Gulong Grand Canyon

Gulong Grand Canyon

Gulong Grand Canyon is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Gulong Grand Canyon lies hidden amidst the vast mountains of northern Guangdong. Nestled between the towering peaks of the Wanzhangzhai range, which rise hundreds of meters in elevation, the canyon features steep cliffs on both sides, numerous rapids, jagged rocks, deep valleys, cascading springs and waterfalls, overhanging trees, and lush vegetation. The landscape can be summarized by ten characteristics: spectacular, secluded, graceful, ingenious, serene, expansive, thrilling, perilous, comprehensive, and ancient. Qing Dynasty poet Yuan Mei described the canyon’s grandeur and depth with lines such as "Clouds part to reveal Gulong Grand Canyon, waves surge over cliffs a myriad zhang high" and “Amidst a sea of mountains, springs gurgle through the valley. With clouds beneath your feet and the sound of pine waves, the scenery is truly unique.”

The deepest part of the canyon has a height difference of 378 meters, and the narrowest section is so tight that only two people can walk side by side. Due to the steep cliffs and dense forest cover, many areas in the valley remain shrouded in darkness year-round. Even in the peak of summer, visitors will find a refreshing coolness here.

The canyon preserves 30 million square meters of subtropical primeval forest, with lush trees and endless greenery. In spring and summer, the green waves roll; in autumn and winter, colors are vibrant. With high mountains, dense forests, and abundant water resources, the forest coverage rate reaches 99.1%, and the air is filled with 13.738 billion negative ions per cubic meter, making the air fresh and crisp. It serves as a “natural oxygen bar” that cleanses the lungs and refreshes the mind.

The Glass Grand Canyon and Glass Platform, also known as Cloud Sky Glass Dome, is a high-altitude glass sightseeing complex that integrates a glass platform, glass skywalk, and glass bridge, along with features like 5D fracture effects, glass suspension corridors, glass steps, and sky-high mini steps.

On June 28, 2018, the Glass Grand Canyon successfully challenged four world records and was awarded certificates by American certifier Mike Weston and Chinese certifier Zhang Jian from the World Record Association (WRA) for its glass platform, waterfall-viewing glass bridge, high-altitude glass sightseeing complex, and jungle zip-line projects.

Cloud Sky Glass Dome Breaks Four World Records (CWRA)

1. World’s Largest: Gulong Canyon Glass Grand Canyon – High-altitude Glass Sightseeing Complex, integrating a glass platform, glass skywalk, glass suspension bridge, and glass sky ladder. The suspended glass sightseeing route is 1,314 meters long, with a high-altitude viewing area of 8,680 square meters, setting a world record recognized by the CWRA as the “World’s Largest High-Altitude Glass Sightseeing Complex.”

2. World’s Longest: Gulong Canyon Suspended Glass Platform, with a circumference of 202.3 meters and a suspended span of 72.1 meters, sets the CWRA world record for the “World’s Longest Suspended Span Glass Platform.”

3. World’s Widest: Gulong Canyon Waterfall-Viewing Glass Bridge, located at the core of the scenic area’s Wanzhangya Waterfall Cluster, is 339.2 meters long, with an average width of 3.8 meters and a maximum width of 6.8 meters, earning the CWRA world record for the “World’s Widest Waterfall-Viewing Glass Suspension Bridge.”

4. World’s Highest: Gulong Canyon Jungle Zip-line Project, spanning a distance of 3.13 kilometers and descending through six waterfalls — Wanzhangya, Feilong, Jiaolong, Menglong, Canglong, and Shuanglong. The vertical drop from start to finish is 263 meters, claiming the CWRA world record for the “World’s Highest Vertical Drop Jungle Zip-line Project.”

To allow visitors to fully experience the primitive and spectacular cliffs, steep waterfalls, and the thrilling depths of the area, the Gulong Canyon Scenic Area spent three years and hundreds of millions of yuan to build the Glass Grand Canyon – Cloud Sky Glass Dome, the world’s first architectural marvel integrating a suspended glass platform, glass skywalk, and glass suspension bridge. This glass sightseeing complex is seamlessly integrated into the natural landscape of high mountain canyons and roaring waterfalls, presenting a grand yet harmonious spectacle.

The high-altitude sightseeing route of the Gulong Canyon Glass Grand Canyon is 1.3 kilometers long, laid out as Route 0-One Line: connecting the platform, suspended waterfall, and suspension bridge through a glass skywalk to form a continuous looped tour path. A special highlight is that the waterfall top, glass platform, suspension bridge, and skywalk all lie on the same horizontal plane — no need to climb up or down.

