This attraction introduction is compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · Scenic Spots section). Ticket prices, opening hours, transportation, and contact information mentioned in the text may be outdated. Please refer to the latest official announcements from the scenic area before traveling; some content consists of historical background/cultural introductions and is for reference only.
The Miluo River Source Tourist Area is located at the western foot of Shiniu Zhai on the border between Pingjiang County, Hunan, and Xiushui County, Jiangxi. It is an important scenic tourist area newly discovered in Hunan Province in recent years, 180 kilometers from Changsha and 190 kilometers from Yueyang. The tour starts at Shiniu Village (Fushi Village), Daping Township, and ends at Xiaojiang Village, Longmen. The sandy path is about 15 kilometers long, and the rafting route is 6.5 kilometers in total, taking about 2.5 hours. The scenery along the Miluo River Source features Danxia landform rarely seen in central China. The main sights along the way include Shiniu Zhui, Xianren Rock, Lianhua Gorge, Two-Finger Rock, Flood Dragon Playing with Pearl, Elephant Trunk Rock, Bow-Head Bridge, Tianmen Rock, Monkey-Face Rock, Cangguang Cave, Fierce Lion Turning Back, Buddha's Hand Rock, Sleeping Beauty, Drum Stone, Cymbal Stone, and Guancai Stone. At the Miluo River Source, visitors can also ride an ancient ox cart and listen to antiphonal folk mountain songs of Pingjiang. Hunan Vice Governor He Tongxin called this place a top-grade tourist scenic area newly discovered in Hunan Province in recent years.
Xianren Rock:Legend has it that this was the place where the Big-Footed Immortal of heaven cultivated himself to immortality.
Immortal's Footprint:Located below Xianren Rock, it is said to be the footprint left by the Big-Footed Immortal.
Two-Finger Rock:On one side of Lianhua Gorge stands a rock wall with two formations resembling giant fingers—this is Two-Finger Rock.
Sleeping Beauty:Through the bamboo groves on both sides of the Miluo River, one can see in the distance an ancient beauty resting her head on the mountains, sleeping peacefully.
Monkey-Face Rock:After passing Tianmen Rock, you arrive at Monkey-Face Rock, named for the giant rock resembling a monkey's face standing by the emerald water.
Coffin-Hiding Cave:A natural rock cave on Monkey-Face Rock, inside which local ancestors placed a rock coffin over a thousand years ago that still remains today.
Green Water and White Sand Beach:Wherever the bamboo raft drifts, one can see emerald green stream water and fine white sand beaches. This is also a major sight of the Miluo River Source.
Fragrant Lion Rock:About 2 kilometers from the bamboo raft drifting terminus dock, near the entrance of Xiaojiang Village, Longmen Town, it is known as the finest rock of Danxia, unparalleled in Hunan and Jiangxi.
Lion Looking Back:As the bamboo raft drifts quietly on the narrow Miluo River, looking back one sees a majestic lion suspended in the air, as if in the sky, as if among the clouds.
Echo Wall:A massive stone wall beside Monkey-Face Rock. When the bamboo raft drifts before the wall and visitors shout at it, echoes reverberate throughout the entire gorge.
Flood Dragon Playing with Pearl:After passing Lianhua Gorge, one sees ahead a giant dragon with its mouth wide open, and beside the dragon in the river water, a rock shaped like a precious pearl appears and disappears in the water.
Stone Ox Chase:A few minutes after the bamboo raft departs from the Shiniu Village dock, you arrive at the Stone Ox Chase scenic spot. Looking back here, you see Shiniu Zhai behind you like a startled running ox chasing after you.
Lianhua Gorge:About half an hour after the bamboo raft departs, you arrive at Lianhua Gorge, named for a giant rock that closely resembles a blooming lotus flower. This is also the landmark scenic spot of the Miluo River Source area.
A Thousand Cliffs and Ten Thousand Ravines:The rocks of the Miluo River Source are formed by layers of red sandstone conglomerate, elegant, towering, and wonderfully varied. Emerald water reflects the red mountains, and the red mountains are mirrored in the emerald water. Visitors drifting through on bamboo rafts feel as if they have entered a world of a thousand cliffs and ten thousand ravines, arriving at a fairyland on earth.
Tianmen Rock:After the bamboo raft passes the Flood Dragon Playing with Pearl scenic spot, a gigantic stone wall is seen blocking the way ahead, as if the small river has come to an end—this is Tianmen Rock. The river water brushes against the Tianmen Rock wall and makes a sharp 90-degree turn to the left.
King Camphor Tree:At the starting point of the Miluo River Source bamboo raft drifting—the thousand-year-old king camphor tree at the head of Shiniu Village—is the guardian spirit that protects the safety of the entire village. The small stone shrine left under the tree hundreds of years ago is often a place where villagers worship and pray for peace. This tree has a wonder: in its fork five meters above the ground, a palm tree grows as a parasite, known as a 'tree within a tree.' Its roots do not touch the ground, and though it grows slowly, it is lush and leafy.
Guancai Stone:After two hours of drifting, while you are still immersed in a dreamlike state, you arrive at the terminus of the drift—below Guancai Stone in Baimao Village. Guancai Stone resembles a 'coffin' and is composed of three peaks: Guancai Peak, Drum Peak, and Cymbal Peak, closely resembling a funeral procession. Among the people there are many legends such as 'Ten-Fourteen Filial Hao Rock comes, take cymbals and beat drums to send off the coffin.' When floods come, one can even hear clear and melodious sounds of drum music. However, the most told legends are stories of 'officialdom' and 'getting rich.' Three hundred years ago in the Qing Dynasty, a couple surnamed Hu came begging to the foot of Guancai Stone, cleared wasteland to farm, and lived in a cave. They soon prospered. According to family records, by the Wenqiao era over 200 years ago, the family owned hundreds of dan of fertile farmland (one dan equals about one mu), over a hundred rooms of houses, and a population of over a hundred, making them the wealthiest family locally. They built their own school and martial arts training hall. By the time of Yunping Gong, a total of seventeen xiucai had passed examinations in the family, and officials serving in court through the generations were countless. A local saying goes: 'No one knows how many officials there are, only that official hats must be dried on bamboo mats.'
