Sanwangping Alpine Grassland

Sanwangping Alpine Grassland

Sanwangping Alpine Grassland

Sanwangping (First Wangping, Second Wangping, and Third Wangping), literally meaning three grasslands that stretch as far as the eye can see from three viewpoints, sit at an altitude of over 1,800 meters in the Dachang Town area west of Qinglong County. The distance from Dachang to Sanwangping is approximately 3 kilometers (50 kilometers noted—likely a typo).

The Sanwangping Grassland is a high-altitude meadow formed by a combination of artificially planted grass and natural meadows. The three grassy areas are connected, rising gradually from north to south in terraced fashion starting from Daguaishi behind the Shangmachang village. To the south, there are high ridges and encircling hills, while to the north it connects with the Shangmachang village and surrounding pastoral scenery. The grassland is vast and boundless, covered with lush green pasture. When the breeze blows, the grass ripples like waves, and herds of cattle and sheep graze across the plains. The natural meadows present a rich variety of scenes, picturesque and vibrant like embroidered silk.

In spring, when flowers bloom, the mountains are covered with colorful blossoms that are bright and eye-catching. In the height of summer, the land is dotted with pink morning glories, creating a natural layout of red flowers against green grass. In autumn, wild grass turns yellow and the maple forests nearby change color, painting the hills in layers of autumn hues. In the deep winter, the vast grassland is blanketed in silvery white, offering one of the rare snowy landscapes on the Guizhou Plateau. Each season presents a unique view, highlighting the distinct charm of a highland grassland. As night falls, wild rabbits and pheasants appear intermittently, doves fly and warblers sing, and birds return to their nests—the grassland becomes their ideal habitat.

Located on the southwestern edge of Second Wangping, the Immortal Cave (Xianrendong) features extraordinary scenery and is praised by locals as a “fairyland sight.” The cave floor is broad and flat, covering about 100 square meters, with a water pool at its center around 2 meters deep. There is a large opening in the cave ceiling, about 3 square meters in size, through which stream water rushes in turbulently. Looking up from the cave floor, it resembles a galaxy descending to earth. Thin streams of spring water seep through cracks in the cave walls like strings of silver beads, accompanied by the soothing sound of trickling water. On cool, moonlit nights, when looking up from the cave floor, the starry sky is so brilliant that it’s hard to tell where the water ends and the sky begins. The Immortal Cave is a marvelous natural wonder where earth and sky merge.

On November 10, 2003, the People's Government of Guizhou Province designated the “Sanwangping Alpine Grassland” as a provincial-level scenic area.