Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Area

Located in Libo County, Qiannan City of Guizhou Province, Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Area is characterized by unique Karst landscapes, mysterious dense forests, various living species, splendid overlapping mountains, and clear rivers and lakes. Because of the well-preserved ecological environment, the area is honoured by both Chinese and overseas experts, as "an unparalleled, well-preserved green gem unmatched by any other Karst sites in the world”. As a famous tourist attraction, there are altogether three main scenic areas to visit: Xiaoqikong, Daqikong, and Shuichun River.

Xiaoqikong Bridge

Honoured as “Small Jiuzhaigou”, Xiaoqikong Scenic Area is best known for the seven-arched Xiaoqikong Bridge, which is a landmark of Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Area. It was built in 1835 on a vital traffic road in ancient times between Qiannan City and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. With a length of 44 yards (40 meters), a width of 2.4 yards (2.2 meters), and a height of 6.0 yards (5.5 meters), the bridge shows delicate structures and exquisite craftsmanship.

Due to continuous erosion, Xiaoqikong Scenic Area has evolved into the deep V-shaped Xiangshui River Valley, which is home to plunging waterfalls. In the upper reaches of Xiangshui River, Laya Waterfall seems to link with the sky at the top surrounded by clouds. Near Laya Waterfall, a 68-step waterfall flows down at random along a winding river less than 1 mile (2 kilometers). Downstream of Xiangshui River, the Green Valley Waterfall is surrounded by high green mountains which colour its water with green.

To the west of Xiangshui River Valley, Mandarin Ducks River, Heaven Bell Cave, as well as Wolong Valley are nestled. Mandarin Ducks River, as a typical Karst Blind Valley river, is about 50 acres (0.2 square kilometers). It takes one hour to visit by boat. Heaven Bell Cave is a Karst cave enjoying landscapes such as stalagmites and stone curtains. Decorated by colourful lights, it is like a fairyland. Wolong Valley is a rafting resort. The rafting begins from Wolong Pool and ends upstream of the Mandarin Ducks River taking a total time of 1.5 hours.

In addition, Water Forest and Rock Forest are great Karst forest wonders of Libo zhangjiang Scenic Area. Water Forest stands in Xiangshui Riverbeds. Although submerged by rushing water, they grow well. About 100 yards (91 meters) east of Water Forest, Rock Forest displays an abundance of monstera deliciosa. Roots of these plants extend most wondrously along fissures in the rocks.

Mandarin Duck Lake (Yuanyang Lake)

68-Step Waterfall

Daqikong Scenic Area is famous for Daqikong Bridge, Dream Pond, Natural Bridge, and Evil Wind Cave. Daqikong Bridge was built in 1877 along an important trade route between Guizhou and Guangxi in ancient China. 550 yards (502 meters) northeast of Daqikong Bridge is the lower reach of Dream Pond where many kinds of fish gather. At one time, local people earned a living by fishing, so the pond is always attached to the hope of harvest by the fishermen and to safety by their families. Nowadays, Dream Pond is an ideal place for anglers.

Natural Bridge and Evil Wind Cave are both works of art created by nature. Natural Bridge is honoured as “Oriental Arch of Triumph”. It is originally the top of an underground river. In Late Quaternary Period (about 12 thousand years ago), as a result of uplift of the Earth's crust and undercutting of underground rivers, the top over the river partially collapsed. The remains finally form today’s Natural Bridge. Similarly, Evil Wind Cave is a Karst cave formed by the corrosion of flowing water. At the entrance of the cave, waterfalls cause vibrating airflow, which formerly were considered as evil sounds by local people--so it is jokingly called Evil Wind Cave.
 Surrounded by overlapping mountains, Shuichun River is like a painted scroll. It is also a resort for rafting adventure. While rafting here, azure, clear rivers offer visitors feasts for the eyes, dense forests on both banks bring fresh air to breathe, and the alternation of rapid and slow flows gives visitors an unforgettable rafting experience. It takes 3 hours to travel all the way.
 1. One of the highlights of Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Area is water, so the best time of year to visit is in the wet season from June to September.
2. The west of Xiaoqikong Scenic Area is higher than the east. In order to have a better view of the waterfalls, you are recommended to start your visit from the east gate so that you can experience the magnificent and grand sight of waterfalls from bottom to top. Although climbing up consumes more time and energy, it deserves a try. There are sightseeing buses shuttling between the West Gate and East Gate.
3. As the scenic area is quite large, it usually needs two days to cover all of it. It is recommended that you visit Xiaoqikong and Daqikong on the first day and Shuichun River on the second day.
4. There are direct buses from the East Gate of Xiaoqikong to Daqikong. The ticket price is CNY 3 for a single trip. From Daqikong there are buses heading for Libo County where you can stay overnight.
5. An aquatic live-action performance, “Water Charm of Zhangjiang”, is given in the countryside of Libo County at 20:30. The performance shows the culture and customs of local four nationalities: Bouyei, Shui, Miao, and Yao. The ticket price is CNY 150.
6. You can go to Zhangjiang Tourist Center in Libo County to take the free bus to reach Shuichun River.
7. Both in Libo County and around the scenic areas, there are hotels providing accommodations and catering.
  If you set off from Guiyang City, you can take a train and get off at Mawei Station. Then take bus to the West Gate of Xiaoqikong. The bus departs from 7:50 to 15:20 every 1 hour. The ticket price is CNY 14 and the whole journey is about 50 minutes.