Wonderful Mountains and Waters, a Heaven-sent Blessed Land (Part 3)
Section 3: Waterfalls, Rafting and Gorge Exploration. China's Most Thrilling Rafting — the Mengdong River in Xiangxi. China International Travel Service rated the Mengdong River as one of only two four-star rafting routes nationwide. Starting from "Hani Palace," a small boat drifts downstream through waves and valleys, passing "Sanjiao Rock," "Jilong Gate" and "Nietu Waterfall."
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section Three
Waterfall Rafting and Gorge Exploration
The Most Thrilling Number One Rafting under Heaven—Xiangxi Mengdong River Rafting
The China International Travel Service has rated Mengdong River as one of only two four-star rafting routes in the country. Departing from "Hani Palace," you drift downstream in a small boat, bobbing between the crests of waves and the depths of the valley, passing by dozens of scenic spots that come one after another in a breathtaking procession: "Triangle Rock," "Chicken Coop Gate," "Nietu Waterfall," "Yama Rapids," "Luoshuikeng Waterfall," "Mengsi Gorge"... You can sing aloud and shout to your heart's content, battle the waves through the rapids, or splash and play in the water, rediscovering the self you lost long ago. The Mengdong River rafting scenic area features towering cliffs on both banks, dense forests whose thick shade blocks out the sun, and rushing, crystal-clear emerald waters with enchanting scenery. The riverbed alternates between wide and narrow, and the current shifts between swift and gentle. Rafting here is like surfing through a hundred-li gallery, thrilling yet safe. From Hani Palace to Monkey Jump, there are 108 rapids and shoals, 20 waterfalls large and small, and it is celebrated as having a hundred li of sheer cliffs, ten waterfall springs, a hundred-li painted scroll, and ten li of cave heavens. Along the way, spots like Triangle Rock, Chicken Coop Gate, Yuxian Gorge, Yama Rapids, Luoshuikeng, and Fish Belly Cut are all so stunning that rafters gasp in awe. Downstream, the river gradually widens and becomes smooth as a mirror, where large tour boats can take visitors sightseeing along the river. People praise it as "embracing the grandeur of the Three Gorges, gathering the magic of Zhangjiajie, blending the charm of the Li River, and holding the warmth of West Lake." Rafting—shooting through rapids, crossing shoals, charging through narrow gorges, catching the surging waves—thrilling yet safe, with endless aftertaste. Mengdong River rafting is the most exhilarating and magical experience for visitors. Former Director of the National Tourism Administration Liu Yi called it "unique in the nation, peerless in the world." Fei Xiaotong, then Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress and Chairman of the China Democratic League, at the age of 80, took the raft trip and joyfully wrote: "The Number One Drift Under Heaven." The naming rights to Mengdong River's "Number One Drift Under Heaven" were registered with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce in 1994 and are now inscribed at the entrance to Mengdong River.
Hunan's Earliest Rafting Project — Zhangjiajie Maoyan River Rafting
Maoyan River Rafting is located on the Maoyan River in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province. The area boasts beautiful scenery and enchanting views, long known as a "Hundred-Li Gallery." The Maoyan River rafting route is 20 kilometers long with a drop of 66 meters. It is the earliest tourism rafting project in China and also the largest and safest tourism rafting project in the country. Paddling a rubber boat downstream along the Maoyan River, thousand-fathom stone cliffs loom ahead, the river flows like green jade, and you can enjoy the lovely pastoral scenery—layered green mountains, a resplendent gorge, numerous shoals and swift currents, and unique landscapes. You can splash in water fights, sing antiphonal songs, taste wild delicacies, drink clear spring water, and dance with the waves—thrilling yet safe. After experiencing the twists and turns of mountains and waters, and the delightful surprises of new vistas opening up, that sense of contentment is simply indescribable. It is also a filming location for the famous Xiangxi writer Shen Congwen's work "Border Town." Mao Zedong's daughter-in-law Shao Hua once inscribed for the scenic area: "Dance with the waves, one drift never to forget."
Hunan's Number One Eco-Tourism Rafting — Chenzhou Dongjiang Rafting
Dongjiang Rafting is located in the Dongjiang Lake Scenic Area of Zixing City, Chenzhou, Hunan Province. It is 28 kilometers long with a drop of 75 meters, passing through 108 rapids along the way, the longest of which stretches over a hundred meters. The most exciting feature is the world's only man-made rafting chute, 336 meters long with an average gradient of 5 degrees. Drifting downstream, green mountains layer on both banks, virgin forests stand facing each other, grotesque rocks jut out, and the water is crystal clear, giving visitors the joy of deep seclusion, exploration, and discovery—an endless aftertaste that makes one linger. It is Hunan's Number One Eco-Tourism Rafting.
The Number One Gorge Rafting South of the Yangtze — Xinhua Youxi River Gorge Rafting
The Youxi River, known as the "Number One Gorge Rafting," is located within Xinhua County, 36 kilometers from the county seat. The Youxi River Gorge Rafting route is 25 li long. On both banks, green mountains tower high, dense trees block the sun, perilous cliffs reach the sky, precipices are sheer as if carved, and the riverbed is deep and mysterious, forming a unique gorge landscape. Along the way there are 24 bends and 34 rapids. Here you'll find deep valleys and secluded forests, thrilling rapids with snow-white waves—exciting and stimulating. After on-site investigation by renowned domestic experts and scholars, it has been praised as the gorge rafting with the most distinctive gorge features south of the Yangtze River.
