Jinping Baishuidong Waterfall

Jinping Baishuidong Waterfall

Baishuidong Waterfall, known in the Dong language as "Dongwang," meaning "King of Waterfall Caves," is located about two kilometers west of Sister Rocks and is famed for its precipitous and spectacular scenery.

The best way to view Baishuidong Waterfall is to start from Xinjian Village, west of Maoping Town, and hike uphill.

Xinjian Village is situated in a valley about two kilometers long, where over a hundred scattered households line the valley. A stream meanders through the mountain hollow, twisting and turning like a jade belt wrapped around an imperial robe—hence its name, "Pao Dai Stream" (Belt Stream). After passing through Xinjian Village, Pao Dai Stream gradually becomes steeper and narrower, the sound of the water growing louder, and the water itself clearer than downstream. The stream and the path crisscross each other, requiring hikers to cross several stepping stones. As you step across, you can see colorful pebbles at the bottom of the stream, small fish darting about, and crabs crawling leisurely. The higher you go, the more the mountain stream is squeezed between towering cliffs, making the sound of rushing water even more intense. After hiking about two kilometers, you’ll hear a thunderous roar ahead, like muffled thunder. Looking through the dense foliage, you’ll see a white waterfall not far off, cascading down from a high cliff like a heavenly silk ribbon, strikingly vivid against the backdrop of green mountains and trees—truly a scene like “waterfalls plunging three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way fell from the ninth heaven.” Holding onto trees and pulling yourself along with grass, you wade further upstream, occasionally hearing the “dok dok” croaking of stone frogs from crevices in the streambed. After hiking about one kilometer, you’ll reach the base of Baishuidong.

Baishuidong Waterfall consists of a series of five cascades, with the largest and most visible from afar being the first tier. The first tier is about 10 meters high and 3 meters wide, with a deep pool beneath where the falling water creates a thrilling roar, sending up wild sprays that dance chaotically in the basin. At the outer edge of the pool are two natural stone pedestals, seemingly placed there for admiring the waterfall—locally called the "Immortals’ Chessboard." Legend has it that there used to be a stone table between the two pedestals, but unfortunately, it was washed away by floods. Hiking about a hundred meters along the edge of the waterfall, you’ll come upon a round pool about seven or eight meters in diameter, with crystal-clear water resembling a jade basin—so mesmerizing that one hates to leave. Locals call it the "Fairy’s Bath Tub." From the round pool, hike about 300 meters upstream along the stream to reach the base of the second tier. This tier is about fifty to sixty meters high and seven to eight meters wide, with water pouring down through the seam between two cliff faces, resembling a freshly hung sheet of cloth that hasn’t yet been smoothed out, with multiple folds in the middle. The right side is a sheer cliff, unclimbable even for monkeys. The left side is slightly gentler, allowing you to circle around through the dense forest on the outer side to reach the top. After climbing tens of meters from the top of this cascade, you’ll arrive at the base of the third tier. This is the most iconic part of Baishuidong Waterfall—the tier visible from Pao Dai Stream. It stands almost vertically, about 60 meters high and six to ten meters wide, adorned with neatly scattered tufts of aquatic plants in the middle, like a giant white curtain embroidered with flowers hanging down from the mountaintop—known locally as the "Immortals’ Drying Cloth." Hugging the left edge of the waterfall and carefully climbing amidst the misty spray, you eventually reach the top. Turning your head and looking down the curtain of falling water, you’ll feel dizzy. The top of this tier is also the base of the fourth tier. The fourth tier is about 20 meters high and relatively gentle compared to the previous three, lacking their steepness. When the water curtain reaches halfway down the cliff, it is intercepted by a row of natural stone ridges, turning into a gurgling channel of flowing water—called by locals the "Immortals’ Dam." The fifth tier is located about 50 meters above the top of the fourth tier. It is a long, water-eroded slope about 20 meters in length and less than a meter wide, where the water flows very rapidly. Standing nearby, you can feel a chilly breeze sweeping by. Hiking about a kilometer uphill from the top of the fifth tier will bring you to a mountaintop known locally as "Wanglou Slope" (Watchtower Slope), named after an ancient observation tower once built here for monitoring enemy movements and transmitting military signals—the ruins of which still remain. From Wanglou Slope, heading northeast for about a kilometer will take you to Sister Rocks.