The Marvelous Grand Power Station

The Marvelous Grand Power Station

Exiting Shijia Cave and traveling downstream along the river, you enter the second-largest ecological tourism circle of the Wujiang River planned by Yuqing County — the Taipinghu Leisure Resort Area. Here lies the iconic project of China’s West-to-East Power Transmission — the Goupitan Hydropower Station. The dam of this power station ranks fifth among Asia’s karst landscape dams, featuring a 230-meter-high spillway and the over 100-meter-high Goupitan Wujiang River Bridge, along with numerous highways tunnels that weave through colorful clouds — everywhere is a picturesque scene.

Guizhou Plateau’s Thousand Island Lake

Traveling upstream from the Goupitan Dam along the Aoxi River, a tributary of the Wujiang, you’ll find the adjacent Aoxi Leisure and Cultural Tourism Area: endless expanses of Pingtao virgin forest with towering ancient trees where wild monkey troops roam. You can also admire the Songyan Tashan cliff inscriptions left by Qian Bangqi, a renowned scholar and Ming Dynasty governor of Sichuan, who secluded himself here for seven years, as well as the Aoxi Zhaoyinshan cliff carvings.

After the completion of the Goupitan Hydropower Station, the area will form the largest plateau lake in Guizhou. The reservoir region will feature 34 isolated islands, half of which are located in this zone, plus more than ten peninsulas along the shore, making it a true kingdom of islands.

Eco-Home: Laolin River

Downstream from the Goupitan Hydropower Station Dam lies the Greater Wujiang Provincial Scenic Area. This region boasts a harmonious blend of natural and cultural landscapes: battle sites where the Red Army bravely crossed the Wujiang River, Yanmen Red Ferry Terraced Fields, the Red Army Memorial Park, the Greater Wujiang Forest Park, Shawan Calm Lake, Wangfu Rock, Camel Peak, Sister Waterfalls, and more… Each scene is a poem, each scene tells a moving story.

The Red Army Memorial Park sits backed by pristine mountain forests and overlooks the blue waves of the Wujiang River. A dozen kilometers further downstream lies the pristine Laolin River Grand Canyon. Spanning over 60 square kilometers, the area contains three small rivers. There are riverbanks lined with lush bamboo, spectacular canyon waterfalls plunging thousands of feet, unfathomably deep pools, and crystal-clear shallows where the water barely covers your ankles. Also featured are legendary peaks and cliffs such as “Immortals Carrying a Sedan,” “Pillar Supporting the Sky,” “Roc Spreading Its Wings,” Copper Gong Mountain, and Drum-Beating Cliff.

The mountains are rich in diverse flora and fauna. Our local farmer guide effortlessly collected ten types of rare medicinal herbs. Snakes and pangolins are also frequently spotted.

About 80 kilometers downstream, construction has begun on the Xilin Hydropower Station. As water levels rise, a vast lake will form between the main channel of the Wujiang River and its tributary canyons, dubbed Qingjiang Lake. This will provide uniquely favorable accessibility for the development of the hidden gem that is Laolin River.