Dahongyan Scenic Area

Dahongyan Scenic Area

Dahongyan Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Dahongyan National Scenic Area is the core attraction of Wuyi County’s tourism offerings. (Located in the central part of Wuyi County, about 18 kilometers from the county seat, on the west side of Provincial Highway 44, Shangsong Line.) It boasts nearly 10 square kilometers of classic Danxia landform, known as the “Ten-Mile Danxia, Ten-Mile Gallery,” a breathtaking natural painting shaped by the wonders of nature. The scenic area maintains well-preserved ecological vegetation, with lush bamboo forests and pine woods, while red cliffs, gorges, and caves dot the landscape. Among them stands the Dahongyan, said to be the world’s largest red cliff in a Danxia formation. The area also displays common Danxia features such as ravines, valleys, caves, pillars, and cliffs. There are rock formations resembling lions, elephants, whales, monkeys, and turtles, all uniquely shaped and strikingly lifelike. Additionally, there is the Shuangyan Chan Temple, a cave temple built on the mountaintop dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty, which holds significant value for sightseeing and archaeology. The temple grounds house precious historical relics including the tomb foundation of a monk, Ming Dynasty stone Buddha statues, and a stone tablet engraved with an inscription by the Grand Secretary Song Lian.

The scenic area was designated as a national scenic area in late 2012. After more than four months of closed renovation in 2014, comprehensive upgrades were completed, including the construction of a visitor center, parking lots, artificial mountain gates, and flower seas. The first phase of the Dahongyan upgrade project was fully finished and reopened on October 1st. Tourist highlights such as beautiful flower seas and popular camping spots attracted large numbers of visitors, receiving positive feedback. During the seven-day National Day holiday, the daily visitor count at Dahongyan increased by over 100% year-on-year, peaking at 247.41%.

Dahongyan Kongtong Mountain, together with the nearby Qingfengzhai and Liuxiulong, is collectively known as the “Danxia Highlights,” representing the most concentrated and magnificent Danxia landscapes in central Wuyi. The massive purplish-red cliffs of Dahongyan are hailed as the “No.1 Red Cliff under Heaven,” and the mountain's varied Danxia caves of different sizes are equally eye-catching. If you're planning to hike and sightsee around Wuyi over the weekend, Dahongyan is highly recommended.

The walking trails in the scenic area form a loop. Aside from two steeper stair sections, the rest are relatively easy to walk, and there's no need to backtrack. Visitors can choose to walk the entire route, or take a sightseeing vehicle from near the Taiji Pond in front of the main gate to the hiking entrance (10 RMB per person), then proceed with a clockwise walk. There is also a shorter walking path available along part of the sightseeing vehicle route, which takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Visiting Dahongyan in autumn allows you to enjoy the vibrant blooms of lavender, cosmos, and lilies in the foothills, perfect for colorful photography. To reach Qingfengzhai or Liuxiulong, you can transfer to a bus heading toward Liucheng or Yuyuan from Wangzhai, though the scenery there is quite similar and not as spectacular as that of Dahongyan.

Address: Central Wuyi County, Jinhua City (at the junction of Baimu Township, Yuyuan Township, and Wangzhai Town) Ticket Price: 40 RMB Opening Hours: Daily 08:00–17:00

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Scenic Areas