Qinglong Gorge in Huguan

Qinglong Gorge in Huguan

The Qinglong Gorge Original Ecology Nature Scenic Area is located in Dahe Village, Huguan County, Shanxi Province. It integrates natural wonders like verdant mountains, crystal-clear waters, deep canyons, caves, and exciting rafting, as well as cultural sites such as the Taihang Mountain National Geological Museum, majestic mountain passes, and historic battle inscriptions. The tour takes approximately 4 hours. Here, the climate is gentle and pleasant, with thick woods casting cooling shade. There are towering cliffs as if carved with an axe, uniquely shaped rock formations, cool and mysterious caves, high-quality sweet mountain springs, cascading waterfalls as shiny as silver, emerald-green pools, rare wildlife, beautiful legends, and unique folk performances... Everything remains in its most authentic form. Come here to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, immerse yourself in a tranquil natural setting, return to nature’s untouched beauty, and enjoy an ideal destination for travel, sightseeing, leisure, and vacation.

As a supporting facility of the Qinglong Gorge scenic area, the nearly four-star Dahe Hotel offers a beautiful environment, elegant facilities, attentive service, and a premium experience. The hotel features luxury suites, high-end standard rooms, and regular standard rooms; large, medium, and small meeting rooms; large, medium, and small dining halls; as well as chess and card rooms, gyms, and performance halls—all available onsite. It can accommodate up to 200 guests, host 300 people for meetings, and serve 500 diners simultaneously. The restaurant highlights local culinary skills with unique flavors. Rural bonfire parties offer an all-night carnival of fun. The late-night snacks are especially enticing, delightful enough to keep you awake with joy. Welcome to stay at Dahe Hotel!

Qinglong Gorge stretches from north to south, covering a total length of 5 kilometers, dotted with four attractions: Qinglong Pool, Lotus Terrace, Fox Fairy Cave, and Maqi Fort. It gets its name from the Qinglong Pool within the gorge. The area boasts beautiful natural scenery, making it a perfect destination for leisure and vacation. The southern entrance of Qinglong Gorge is broad and open, flanked by gently sloping, low peaks that stand opposite each other. The valley is lush with cypress, persimmon, and jujube trees, along with blooming flowers, presenting a vibrant sea of green and color. The bottom of the valley is scattered with oddly shaped spiritual rocks—the smallest small enough to hold in your hand, while the largest is a rectangular monolith, 15 meters long, 15 meters high, and 3 meters wide, standing alone on a small hill. Amazingly, atop this huge rock grows a lush green cypress tree, thriving year-round. Not far from the large rock, at the base of the gorge, there is a fault in the riverbed where stream water plunges from the cliff edge into a deep pool, forming a massive waterfall. With a drop of over 30 meters and a width of 2 meters, the waterfall roars like thunder. Over time, the waterfall has eroded a pool beneath it. This pool spans over 200 square meters and is more than 10 meters deep, with water so green it looks dyed. According to local folklore, there once lived a gentle, clever dragon in Qinglong Pool who loved playing with people, hence the name “Qinglong Pool,” also known as “Guaizhong Pool” (Obedient Dragon Pool).

As visitors move further into the middle of Qinglong Gorge, they will find two cave entrances of different sizes atop the cliffs—the larger one has both outer and inner chambers, with spring water flowing out from inside. This is the Fox Fairy Cave. The cave stretches 400 meters in total. The larger entrance is rectangular, 3 meters wide and 5 meters high, while the smaller one is square, 3 meters on each side. The two entrances are 3 meters apart. It earned its name because foxes are occasionally spotted inside. The Fox Fairy Cave is a natural limestone karst cave formed between 500 million and 400 million years ago, featuring well-developed karst landforms with stalactites creating various cave landscapes. Entering through the larger entrance, you’ll find outer and inner chambers. On the right wall of the outer chamber are stalactite patterns resembling various flowers, while the left wall features stalactites shaped like dancing dragons, extending all the way into the smaller adjacent cave. At the top of the inner chamber, there is a large protruding stalactite directly facing the cave entrance, shaped much like a frog. From its mouth sprays a waterfall about 20 meters high and 2 meters wide, falling to the cave floor and slowly flowing outside. Local legend says the spring water flowing from the Fox Fairy Cave is divine water left behind by the immortalized foxes, and drinking it can cure illnesses, strengthen the body, and prolong life.

Continuing past the Fox Fairy Cave, you’ll reach the end of Qinglong Gorge. On the cliffs, there is a massive natural stone platform. Facing south, the platform houses a natural limestone cave at its center, with lotus-shaped stalactites at the entrance. Spring water gushes out from the cave mouth, forming a fountain shaped like a lotus, hence the name Lotus Terrace. The terrace stands over 100 meters above the valley floor. Depending on annual rainfall, the lotus-shaped fountain begins to bud in spring, blooms in summer, withers in autumn, and dries up in winter. Additionally, depending on sunlight intensity, the spring water displays eight colors—white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple—resembling a blooming eight-colored lotus. Viewed from the valley below, it’s a breathtaking sight.

Not far from the Lotus Terrace, atop Yaowang Mountain, lies the ruins of an ancient military camp. The camp was commanded by General Maqi, hence called Ma General’s Fort. Perched on the highland summit of Yaowang Mountain at an altitude of 1,190 meters, the fort overlooks the surrounding area with steep, easily defensible terrain. Surrounded by sturdy stone walls topped with battlements, the fort also houses bunkers, barracks, and other military structures inside, ideal for stationing troops and engaging in battles. In addition, it includes living facilities such as mortars and millstones, giving the fort daily functionality. To the west of Ma General’s Fort are the ruins of an ancient temple, with remnants of a Buddha hall and stone tablets, allowing visitors to imagine the former prosperity of both the fort and the temple. Today, only broken walls and piles of rubble remain, now a tourist attraction drawing many visitors who listen to guides share the old legends of Ma General’s Fort. According to local tales, General Maqi governed the stronghold with integrity and cared deeply for the people. Upon hearing that monks from the nearby temple were abusing their martial prowess to harm locals, he was furious. He led troops to demolish the temple and eliminate the monks, earning the love and respect of the people.

Admission Ticket

Admission ticket: 70 RMB

Location

Dahe Village, Qiaoshang Township, Huguan County, Changzhi, Shanxi

Eight Springs Gorge Scenic Area, Taihang Mountain Grand Canyon, Huguan

Black Dragon Pool Scenic Area, Taihang Mountain Grand Canyon

Red Bean Gorge

Zituan Mountain