Wansheng Black Valley

Wansheng Black Valley

Wansheng Black Valley is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

Black Valley (BlackValley), a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, national forest park, national geopark, China's Best Leisure Mountain, China's Best Green Low-Carbon Tourism & Leisure Destination, Most Charming Scenic Area in Greater China Asia, one of Chongqing’s “New Twelve Scenic Spots of Bayu,” and Chongqing’s first environmental demonstration scenic area.

The geographical coordinates of Black Valley are 106°58'26" east longitude and 28°51'46" north latitude. It is located on the Dalou Mountain Range, which transitions from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to the Sichuan Basin, within Heishan Town, Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone, Chongqing. It is 63 kilometers from downtown Chongqing, covers an area of 100 square kilometers, has a maximum elevation difference between mountaintop and valley bottom of 1,200 meters, features a canyon stretching 13 kilometers, with valley slopes reaching 70–80 degrees.

Black Valley falls within the subtropical humid monsoon climate zone of the Sichuan Basin. It enjoys mild weather, abundant rainfall, distinct seasons, a long frost-free period, warm winters and early springs, rainy early summers, hot summers with midsummer droughts, frequent drizzles in autumn, and overcast winters with ample sunshine. It also exhibits significant regional variations typical of mountainous climates. The annual average temperature is 18.1°C, with a frost-free period of 339.2 days per year. The average annual rainfall is 1,277 millimeters, and the average annual sunshine duration is 1,101.6 hours.

The Black Valley scenic area consists of two parts: Black Valley and Longlin Stone Sea. It features a variety of unique landscapes including rugged peaks, peak forests, serene canyons, steep cliffs, forests, bamboo seas, waterfalls, clear waters, caves, imitation ancient plank roads, pontoon bridges, sea of clouds, farmland, pristine vegetation, and rare flora and fauna. The area is characterized by high mountains, dense forests, and few human traces, preserving one of the few well-preserved subtropical and temperate natural ecosystems at this latitude on Earth. With a forest coverage rate of 97% and negative oxygen ion concentration as high as 110,000 per cubic centimeter, it is like a natural oxygen bar and is hailed as “China’s Most Beautiful Health Valley.” It is currently the largest and most well-preserved natural ecological scenic area in the Chongqing region, praised by experts as the “Chongqing-Guizhou Biodiversity Gene Bank,” Chongqing’s unique “Biodiversity Gene Bank,” and the “Shennongjia of Southwest China.”

The pristine ecological landscape of the Black Valley Scenic Area is composed of rugged peaks, peak forests, serene canyons, steep cliffs, forests, bamboo seas, waterfalls, clear waters, caves, imitation ancient plank roads, pontoon bridges, sea of clouds, farmland, pristine vegetation, and rare flora and fauna. It has been designated as a national forest park, national geopark (an important part of Chongqing Wansheng National Geopark), national AAAAA-level tourist area, Most Charming Scenic Area in Greater China Asia, China's Best Leisure Mountain, one of Chongqing’s “New Twelve Scenic Spots of Bayu,” and Chongqing’s first environmental demonstration scenic area, among other honors.

The full length of the Black Valley Scenic Area is 13 kilometers, including a 1-kilometer uphill sightseeing cable car (walking is also an option), 6 kilometers of plank roads and pontoon bridges, and 6 kilometers of battery car rides. Upon entering the scenic area, visitors follow the river down to Xiangshui Village. This section of the valley is about 40–50 meters wide, with flat land along the river, forested hills above, and a terraced river valley cross-section in a “V” shape, where the river is narrow. Further downstream, the river is generally about 20 meters wide, with some sections only a few meters across. In particular, sections such as Fish Jump Gorge, Wild Boar Gorge, and Monkey Jump Gorge are no more than 10 meters wide at their broadest and only two meters at their narrowest. These are traversed via pontoon bridges and suspension bridges, offering a highly challenging experience. The elevation difference between the top and bottom of Black Valley ranges from 400 to 600 meters, with steep valley slopes on both sides, typically at 70–80 degrees, and some cliff faces even vertical at over 90 degrees, towering around 1,200 meters with uniquely spectacular formations.

Strolling through the scenic area, visitors are greeted by dozens of fascinating sights such as Black Mountain Buddha, Princess of the Yelang Tribe Peak, Nine-Turn Painted Screen, White Jade Guanyin, Stone Sword Peak, Stone Imperial Umbrella, Hidden Buddha Cliff, Camel Marching West, Black Monkeys Greeting Guests, Flying Cloud Waterfall, and Divine Dragon Waterfall, leaving one mesmerized and reluctant to leave.

