Eighteen Whirlpools Scenic Area

Eighteen Whirlpools Scenic Area

The Eighteen Whirlpools Scenic Area is now a provincial-level scenic spot, located in the northeastern tableland of Pan’an County. It is 2.5 kilometers from Jian Town and 55 kilometers from the county seat, Anwen Town. Adjacent to the Nineteen Peaks of Chuanyan in Xinchang, the Pan-Xin Highway runs along the edge of the scenic area, offering convenient transportation. The dramatic terrain shaped by ancient orogenic movements and long-term water erosion has created the wonder of the “Great Canyon of Central Zhejiang.” The Jiaxi Stream, the source of the Cao’e River, features a river valley with a relative elevation difference of over 200 meters from the Yushan Tableland. The steep cliffs on both sides of the stream stand towering and majestic, while the narrow, winding stream bed boasts rapid currents, forming numerous cascading waterfalls, perilous whirlpools, and deep pools—among which the Eighteen Whirlpools are the most renowned.

On both sides of the Eighteen Whirlpools, sheer cliffs loom closely, and the nearly one-kilometer-long riverbed suddenly drops, sending the water crashing into the pools below, stirring up massive waves. “One wave subsides, another rises,” as the roaring torrent surges through valleys and cuts through cliffs, forming eighteen continuous perilous whirlpools and deep pools. The scenic area features undulating peaks, bizarre rocks, exquisite waterfalls and pools, and landscapes characterized by grandeur, wonder, danger, beauty, serenity, and antiquity. After being baptized by wind and rain, the Jiaxi Scenic Area now presents itself to the world in an even more pristine and enchanting form.