CHINA 5A TRAVEL
A UNESCO Global Geopark of Taihang Mountain gorges where red quartzite canyons, a 314-metre single-drop waterfall and 1,300-metre peaks share one 3-day ticket - 'a spring every three steps, a waterfall every five'.
Yuntai Mountain rises from the Xiuwu hills north of Jiaozuo as one of China's very first national 5A scenic areas (2007) and a member of UNESCO's first batch of Global Geoparks (2004). Across roughly 50 square kilometres, the Taihang range breaks into a wonderland of gorges, springs and waterfalls that Chinese travelers sum up as 'a spring every three steps, a waterfall every five, a pool every ten'.
The park's crown is the Red Stone Gorge (Hongshi Xia), a 2-kilometre 'bonsai gorge' sunk 68 metres into rust-red Danxia quartzite, crossed by a one-directional walkway above jade-green water. Beyond it rise the 314-metre Yuntai Sky Waterfall - among Asia's tallest single drops - the pool-chain of Tanpu Gorge, the shuttle-bus spiral of the 19 Diecai Caves, and Zhuyu Peak, where the Tang poet Wang Wei wrote his famous Double-Ninth verse 1,300 metres above the plain.
Management matches the scenery: shuttle buses link every sub-area, tickets stay valid for three days with unlimited re-entry, and the Angshang service area operates like a small town of guesthouses and noodle shops. Spring melt and autumn red leaves are the classic seasons, winter turns the great waterfall into an ice pillar, and summer evenings now bring the Yunxi Valley night tour.
Highlights
Red Stone Gorge
The park's signature 2 km walkway through a sunken canyon of red quartzite - white cascades, green pools and hanging gardens described as 'a miniature landscape world'.
Yuntai Sky Waterfall
A 314-metre single-drop waterfall in Quanpu Gorge - roaring from June to September, a slender silver thread in dry autumn, and a giant ice column in winter.
Zhuyu Peak
The 1,297.6 m main peak where Tang poet Wang Wei wrote his Double-Ninth classic; climb 2,000-odd steps or ride the cable car to summit temples above seas of cloud.
Diecai Caves
A Guinness-recorded group of 19 spiralling highway tunnels climbing 912 metres up a cliff - the shuttle-bus ride to Zhuyu Peak is an attraction in itself.
Tanpu Gorge & Macaque Valley
A family-friendly chain of pools, Y-waterfalls and wading streams - plus four free daily shows of wild Taihang macaques (about 10:00/11:30/14:00/16:00).
Zifang Lake & glass skywalk
A reservoir named for the Han strategist Zhang Liang, with jet-boat rides, and the Phoenix Ridge glass skywalk hanging over the gorge at 20 CNY.
Photo Gallery
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