Hundred-Zhang Waterfall

Hundred-Zhang Waterfall

Hundred-Zhang Waterfall is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Located within Wangyuan Township and Shihuang Town in Shengzhou, Zhejiang Province, it is 30 kilometers from Shengzhou and 50 kilometers from both Shaoxing and Zhuji. The scenic area extends south to Moon Mountain and Hundred-Bird Mountain, north to Wangyuan’s Coiling Dragon Mountain, with towering mountains on both the east and west sides, and the vast Bantou Reservoir in the middle, covering a total area of 7 square kilometers.

Hundred-Zhang Waterfall is a cascading waterfall, divided into three falls. Since ancient times, there has been a saying: “The First Fall is a hundred zhang high, the Second a hundred zhang deep, and the Third a hundred zhang wide.”

The First Fall is a hundred zhang high. With a drop of 207 meters and a width of over 30 meters, it is known as the “Number One Waterfall under Heaven.” Surrounded by sheer cliffs on three sides, when looking up, the cliffs seem to pierce the sky: Hundred-Zhang Waterfall.

Looking down into the gorge, it feels like gazing into hell, thrilling and awe-inspiring. Ancient observers wrote: “Waves roll like silver rivers beyond a thousand valleys, while clouds surge over red cliffs atop myriad peaks. In summer, clouds disperse into snowflakes across the sky; in winter, thunder roars into springs beneath the earth.” (Liu Jisun, Liu Diao, “Revisiting Hundred-Zhang Waterfall to View the Falls”). Later, a dam was built to store water for power generation, causing the falls to diminish; however, through diverting water via channels, the scenic beauty was restored. Near the deep pool, there is a single-arch stone bridge called Lintai Bridge. Beyond the bridge stands a pavilion named Guanpu Pavilion, with six pillars and a hexagonal shape.

The Second Fall is a hundred zhang deep. The waterfall is 65 meters high, taller than Huangguoshu Waterfall (64 meters). The waterfall splits into upper and lower streams, with a 27-meter-high, 8-meter-deep, and 50-meter-long rock corridor in the middle section. On the western side of the corridor lies a 600-square-meter stone flatland, in the center of which is a 5-meter-long and 3-meter-wide “Dragon Well.” Observing the waterfall from within the corridor, the flow resembles a curtain, gently drifting down like the Water Curtain Cave in the Journey to the West. The “Nantian Mountain Records” state: “The splashing waterfall roars like thunder, and beside it is a stone chamber, hence the legend that Lü Dongbin once refined elixirs here.” Beneath the waterfall, the water plunges into a deep pool known as the Dragon Pool. Spanning about five acres, it is flat as a mirror and green as jade. Legend says the pool is a hundred zhang deep and connects directly to the East Sea. A dragon maiden was said to sit on a golden chair combing her hair here, but when a shepherd boy saw her and was astonished, she plunged back into the pool and never appeared again. About ten meters in front of the pool lies a large square stone, 10 meters long and 5 meters high. Legend has it that the dragon maiden often leapt from the hundred-zhang-deep Dragon Pool to this stone to groom herself—this is the Dragon Maiden’s Dressing Table. Beside the fall is a rock resembling the Great Sage, called Great Sage Rock; another rock stands like a valiant general, majestic yet missing an arm, known as the One-Armed General. The environment around the Second Fall is beautiful, with small wooden cabins scattered throughout the woods—these make up the Second Fall Holiday Village, a perfect spot for leisure.

The Third Fall is a hundred zhang wide. Located west of Bat Cave Mountain, the waterfall is large, with many massive rocks nearby. Legend says that when Nüwa was creating Yandang Mountain, Lü Dongbin built the Third Fall to compete with her, creating the First and Second Falls first. When Nüwa found out, she transformed into a woman and descended to the mortal realm. At that moment, Lü Dongbin was driving a large group of boulders to build the Third Fall, but Nüwa’s magic broke his spell, causing the boulders to scatter and remain unmoved on the riverbed. As a result, the hundred-zhang-wide Third Fall was never fully completed. There is a high platform at the top, with a hexagonal stone pavilion on it. From within the pavilion, the view is delightful, hence it is called “Taoran Pavilion” (Pavilion of Carefree Joy), donated by Mr. Wu Minggao.

In February 2004, the Hundred-Zhang Waterfall–Feiyun Lake Scenic Area was approved by the State Council and included in the fourth batch of National Scenic Areas.

Admission Fee

45 RMB (including 10 RMB for boat ride)

Location

1 li south of Wangyuan Village, Wangyuan Township, Shengzhou, Shaoxing, Zhejiang

Wangyuan Township: Situated in the mountainous northwest of Shengzhou City, Wangyuan Township boasts beautiful scenery and a long history of herbal medicine cultivation. It produces high-quality, abundant, and competitively priced platycodon, atractylodes, and salvia. In recent years, it has vigorously developed tourism to boost the local economy. The Hundred-Zhang Waterfall scenic area has been developed, along with numerous supporting facilities built around it. Within just two years, the small township invested over 3 million RMB to complete the construction of roads, bridges, and pavilions, giving the scenic area its initial form, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually and gaining some recognition in the Shanghai market.

This year, another 600,000 RMB was invested to construct a large catchment pool, and 80... More details about Wangyuan Township++