China’s “Bermuda Triangle”

Chongqing’s largest ecological park — the magical and enchanting Black Valley, is referred to as the “Bermuda Triangle of Western China” and the “Horrifying Valley of Death.” This is a place that has lain quietly for thousands of years, cold and trembling yet hyped up by the media. It has seen multiple incidents of people and livestock mysteriously disappearing into the valley. As the poem goes: “Black Valley, gully connected to gully; ten people speak of it, nine feel woe. Hunting dogs vanish without a trace, brave men go but never return.”

Seasonal Features

The Black Valley Scenic Area displays marvelous and splendid scenery with the changing of the four seasons — spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In spring, alpine azaleas, wild camellias, and dove tree flowers bloom competitively, with birds singing in chorus, filling the area with boundless vitality, like a poetic painting, making it a great destination for returning to nature and exploring wonders. In summer, the mountains are lush and the waters serene, offering an ideal retreat away from the hustle and bustle. In autumn, the mountains wear dark hues and the forests are painted in layers of color. In winter, mist shrouds the valley, and clear emerald pools reflect the quiet, shy beauty of a goddess.

Featured Landscapes

Ten-Mile Canyon

The most marvelous sight in Black Valley is the narrow, deep, and serene Ten-Mile Canyon of the Carp River. Black Mountain’s Ten-Mile Canyon

Influenced by the Himalayan orogeny, this river is actually a fissure split through the mountains, forming a typical “V”-shaped steep canyon with an elevation difference of 400–1,000 meters. The widest part of the riverbed is 20–30 meters, while the narrowest is less than two meters. Both sides of the canyon feature densely vegetated cliffs with slopes of around 70–80 degrees. Some cliff faces, eroded at the base by floods and even overturned, reach inclinations of over 100 degrees, creating a rare sight of inverted cliffs. The three gorges — Carp Gorge, Wild Boar Gorge, and Divine Dragon Gorge — have cliffs that tilt so dramatically at the top that they nearly converge, turning the river into an underground stream where sunlight never penetrates. Standing in the narrowest part of Carp Gorge, you can touch mountains on the Chongqing side with one hand and those on the Guizhou side with the other. The canyon has many rapids and shoals, with abundant stalactites, hanging vines, and waterfalls. The river teems with fish and crabs, while the forests along the cliffs are home to black-leaf monkeys, goats, and wild boars. Walking along the plank roads and pontoon bridges, visitors feel as if wandering through an underwater dragon palace.

Fish Jump Gorge

Fish Jump Gorge is famous for Fish Jump Pool in this section of the valley. Every spring and summer, when carp from the lower reaches of the Carp River enter the upstream, they must leap over the 60-centimeter-high Fish Jump Shoal. This spectacle of fish leaping out of the water is witnessed repeatedly, hence locals call this gorge Fish Jump Gorge. The two cliffs clamp the waterway, making it extremely steep. Ingenious humans, without damaging the primal forest, creatively built an aquatic plank walkway curving along the surface of the water — a truly unique sight.

Flying Fish Waterfall

The Flying Fish Waterfall is exquisitely elegant, with a continuous flow and majestic momentum, like the Milky Way pouring down from the heavens. It is the most spectacular waterfall in Wansheng Black Valley.

The most magnificent waterfall in the valley, named for its fish-like shape, is the Flying Fish Waterfall. During the summer flood season, water flow can reach 5 tons per second, cascading like the Milky Way pouring to earth, with overwhelming grandeur. From afar, the silver cascade seems to connect to the sky. Getting closer, one is struck by the awe-inspiring power of nature. The water plunges from a height of a hundred meters—not just “water” anymore, but beads of pearls striking rocks below, sending up clouds of spray that slowly rise, with droplets and foam hitting the face, forming a massive invisible impact wave that makes breathing difficult. Legend says that when the sun shines, a rainbow of seven colors will appear. This breathtaking scene has long captivated all who see it.

Transportation & Address

Ticket: 100 RMB per person; additional fees apply for sightseeing cable cars and battery cars.

Address: Wansheng Tourism Marketing Center, next to Ziru Square, Wansheng District, Chongqing

Transportation: Take a long-distance bus from Chongqing Nanping or Chenjiaping Bus Stations to Wansheng. After arrival, take the Guanjingwan Station bus to Wansheng–Black Valley (5.5 RMB per person).

Heishan Town: Located in the southeastern part of Wansheng District, Heishan Town is 7 kilometers from Wansheng urban area and enjoys very convenient transportation. It borders Guizhou to the east, Shilin to the south, Wandong to the west, and Nanchuan to the north, offering notable locational advantages. Covering an area of 98.65 square kilometers, it governs 4 administrative villages, 32 villager groups, and a population of 10,105. The town boasts a pleasant climate and a forest coverage rate of 65%, making it highly suitable for living. It is rich in resources, mainly featuring the Heishan and Black Valley Ecotourism Scenic Area known for its forests, grand canyons, rivers, flying springs, waterfalls, and lawns, as well as dolomite... More details on Heishan Town++