Fujian Mountain and Sea Tour - Emperor Cave Ecological Grand Canyon.

At the end of spring, we went to Emperor Cave Ecological Canyon in Rixi Township, Fuzhou for a spring outing. Today, we will take a new route. First, we went to Xiaocang She Township, which is known as the "Thousand Island Lake" of Fujian and belongs to Lianjiang County, Fujian Province. After the vehicle passed Tangban Reservoir, there was a 25-kilometer winding mountain road with steep slopes and sharp bends. Parking in the countryside is very convenient. Xiaocang Township is located in Shanzi Reservoir in Lianjiang. Most of the villagers are immigrants from the reservoir demolition. The natural environment here is beautiful and the She ethnic customs are strong. The buildings are neat, the countryside is green, and the lake and mountains are beautiful, making people feel like they are in a paradise. As a water source protection area in Fuzhou, Xiaocang is less noisy and more peaceful, with a sense of tranquility and leisure. The climate here is unpredictable, with dark clouds and clear skies, and the clouds are beautiful. Lunch was arranged in Xiaocang She Township, where the catering services are also perfect, and the clear stewed duck soup is delicious. After lunch, we took a cruise from Xiaocang Ferry to Qili She Village. The cruise sailed on the Sheshan Lake, which is also a local artificial lake. There is an ancient village by the lake, which is the Qili She Village, where the She people of Fuzhu live. There is a Tanhua Mansion with a plaque hanging on it near the She Village pier. It is said that it was bestowed by the Southern Ming Emperor at the end of the Ming Dynasty and has been preserved to this day. Eight kilometers from the pier, there is another century-old building, the She Family Century-old Lan Mansion. It was built in the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and is the best-preserved She ethnic ancient dwelling in Fuzhou. At the She Village Square, we took a local sightseeing bus and crossed to the Emperor Cave Canyon Scenic Area. On this steep and winding mountain road, the local minibus drivers can drive at 40-50 kilometers per hour, which is really admirable. Emperor Cave Ecological Tourist Area is located in Rixi Township, Fuzhou. The scenic area is like a giant dragon about 5 kilometers long, winding its way through the mountains and rivers. We entered from the west gate of the scenic area and crossed the entire canyon. There were plank roads and descents all the way, avoiding the arduous climb. Entering the Wenchang Pavilion Scenic Area, there is a famous Zhuangyuan Kuobridge, which is currently closed for protection and not open to tourists. On both sides of the Wenchang Pavilion, there are biographies of the successive Zhuangyuan. The scenic area has a good ecology, with high and low canyons, clouds like silk in the valleys, winding and clean streams, and mountains on both sides. The forest coverage rate is as high as 96%, and the negative oxygen ion content is very high. Emperor Cave Scenic Area is dotted with strange rocks and trees, making it one of the best-preserved canyon ecological scenic areas in Fujian. It is known as the "Fujian Imperial Garden". There are waterfall landscapes such as Shenlong Waterfall, Imperial Pool, and Elephant Trunk Waterfall. There are natural peaks such as Tianmen Gorge, Hundred-foot Cliff, and Ao Peak Zhuangyuan Terrace. There are also strange rocks such as Divine Turtle Entering Water, General Stone, Five-colored Jade Seal, and Great Saint Worshipping Guanyin, all with corresponding folk legends. There is also a secondary paid attraction in the scenic area, which has a glass plank road and a slide, which we did not try. The Hidden Dragon Cave in the middle section of the canyon is the core part of the scenic area. It is said that three kings of Fujian have taken refuge here in history. Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang visited this place, hence the name Emperor Cave. Inside the cave, there is a stone statue of Ming Taizu and cliff carvings related to the kings of Fujian. Inside the cave, you can see a huge waterfall cascading down, just like in the Water Curtain Cave. It took more than three hours to cross the entire canyon, and we exited the canyon from the east gate of the scenic area. After exiting the canyon, we walked for a while and came to another cruise stop in She Village - Xiaoyang Pier. Here, we boarded the cruise again and returned to Xiaocang Township, starting our return journey. Emperor Cave Ecological Tourist Area