifting: Upper section 138 yuan/person; middle section 168 yuan/person; lower section 168 yuan/person

How to get there: Take a long-distance bus from Guiyang to Xingyi, and then transfer onto a minibus to the Malinghe River Canyon.