Hunan's First "Glow-in-the-Dark Drift" — Qiyang Jindong River Night Glow Rafting
Qiyang Jindong River Night Glow Rafting starts from Niulan Bay and ends at Niutou Mountain, covering a total distance of 4.7 kilometers. Visitors drift along the gentle, murmuring waters of the Jindong River, with brilliant lights on both banks reflecting off each other, as if draping a thin, gauzy veil over the mountains and waters shrouded in the night—mysterious and hazy. Strange mountains, unusual rocks, and peculiar trees emerge through the night mist, sparking imagination and delighting the senses. Night glow rafting is a new generation in the eco-leisure rafting family. Jindong River Night Glow Rafting is the third of its kind in China and the first in Hunan.
The World's Largest-Drop Self-Guided Gorge Rafting — Pingjiang Tuolong Gorge Rafting
Yueyang Pingjiang Tuolong Gorge Rafting is the world's largest-drop self-guided gorge rafting. Despite having the greatest drop and thrilling scenery, it is very safe. The route is 5 kilometers long with a total drop of 299 meters, taking 2 hours to complete, passing entirely through a vast gorge that had never been crossed by humans for hundreds of millions of years. During the rafting, the highest single drop is 19 meters, and the longest chute is 120 meters. Rafters must pass through nine natural stone caves. Along the way, the gorge is majestic and spectacular, with jagged rocks and lush flowers and trees, and even a hundred-meter cliff with a flying waterfall. It is truly like drifting in water while traveling through a painting—you can enjoy the surging excitement of rafting while also experiencing the infinite charm of natural ecology.
Asia's Best, the World's Number One "Flow" — Zhangjiajie Whitewater Slalom
Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Whitewater Slalom is located beneath the natural waterfall of Suoxi Lake in Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie. It was designed with the participation of Dr. Ramon from Spain and built strictly to international standards. The visitor route is 1,800 meters long, the race course is 310 meters long and 8–10 meters wide, with a water depth of 2 meters and a total drop of 7.2 meters. In addition, mountain stream water gushing from the nearly 70-meter-high Suxi Dam creates turbulent currents of up to 15 cubic meters per second, delivering a thrilling and exciting sensation. It is a perfect combination of sports and tourism, unique among the many scenic areas in China, and highly concentrates the essence of rafting. It features novelty and excitement, strong interactivity, a reasonable route, low physical exertion, and rapid physical and mental relaxation. Former President of the International Rafting Federation, Dr. Ramon from Spain, praised it as "Asia's Best, the World's Number One."
The World's Wondrous Waterfall — Zhangjiajie Longquan Waterfall
Longquan Waterfall is located in Zhangjiajie, cascading like mist from a cliff over a hundred meters high. At a height of 55 meters, there are three protruding rock ledges that closely resemble the shape of a dragon. After the spring water falls, it scatters into the air, forming trickling streams along the rock face, then flows through a cave opening at 25 meters, creating a curtain of water that falls into an emerald green pool at the bottom of the valley. It is beautiful and magical, praised as "The World's Number One Wondrous Waterfall."
Central Hunan's Wondrous Waterfall — Taohuajiang Luoxi Waterfall
Central Hunan's Number One Waterfall, Luoxi Waterfall, is 30 kilometers from Taohuajiang Town. The waterfall's rock face is 103 meters high, with water flying straight down, scattering jade and tossing pearls like a silver curtain falling to earth, with layer upon layer of snow-white waves—a great wonder of the Taohuajiang Scenic Area. An ancient poet once left the verse: "The waterfall's upper stream a thousand feet, the Milky Way pours down, even flying birds are slow." The "Hunan Scenic Spots Dictionary" records three waterfalls: one is Luoxi Waterfall, another is Xiangshan Waterfall in Chenzhou City, and another is "Pearl Curtain Waterfall" in Yanling County. Both of the others are in eastern and southern Hunan, while Luoxi alone is in central Hunan. In the Luoxi valley, waterfalls large and small are scattered in graceful disorder, winding and twisting, threading through ridges and crossing ravines, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes gentle and sometimes forceful—like a silk ribbon fluttering in the wind, like dragons at play in the water.
The Scenic Area with the Highest Negative Oxygen Ion Content in Hunan — Yanling Shennong Valley Pearl Curtain Waterfall
Pearl Curtain Waterfall is located in the Shennong Valley (Taoyuandong) National Nature Reserve and National Forest Park in Yanling County. According to measurements, the air in Shennong Valley is pollution-free, with atmospheric pollutant concentrations better than the national Grade I standard. Groundwater quality meets the national Grade I water quality standard, and harmful element content is zero. The air contains very few bacteria, and near Pearl Curtain Waterfall, the bacteria count is zero. Due to the spray electrification effect of the waterfall and flowing water, as well as other factors, the negative oxygen ion content in the air around Pearl Curtain Waterfall is extremely high, reaching 130,000 per cubic centimeter—more than 1,000 times higher than in cities. Visitors entering the area immediately feel refreshed and delighted. Negative oxygen ions in the air enter the human body through breathing and can not only strengthen the body but also treat illnesses, offering excellent therapeutic benefits.
Hunan's Largest-Drop Waterfall — Yanling Dongkeng Waterfall
Dongkeng Waterfall (Shennong Flying Waterfall) is located in the Shennong Valley (Taoyuandong) National Nature Reserve and National Forest Park in Yanling County. It has a drop of 235.3 meters, with a flow rate exceeding 10 cubic meters per second during the wet season. The waterfall cascades down in three tiers, like a white silk ribbon hanging high. In spring and summer, the water volume surges dramatically, pouring down like the Milky Way, breathtaking and awe-inspiring. In the dry season, it becomes a thin stream, like gossamer silk drifting ethereally among the mountains. Surrounding the waterfall are verdant peaks and jagged rocks that inspire wonder.