Journey on the Qingjiang River: The Mysterious Treasure of Enshi Tourism with an Emotional Guide

Finally, I embarked on the journey of Qingjiang in Enshi, as if I had found the savior of tourism! 🥳 Saying goodbye to the exhaustion of walking tens of thousands of steps daily, I can now leisurely enjoy the beautiful scenery on the boat! 😌 🌊 Qingjiang Grand Canyon, two routes for you to choose: Honghua Peak Forest Scenic Area: Depart by boat from the Hunshui River Wharf in Sancha Town, Enshi! Butterfly Cliff Scenic Area: Jinyang Town, Jianshi, dance with the butterflies! I chose the Butterfly Cliff Scenic Area to dance with the butterflies this time, 🦋 and here is my emotional guide: 🎫 Ticket + boat ticket 150r, boat ticket 60r, this price makes me feel it's more than worth it! 😍 🚣‍♂️ Departure time: 9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, although there are fewer trips during the off-season, you can set sail at any time during the Golden Week and summer vacation! 🕰️ Tour duration: 3-4 hours, it's like stepping into a mysterious world! 📸 Tour route: Take the boat to Butterfly Cliff, enjoy Butterfly Cliff, and then take the boat back. Every step is full of anticipation and surprise! Magical moments at Butterfly Cliff: 1️⃣ Get off the boat - Butterfly Cliff Square: Walk up the stairs to the square, where there is a mysterious photographer who can help you capture the beautiful moments with Butterfly Cliff! 📸 Although the queue is long, the wait for that moment is worth it! 2️⃣ Square - Cave: I chose to walk, feeling the awe of the cliff, each step is like walking into the embrace of nature! 🌳 There is also a small clearing on the way, which is perfect for a photo with Butterfly Cliff, no need to queue! 3️⃣ Cave - Boat Crossing: You can choose to walk, zip line, or drift, I chose to walk, enjoying the coolness and beauty along the way, as if merging with nature! 🏞️ Overall experience: The beauty of Qingjiang really intoxicated me, blue skies and green waters, cliffs and precipices, each spot is a painting! 🖼️ Butterfly Cliff, true to its name, is breathtakingly beautiful! Taking photos from different angles leaves unforgettable memories! 🦋 Although I didn't walk on the glass bridge, standing beside it, I could still feel its charm! While waiting for the return boat, although a bit boring, thinking about the end of this wonderful journey filled me with reluctance! 😢 There was no tour guide on the cruise, but this allowed me to focus more on enjoying the scenery and the peaceful time! 🌌 This journey on the Qingjiang River was truly a precious experience in my travels! I hope you can also come here and feel this beauty! 💖

Enshi to Qingjiang

Jianshi's Wild Three Gorges, it boasts the eight hundred li Qingjiang, known as the most beautiful in Jingyang River. When visiting this scenic area, you can take a boat to view the beautiful scenery on both sides of Qingjiang. It truly achieves 'walking in the river, swimming in the painting.' Its endpoint is Butterfly Cliff, which is presumably named for its resemblance to a butterfly spreading its wings. One of the 'Ten Scenes of Qingjiang,' Butterfly Cliff is a signature attraction of the Enshi Grand Qingjiang Scenic Area. During the rainy season, the increased water volume creates a waterfall that bursts out from between the cliffs shaped like butterfly wings, with a sound as loud as thunder, which is extremely spectacular. When the water is low, it presents a different kind of grace and soft beauty. The majesty of the mountain combined with the reflection in the water brings a complete butterfly to life. Transportation: Take a bus from Enshi to the scenic area, which takes about 3 hours. Note that you should board the boat at Jingyang Wharf in Jianshi, while boarding at the Hunsui Wharf in Enshi takes you through the Qingjiang Grand Canyon, where you stay on the boat for the entire trip. Take a bus from the Enshi Bus Station. You can also buy a high-speed train ticket to Jianshi Railway Station and then take a taxi there. If driving yourself, parking is free at the scenic area. Board a tour boat at Jingyang Wharf; there are many boats, but they come every half hour, with no other times available, so plan your time wisely. Ticket (including boat ticket) 160💰 + glass walkway 60💰). Tour route: Take a boat from the wharf to Butterfly Cliff Scenic Area, where you can disembark and walk ashore for a close look at Butterfly Cliff. After entering, you can climb to the top of the mountain and then walk down. You can also choose to walk the glass walkway, which is relatively flat (but there is a fee). After walking, take the boat back to the wharf.

