Tangya River Scenic Area in Enshi

Enshi Tangya River Tourist Scenic Area

The Enshi Tangya River Tourist Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Tangya River Scenic Area is China's largest ecologically preserved Tusi cultural tourism destination.

The scenic area is located in Xianfeng County, Enshi, Hubei Province. The Tangya River is legendary because it flows backward and follows an ancient glacial route. Upstream of the Tangya River, there is China’s architectural wonder—a minority village featuring Qiang-style stilted mountain houses—Nü’er Village. There is also the world’s largest underground canyon and the world’s largest underground calcified pool—the Golden Cave, a humanistic geological wonder.

It is the only cave palace in the world with seven levels. On April 8, 1984, the former General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC—Bang, and the then Secretary of the Communist Youth League Central Committee once visited Golden Cave to provide guidance, which is unprecedented not only in our Enshi Autonomous Prefecture but also across the entire Wuling region. Visit the "March Bamboo Forest" lifestyle pavilion to experience healthy living in the 21st century.

The Tangya River Scenic Area is China’s largest ecologically preserved Tusi cultural tourism destination. The landscape within the scenic area features spectacular natural scenery, dense forests and vegetation, abundant cultural relics, scattered stilted wooden houses, and a strong folk culture. It is a vast, diverse, and uniquely featured natural and cultural landscape corridor where natural and humanistic attractions complement one another.

In ancient times, Golden Cave was called Black Cave. Located at the junction of Enshi, Lichuan, and Xianfeng, according to joint research by Chinese and Belgian speleologists, this cave formed before the Jurassic period and has existed for 150 million years. Its rare geological wonders and splendid human civilization make it a treasure trove of the world’s natural and cultural heritage. The tourism area boasts majestic mountains, unique waters, and an indigenous folk culture, earning it the reputation of the “Wuling Hundred-Mile Gallery.” Eighteen ethnic minorities, including the Tujia, Miao, Qiang, and Dong, have thrived here. The traditional songs of bridal laments, the Hand-Waving Dance, Nuo opera, and Maogusi performances paint a vivid tapestry of cultural richness.

Chahai Qiang Village is located upstream of the Tangya River. It was previously the mountain stronghold of the Jindong Tusi, known as Maluxi Village. It is a multi-ethnic settlement, with the Qiang, Tujia, and Miao being the most representative. The village has a total of 365 households and over 1,200 residents, and it is home to the only Qiang tribe residing in the inland regions of China.

“Built against the mountains and stones,” “wooden frames and bamboo-woven walls”—the area features Qiang-style wooden houses with Tujia stilt architecture. The locals make a living through tea cultivation and enjoy a life akin to a paradise on earth. With small bridges, flowing streams, and quaint homes, this romantic and poetic utopia is hailed as the “Last Shangri-La in Central China.”

Address: Tangya River Scenic Area, Xianfeng County, Enshi Prefecture

Type: Folk Village

Recommended Visiting Duration: 1 day

Phone: 0718-6812888

Opening Hours:

8:00-17:30

Ticket Information:

Gate Price: 30.0 RMB

Small train: 30 RMB, Golden Cave: 90 RMB, Rafting: 110 RMB.