The glass platform is 202 meters long with a suspended span of 72 meters, constructed using three layers of ultra-clear glass with a total thickness of 4.5 centimeters — 3.5 times the size of the U-shaped bridge (21 meters) at Colorado’s Grand Canyon. The top features a 16.8-meter-diameter glass platform suspended in mid-air above the canyon forest, located at the top of the Wanzhangya Waterfall. Each square meter of the tempered glass flooring can bear over 20 tons. Designed with a cantilevered steel beam structure, the entire platform uniquely juts out from the cliff face — a design unique to China.

Jointly designed by experts from France, Thailand, and China, the Gulong Canyon Jungle Zip-line project begins with a glide from the top of a waterfall and ends with a vertical descent to the rafting starting point. Covering a distance of 3.13 kilometers, it features 19 breathtaking viewing platforms, 13 obstacle challenge sections, passage over six magnificent waterfalls, five aerial glides, two vertical drops, and concludes with a final 35-meter “Taishan Jump” (equivalent to a 12-story building).

The roller coaster on the waves — Gulong Canyon Rafting. Known as the “roller coaster on the waves,” the natural canyon with a 378-meter drop gives Gulong Canyon Rafting its distinctive character. The route combines waterfalls, deep pools, peculiar rocks, forests, and rare plants, flanked by steep cliffs and rapid currents, offering astonishing natural beauty. The natural waterfall clusters and abundant mountain spring water provide ample flow for rafting, while dense vegetation shelters visitors from the summer sun.

Gulong Canyon Rafting is currently the longest, steepest, and fastest rafting course in Guangdong Province. The rafting channel was meticulously designed by international rafting experts according to competition standards, preserving its natural and pristine state. It is among the first standardized courses certified by the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Technical Supervision. To support the International Rafting Challenge, the course was upgraded in 2008 to be higher, faster, and more intense. The full course spans 6,063 meters with a 378-meter drop, divided into two sections: the International Extreme Course and the China Challenge Course. The 860-meter-long International Extreme Course features a staggering 142-meter drop — the limit for competitive rafting — with a gradient of 16.5% (height difference over distance), surpassing the average 7.53% gradient of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon. The maximum continuous drop is 82 meters, equivalent to the height of a 30-story building. The huge drop and steep riverbed give the extreme course a bold, surging, wild, and majestic masculine beauty. After continuous improvements, its safety has been certified by China Classification Society, the highest authority in ship inspection in China. According to Xu Wei Yue, General Manager of Gulong Canyon Scenic Area, due to the challenging nature and robust safety system of the extreme course, it now serves as a training base for the International Extreme Sports Federation, hosting regular professional training and competitions. Ordinary visitors often get to share the thrill of riding the waves alongside world-class athletes.

The China Challenge Course is 5,203 meters long with a 236-meter drop across 137 sections. As the main venue for China’s Natural Waterway Rafting Championships, it was designated as the sole official course by the Water Sports Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China in June 2007, with an official plaque awarded personally by Deputy Director Xin Qunying. The course follows a natural river channel, surrounded by dense primeval forest and steep cliffs, remaining refreshingly cool even in the height of summer.

The most thrilling section is the “Jiaolong Swings Its Tail” part of the Gulong Canyon course, featuring an 180-degree turn reminiscent of the grand U-bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Towering cliffs on both sides create an impenetrable gateway. High-speed rafts spin like roller coasters on the wave crests and troughs, only to come to an abrupt stop as the rubber boat smoothly plunges into a crystal-clear pool, calming the adrenaline — with the screams still echoing.

The main water source for the rafting channel comes from Gulong Cave in the canyon, classified as a first-tier drinking water source. The cave contains multiple layers of sandstone and shale, with several springs converging to produce a thunderous roar. Since ancient times, there has been a tale of the “Gulong Roaring Spring.” Although villages now have tap water, some residents still make the effort to carry water from the mountain for tea and bathing, a testament to the exceptional quality of Gulong Mountain Spring water.

Address: Sanjingtan, Qingxin District, Qingyuan City (enter 2 km from Likou along S114 National Road)

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0763-5851668; 0763-5851608

Official Website: http://gulongxia.com/

Opening Hours:

Rafting Start Times: 13:30–15:00 (all week Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct, Mon–Fri Jul–Aug), 11:00–15:00 (Sat–Sun Jul–Aug), 10:30–15:30 (May Day Golden Week); Water Park: 10:30–17:30.

Ticket Information:

List Price: Starting from 68.0 RMB

Bijia Forest Farm: The Bijia Forest Farm is located in the eastern mountainous area of Qingxin District, Qingyuan City. It borders Feilaixia Town of Qingcheng District to the east, Fengcheng Subdistrict of Qingcheng District to the south, Longjing Town to the west, and Heyun Town to the north. The total land area of the farm is 96.7 square kilometers, with an operational area of 9,667.4 hectares, including: 3,924.4 hectares of state-owned land and 5,743.0 hectares of farm team land. …… More details about Bijia Forest Farm ++