A pillar reaching to the sky, the Enshi Grand Canyon, a human wonder recommended by National Geographic

Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of the city, longing to find a secret haven hidden in the deep mountains? Then, Enshi is definitely your perfect choice! Here you can find the delicate beauty of the Qing River, as well as the majestic grandeur of the Grand Canyon; there is also the overflowing enthusiasm of the Tujia people. Enshi, a treasure land that combines beauty and talent, is waiting for us to unveil its mysterious veil.

The 800-li Qingjiang River is as picturesque as a painting - Hubei Qingjiang Gallery

The Qingjiang Gallery scenic area is located within the territory of Changyang Tujia Autonomous County in Yichang City, Hubei Province, covering a total area of 120 square kilometers. The main scenic area starts from the Gegenyan Dam Reflection Gorge in the east and extends to the Shuibuya Dam Salt Pool Hot Springs in the west, encompassing all the tourist landscapes and scenic spots along the Qingjiang River from the Gegenyan Dam to the Shuibuya Salt Pool Hot Springs. The scenic area mainly includes three core attractions: Reflection Gorge, Xianrenzhai, and Wuluo Zhongli Mountain. The Qingjiang River is a pearl of the Yangtze River, 'With waters so clear for tens of meters, people see its clarity and thus it is named Qingjiang.' It originates from Longdonggou in Lichuan City, western Hubei, flows through Enshi, Changyang, and Badong, and joins the Yangtze River in Yidu City, with a total length of 423 kilometers, earning the reputation of 'the 800-li Qingjiang River is as picturesque as a painting.' The Qingjiang waterway passing through Changyang is about 148 kilometers long. The Qingjiang River is the mother river of the Tujia people, stretching 800 li like a blue ribbon, passing through mountains and gorges, coming from Qiyueshan in Lichuan to the southwest of Hubei, crossing over 10 counties and cities in western Hubei. With the construction of the Gegenyan, Gaobazhou, and Shuibuya water conservancy hub projects, a unique natural landscape of both river and lake has been formed within the Qingjiang basin, covering 3.86 million mu. The unique karst topography on both banks, with peaks upon peaks piercing the sky, and hundreds of emerald-like islands scattered in the lake, shining like green pearls. The waters of the Qingjiang are vast like the ink-colored river, with high gorges and green forests leading to secluded paths, earning Qingjiang the reputation of having the grandeur of the Yangtze River's Three Gorges, the clarity of Guilin's Li River, and the elegance of Hangzhou's West Lake. Its scenery is limitless and incomparable. The mountains of Qingjiang, the waters of Qingjiang, the people of Qingjiang, the ethnicities of Qingjiang... all blend together into a river of endless life, vast and profound culture, like poetry, like painting, like dreams, like songs.

