Wanfenglin: misty falls and geologic wonders
Updated: 2011-08-25 15:13
By Xia Huan(China Daily)
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Wanfenglin or "10,000 Peak" Forest is a part of the State-level Maling River Canyon scenic area in Xingyi city in Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture in Guizhou province.
The area is noted for its karst outcrops and famous for its deep rift, waterfalls and curtains of calcium deposits.
Tourists can spend the better part of a day following a winding path through the lush canyon, crossing bridges up to - and behind - high, cascading waterfalls.
The canyon has about 100 waterfalls, including the noted Pearl and the Rainbow Falls.
Pearl Falls cascades over a 100-m-high cliff, with its spray rising in all directions like pearls in the air.
Rainbow Falls has eight sections that reach the canyon floor in a mist of that creates rainbows.
Miles of calcium sediments are visible on the two faces of the canyon. Some look like hanging tapestries while others resemble waterfalls. They vary in color and shape, creating colorful and vivid pictures.
Tourists can either float along the river at the bottom of the canyon or enjoy the scenery on foot along a planked trail. The river in this section is turbulent and narrow with several dangerous shoals.
Xingyi is at the intersection of Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi, and about 334 km southwest of Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province.
To accommodate visitors, the province has developed a transportation network integrating road, railroad, aviation and water that also provides important channels for transport of goods in southwest China.
Xingyi's other scenic attractions include a national geological park, a national agriculture demonstration area, scenic Xiawu village, Qixiang Garden Guizhouchun Wine Factory, two provincial-level tourist areas, Putty Pit Stone Forest and Lubuge Canyon Lake, as well as other 80 natural attractions.
With some of the finest weather in Guizhou, the town's sights include a minorities museum and some nearby karst scenery. Its rich resources attract numerous domestic and foreign tourists every year.
More than 360 years ago, Xu Xiake (1586-1641), a well-known Chinese traveler, geologist and writer during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), journeyed to Wanfenglin and highly praised its scenery.
Wanfenglin is 200 km in length and 30-50 km in width, covering an area of 2,000 sq km within Xingyi city, accounting for two-thirds of the city's total area.
Its western sector is open to tourists, where they can enjoy the mountains, fields, winding rivers and verdant villages.