Dushanzi Grand Canyon

Dushanzi Grand Canyon

Dushanzi Grand Canyon is located southwest of Dushanzi, more than 30 kilometers from the city center. As a natural and pristine tourism resource, it remains largely undeveloped, with existing roads or paths leading down to the canyon floor or along the canyon shoulders.

This canyon was formed when the Kuqa River, after emerging from the Tianshan Mountains, cut through the gently sloping plains to the southwest of Dushanzi, resulting in this spectacular canyon. It runs nearly north-south, stretching approximately 20 kilometers in length. The canyon floor is 100–400 meters wide, while the canyon shoulders are 800–1,000 meters wide. The vertical drop from the bottom to the shoulders can reach up to 200 meters. The canyon walls are steep cliffs, which have been eroded over the years by snowmelt and rainfall, forming knife-edge-like folds that give the landscape a rugged and majestic appearance, creating a striking visual contrast with the vast grasslands. The stream at the canyon bottom converges and diverges intermittently, while the ground at the canyon shoulders consists of grassland. Standing at the canyon shoulders and looking out over the canyon reveals a scene of murmuring streams and crisscrossing ravines. At the General’s Temple section, you can also see a magnificent canyon waterfall. The terraces on both sides of the canyon are well-defined, and scattered among them are ancient tombs of nomadic peoples. The terraces are covered with herbaceous plants such as wormwood and needlegrass. Each level of the terrace is flat and has hosted events such as concerts and kite-flying competitions. These areas are also suitable for horse racing and eagle-catching contests.

Address: 30 kilometers southwest of Dushanzi city center

Admission: Free

Opening Hours: All day

Source: Tianshan Net