Enshi, a Mysterious Land at the Magical Latitude of 30°N

The world is full of wonders and breathtaking landscapes near the magical latitude of 30°N, and when it crosses Hubei, it creates a fairyland called Enshi! Everyone has a different Enshi in their heart! For thrill-seekers, it's the Enshi Grand Canyon, known as the 'Oriental Colorado'; for foodies, it's the dream of Enshi's small potatoes🥔 and Tujia oil tea soup; for artistic souls, it's the experience of the ethnic minority's folk life... As the only ethnic minority autonomous prefecture in Hubei Province, Enshi is bordered by Jingchu to the east, Xiaoxiang to the south, Chongqing and Guizhou to the west, and Shennongjia to the north. Numerous mysterious and ancient legends originate from here. How to immerse yourself in Enshi, here's a guide: ♥️ Enshi Grand Canyon —— Home to the 'World Geological Wonder and Oriental Colorado,' the Enshi Grand Canyon is the only place in the world where 'earth fissures - sinkholes - rock pillar groups' coexist as a complex karst landform. The five geological wonders of Qingjiang rising to white clouds, sheer cliffs surrounding peaks, sky bridges connecting caves, dark rivers joining waterfalls, and sinkholes paired with earth fissures are all breathtaking. Nowadays, it's easy to play in the Enshi Grand Canyon with the ground cable car and the canyon ropeway, especially the canyon ropeway, which is 2266 meters long with a vertical drop of 792 meters between the upper and lower stations, offering a bird's-eye view of the ten-thousand-meter cliff gallery, waterfalls, peaks, and deep gorges, saving time and effort for a trip with parents, allowing you to fully enjoy the scenery. ♥️ Enshi Qingjiang —— Qingjiang is the mother river of the Enshi people, and it is also the river that the 'sister' in one of the 'World Folk Songs,' 'Dragon Boat Tune,' wants to cross. It is not only full of stories but also has a high 'face value'! Overlooking it is like a blue ribbon, flowing clearly for eight hundred li. Qingjiang has three wonders (mountain road, Butterfly Cliff, Shuibuzhi), three gorges (Qianpu Gorge, Butterfly Gorge, Bawang Gorge), three resemblances (Jingyang Bridge, Reclining Buddha, Linjun Mountain), and three legends (Linjun Salt Pool Goddess story, Picking Up Son story, Duan Gong story); you can take a cruise on the Enshi Qingjiang, with both antique boats and large cruise ships available for choice. ⛵️Currently, the main boarding points are Hunshui River Wharf Visitor Center and Shuibuya Wharf Visitor Center. ♥️ Honghua Gorge Forest Peak Scenic Area —— Located on the south bank of Qingjiang, it is one of the best observation points for Qingjiang's multi-level terraces. Taking the 'cross-river cableway,' you can look up at Hongyan Mouth and Honghua Stone Forest, overlook the Qingjiang River Valley, and also go ashore for a tour, immersing yourself in the beauty of Enshi. ♥️ Pingba Camp —— With the largest primeval forest in western Hubei, this area is full of winding mountains, composed of elements such as ancient, strange, beautiful, quiet, and wild, creating a naturally pristine atmosphere. Taking Asia's largest V-shaped aerial cableway - Jigongshan Cableway, you can glide through the lush ancient forest, experiencing the feeling of 'sliding on treetops.' Another core scenic area of Pingba Camp - Sidong Gorge, is a very rare tunnel cluster landscape, which also contains the mysterious and ancient history and culture of the Tujia people, hence Sidong Gorge is also known as the 'Tujia Holy Land'. 🏠 Accommodation recommendation: Pingba Camp's special forest treehouse, the country's first forest-style all-wood villa hotel. Drawing on the principle of the Tujia stilted building, each villa is built in succession against the ancient trees, with the villas weaving above the ancient trees, living in the treetops, and enjoying the freshness after the rain in the empty mountains. 🍜 Food recommendation: Tujia oil tea soup, Zhangguanhezha, Tujia cured meat, Baiyang dried tofu, Shefan, Zhangguangjiao, Gexian rice, Fengtou ginger, Fubao mountain cress, and New Year meat.

Birds startle into flight, fish leap and swim, gazing into the distance at the thick clouds and mist over the Qingjiang River

On a small boat, we travel on the Qingjiang, the mother river of the Tujia people. The entire journey passes through three gorges: Honghua Gorge, Qianpu Gorge, and Butterfly Gorge, with the canyon sides framing the mountains like a painting, majestic stone peaks, sheer cliffs with springs, and elegant waterfalls. ⛰【Travel Guide】 📍Detailed address: Daqingjiang Scenic Area, Enshi City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei Province. 🚗Transportation guide: Inside the city of Enshi, it is generally more convenient to drive, as public transportation is scarce. 1. From Enshi Qiliping off the highway—Enhe Road—Maoba—Lianhuachi—Sancha Township—Fenshui River North Bank Tourist Wharf 2. From the bus station opposite Enshi Prefecture Central Hospital in Dongxiang—Enhe Road—Maoba—Lianhuachi—Sancha Township—Fenshui River North Bank Tourist Wharf 3. From the Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway (G50) Langping Shuibuya exit—Yichang Langping—Langshui Road—Daqingjiang Badong Shuibuya Wharf 🕙Opening hours: The boat departs at 8:30 in the morning and returns around two or three in the afternoon. 💰Ticket price: Boat ticket 180 yuan per person 🌟Highlights: 1. During the rainy season, when the water level rises, a waterfall rushes out from between the cliffs shaped like butterfly wings, from a mountain cave, with a sound as loud as thunder, which is extremely spectacular. 2. One of the ten scenic spots of Qingjiang, 'Honghua Pouring Stone Forest,' formed 140 million years ago, consists of stone pillars that are strangely shaped and naturally wonderful. It has been praised by experts and scholars as a 'rare geological museum,' with some resembling drunkards, young girls, fierce beasts, all freely displaying the wonders of nature's craftsmanship. 📌Little Tips: 1. The tour lasts 3-4 hours, and the boat's schedule is very fixed. 2. Listening to the introduction on the boat, there will be many gains and surprises.

