Erlang Scenic Area

Erlang Scenic Area

Erlang Town is located on the southern edge of the Sichuan Basin, in the southeastern part of Gulin County, situated along the Chishui River. It is one of China’s 100 renowned towns. The crossing sites of the Red Army's Second and Fourth Crossings of the Chishui River, as well as the historical site where the Red Army opened granaries to distribute salt, are both in Erlang Town. It is 55 kilometers from Gulin County and faces Xishui County and Renhuai City of Guizhou Province across the river. Only a mountain separates it from China’s national liquor—Moutai—and it serves as Sichuan’s southern gateway to other provinces and the sea.

1. Mysterious Liquor River Scenic Area

The Mysterious Liquor River Scenic Area is located on the northern bank of the Chishui River. The lowest elevation is 325m, and the highest is 1370m. It has a subtropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 15.5°C, average precipitation of 760mm, abundant rainfall, suitable temperatures, warm winters and cool summers, and a long frost-free period. Erlang’s Mysterious Liquor River boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, lush vegetation, and could be called a “Little Three Gorges.” It combines wonder, danger, steepness, rugged beauty, and charm, while also preserving the ancient salt route that once transported Sichuan salt into Guizhou. The area is rich in tourism resources.

Mysterious Liquor River Cliff Carvings: The term “Mysterious Liquor River” celebrates the Chishui River and the national liquor Moutai, as well as the famous Chinese liquor Langjiu produced along its banks. It is the world’s largest cliff-carved Chinese characters, with each character covering approximately 1600 square meters of rock surface. These carvings are located on the sheer cliff of Wugong Rock about 3km upstream on the northern bank of the Chishui River near Erlang Town. In 1999, it was listed in the “Guinness World Records.” Standing on the road along the northern bank and looking up, the three characters “Mysterious Liquor River” are embedded on the 300-meter-high, knife-edge-like cliffs, their magnificent presence striking the eyes directly.

World’s Longest Stone-Carved Dragon Architecture Complex

The World’s Longest Stone-Carved Dragon Architecture Complex is situated along the Maoxi Highway on the southern bank of the Chishui River, directly opposite the “Mysterious Liquor River” carvings at Wugong Rock. There are four stone-carved dragons, each 192 meters long, totaling 768 meters. Functioning as both highway guardrails and artistic sculptures, they are exquisitely crafted and vividly depicted, making them the finest dragon carvings in Southwest China. They were included in the “World Guinness Records” in 1999.

International Rafting and Rock Climbing Base

The ten-mile-long beach section of Mysterious Liquor River is where the most treacherous parts among the 64 dangerous rapids on the Chishui River are concentrated. Stretching over 8,000 meters from Baozi Beach down through Xinglong Beach, Wangxiangtai, Shaxian Rock, Wugong Rock, Duangong Rock, Shawan Beach, and Gong Beach to Erlang Beach, the area features rapids with constantly changing water dynamics. Surrounded by cliffs and gorges thousands of meters high, dotted with caves, and shaded by dense forests on the cliffs, the site is often veiled in ever-changing mist and cloud during both sunny and rainy days. Designated by the General Administration of Sport of China as an international base for rock climbing, cave exploration, and rafting, it is reputed to have the most thrilling rapids for rafting in the entire province.

The Stone Husband and Stone Wife

On the cliffs along both sides of the Wugong Rock section of the Chishui River, there is a 26-meter-high stone pillar on the northern bank resembling an old man, known as the Stone Husband, and a 22-meter-high stone pillar on the southern bank resembling an old woman, known as the Stone Wife. The two pillars face each other across the river, close yet eternally apart, never able to reunite through the ages. An ancient poem praises their touching loyalty: “A river divides us, time slips away; oceans turn to fields, changes abound. In this life we’re fated not to meet, yet through wind and rain, love is still conveyed.”

“Little Three Gorges” Scenery

The “Little Three Gorges” are located in the Wugong Rock area, stretching 3.5 kilometers. The cliffs on both sides rise hundreds of meters high, flat and smooth as if cut by a knife, with a distance of only 100–200 meters between them. Massive rocks lie across the river, and the rapids are steep and turbulent. The ten-mile-long stretch of beach winds and twists continuously, connecting link after link, loop after loop, like a giant centipede meandering downward. Visitors here feel as if they are amid the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.

2. Tianbao Cave and Dibao Cave Scenic Area

Langjiu: Langjiu is brewed from premium red grains through an elaborate process. There is a saying, “ten months in the womb, born in a day,” referring to the repeated processes of fermenting materials, turning materials, and boiling materials—all done three times, each for about three months—before the base liquor is distilled. After distillation, the base liquor is stored in caves for three years for maturation and then blended to become Langjiu. The cellars for Langjiu are unique and rare in the world—they are natural karst caves. Inside, the conditions are perfect year-round with mild temperatures and ideal humidity, accelerating the aroma development and aging of the liquor. This not only results in a mellow, clean, elegant, and lingering taste with a long finish and lingering fragrance in the cup, but also increases beneficial microbes while minimizing harmful substances. The three-year-aged Langjiu has gained worldwide fame and is regarded as one of the two "pearls" on the Chishui River, alongside the national liquor Moutai.

Tianbao and Dibao Caves

Dibao Cave is located under the Five Elders Peak in Erlang Town and is a natural karst cave formed by limestone. The two caves and their internal branches stretch nearly 1.5 km in total length, covering an area of nearly 20,000 square meters. The two caves are stacked vertically with interconnected tails and are only about 40 meters apart from each other in straight-line distance. The caves maintain a mild climate year-round, with small variations in temperature. The interior is filled with various karst formations such as stalagmites, stone hills, stone flowers, and stalactites, as well as a maze of winding passages, resembling a grand labyrinth.

The ingenious practice of using natural caves to store liquor is unparalleled in the history of human winemaking. Tens of thousands of large ceramic liquor jars are densely arranged inside the caves, their glazed surfaces gleaming darkly, accompanying newly aged liquors undergoing “maturation” over the years. The vast and majestic spectacle of these liquor “armies” resembles terracotta warriors and horses, leaving a breathtaking impression. On August 6, 1996, the cave was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest natural wine storage facility due to its magnificent array of jars resembling a terracotta army. The famous writer He Kaisi praised the cave-stored Langjiu in his inscription on the China Langjiu Stele: “As for the wine stored in these treasured caves, it’s truly unique. Deep in white clouds above emerald mountains, Tianbao and Dibao bring harmony between nature and men. Wine vapors moisten the cave walls, and soy-sauce aromas brew renewed flavors. Jars stand in array, reminiscent of Emperor Qin's terracotta warriors; a miraculous wonder, who would expect paradise in this mortal realm?” Only by entering these one-of-a-kind natural wine warehouses can you truly experience the poetic charm described as “When honored guests come to the treasure caves, the breeze brings intoxication; when drinkers leave with raised cups, the path retains fragrance.”

Outside the Tianbao and Dibao Caves, there is an ancient-style memorial archway. Visitors here can view the Sleeping Buddha of Erlang, the Erlang Distillery, and the panoramic scenery of Xishui Town in Guizhou.