Guaitan Scenic Area

Guaitan Scenic Area

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

Guaitan is a national AAAA-level scenic area. In Shitai County, southern Anhui, there is a famous Qiu Pu River, whose waters are as clear and blue as autumn, with picturesque scenery along both banks. The Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai visited the Qiu Pu River many times and left behind the widely loved "Seventeen Songs of Qiu Pu," such as “The pheasant, shy of the green water, dares not admire its own feathers” and “Thousands of nanmu trees, tens of thousands of privet groves,” which vividly depict the beauty of Qiu Pu. The Qiu Pu River boasts a unique geographical environment, with ancient trees lining both banks, and the river features treacherous shoals and rapid currents, making many sections ideal for rafting.

The Guaitan Rafting Area is located at the uppermost reaches of the Qiu Pu River. It is the earliest-developed, longest, most thrilling, and largest rafting area in the Jiangnan region. The Guaitan attraction is quite distinctive, with lush green trees and oddly shaped rocks on both banks; the river twists and turns with rapid currents, making it a perfect spot for rafting. It has been praised by visitors as the “Number One Rafting Trip in Southern Anhui.”

Guaitan Scenic Area features the majestic “Three Dam Stones,” which gave Shitai County its name; the ruins of the Temple of King Wen of Zhou, the site where the ancestors of Chu State gold coins from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were first discovered; a fairy-tale stone garden crafted by nature’s master hand; the mysterious and colorful waters of Guaitan, the “Heavenly Pool on Earth” at Jiang Ziya’s Fishing Platform; the famous poems written by Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai, the “Immortal of Poetry,” for the source of the Qiu Pu River; the breathtaking “Tree and Vine Love”; a natural antique-like strange stone beach; the thrilling yet safe Guaitan Rafting experience; as well as a “high-concentration forest oxygen bar” and a national wetland park. The area has a negative ion concentration of 18,300 per cubic centimeter, making visitors feel particularly refreshed and rejuvenated. Poets who have visited the area have commented: “One step to view the scenery, three steps to marvel, seven steps to cry ‘strange,’ and ten steps beyond to be left speechless.”

Hengdu Town: Hengdu Town in Shitai County is located 11 kilometers east of the county seat, adjacent to Qimen County and Yi County. In August 2001, with the approval of the Chizhou Municipal Government, the former Hengdu Township and Languan Township of Shitai County were abolished and merged to form Hengdu Town. The town administers 11 administrative villages, with a total population of 9,413 and a total area of 174 square kilometers, making it the largest township in Shitai County by land area. In 2001, it was awarded the title of “Advanced Township in Anhui Province’s ‘8-7’ Poverty Alleviation Campaign” by the Anhui Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, and in 2002, it was honored as the “2001 Comprehensive Agricultural Development Township” by the Shitai County Party Committee and County Government. … More details about Hengdu Town++