Qingjiang Ancient City

Qingjiang Ancient City Cultural Tourism Resort is located in Hejiaping Village, Longzhouping Town, Changyang County, with picturesque scenery. It is only a bridge away from Changyang County, backed by Qinglongling, facing Phoenix Mountain, embracing Qingjiang River, surrounded by Carp Island, adjacent to Guanyin Temple, surrounded by mountains and rivers, and is a land of outstanding people. 🎉Main attractions 🤜The "Ancient Flavor Three Buildings" of Qingjiang Ancient City 👉🏻The ancient and fragrant wine building. Qingjiang Ancient City Hotel is a comprehensive hotel based on serving the public. The hotel is a landmark building of Qingjiang Ancient City, invested by Qingjiang Ancient City Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd. with more than 40 million yuan, designed and built according to the four-star hotel standard. The building has a simple and atmospheric exterior, complete internal functions, unique design, and fully demonstrates the local style. 👉🏻Singing and dancing to see the theater. The Qingjiang Ancient City Theater, based on modern Tujia and Chinese style, has a building area of 5,000 square meters, with different heights, novel shapes, and unique ideas. 👉🏻The stilt building with local flavor. Along the Qingjiang River, there is a group of stilt buildings 1200 meters long. The stilt building group has the beauty of "white walls, green tiles, and horse head walls", the decorative beauty of "corridor and door lattice windows", the level beauty of "high and low, orderly", and the living beauty of "living in a stilt building for one night, dreaming for ten years". It makes guests linger and indulge in the deep local feelings! 🤜The "Five Special Museums" of Qingjiang Ancient City 👉🏻Wang Guoxin Poetry and Painting Academy. The museum is a square courtyard building, which will collect and exhibit 10 sets of serial paintings "Yangtze River Trilogy", 158-meter-long silk painting "Yangtze River Scenery", "Qingjiang Shanghe Map" and 240 Chinese paintings "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and other calligraphy and painting works by Mr. Wang Guoxin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a famous contemporary painter and calligrapher. 👉🏻Peng Qiutan Memorial Hall. Peng Qiutan is a famous Tujia poet in the Qing Dynasty in China. He is as famous as Yang Shoujing in Yidu and is a native of Gaojiayan, Changyang. He was born in a scholarly family, was a scholar in the 35th year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, and entered officialdom at the age of 41. He has created a large number of literary works in his life, mainly poems and lyrics, among which there are more than 100 bamboo branch lyrics, and "Peng Qiutan Collection" is collected by the National Library. The museum is divided into three exhibition areas: Peng Qiutan's youth, middle age, and old age. 👉🏻Baren Museum. Changyang is the hometown of "Changyang people" 190,000 years ago and the birthplace of Ba people 4,000 years ago. In order to solve the mystery of the Ba people, this museum was built according to the requirements of Secretary Li Hongzhong of the Provincial Party Committee. The exhibition hall is divided into four exhibition areas: ancient civilization, historical tracking, building Du Yicheng, and Ba people's legacy. The characteristics of the Tujia people, the descendants of the Ba people, are "great in life, chic in life, sincere in love, and free and easy in death". 👉🏻Three Gorges Strange Stone Museum. Changyang has the reputation of "China's Ornamental Stone Town", and Hejiaping Village, where Qingjiang Ancient City is located, is a famous strange stone village in the province. The Qingjiang stone processed by the village is sold to 26 provinces and cities across the country and some Southeast Asian countries, with an annual sales volume of more than 60 million yuan. In order to promote the village to make the strange stone industry bigger and stronger, Qingjiang Ancient City not only built a strange stone street, but also specially built this museum. The museum is divided into two exhibition areas: the strange stone exhibition and sales area and the boutique stone display area. It will collect the boutique famous stones in the Three Gorges area and even the whole country, and build Hejiaping Village, Changyang into the largest strange stone processing and trading market in Hubei Province. 👉🏻Batu Academy. Batu Academy has set up Batu Library, Batu Video Data Library and Writer's House and other exhibition areas, which will collect all the results of the study of Batu history and culture by the descendants of the Ba people in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Chongqing and other places, and establish China Ba Studies, China Batu Library, compile and publish "Chinese Ba Culture Dictionary". 📍324 Provincial Road, Hejiaping Village, Longzhouping Town, Changyang Tujia Autonomous County, Yichang City, Hubei Province

We did not expect this hiking trip to be as extreme as what we had imagined. Luckily some of the locals were there to help guide us to the correct route as we were lost and going in circles as one point. If you are not fit for an adventure and a thrill experience, do not attempt this hike. However, we still had lots of fun and anyone willing to this should have a try at it.