Huangchuan Three Gorges - Longtan Cultural Ecological Park Scenic Area

Huangchuan Three Gorges - Longtan Cultural Ecological Park Scenic Area

Huangchuan Three Gorges - Longtan Cultural Ecological Park Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Huangchuan Three Gorges is located along the Lianjiang River section from Lianzhou City to Longtan Town, south of Lianzhou City, stretching over 20 kilometers. It is a major tributary of the Beijiang River system in the Pearl River basin, originating from Hongyan Mountain in Xingzi, flowing through Lianzhou, Yangshan, and Yingde, and joining the Beijiang River at Lianjiangkou. Huangchuan Three Gorges boasts breathtaking scenery, while its cultural heritage runs even deeper.

Huangchuan Three Gorges is divided into Fairy Gorge, Lengjia Gorge, and Yangtiao Gorge, with lush forests, graceful bamboos, and blooming wildflowers on both banks. Waterfalls cascade one after another, resembling curtains, ribbons, or jade sashes; the cliffs are as steep as if cut by a knife, and the river narrows as if bound tightly.

Entering Longquan Gorge first, you’ll see dozens of waterfalls (sometimes even dozens more on rainy days) cascading down crimson cliffs into the river, creating a spectacular sight. Stalactites, usually found only in caves, are exposed here. Even more miraculously, one stalactite drips water year-round, resembling a horse urinating, hence the gorge is also called "Horse Urine Gorge."

Next is Lengjia Gorge, where towering mountains and deep valleys are filled with grotesque rocks. Legend has it that during the Qin Dynasty, several fairies were caught in a storm while traveling through the gorge, and one turned to stone, thus the gorge is also known as "Maiden’s Gorge." The final section is Yangtiao Gorge, meaning goats could leap across the river—more exaggerated than Yunnan’s "Tiger Leaping Gorge." Its narrowness is imaginable. The river gradually narrows here, the water turns dark green, and the hanging stalactites seem within reach, making it quite perilous. Beside the gorge is a natural stone platform where Cantonese crosstalk masters Yang Da and Huang Junying once performed overlooking the green mountains and waters. Sailing along Huangchuan Three Gorges all the way to Shiluo Town in northern Yangshan County, you’ll also pass Dongguan Gorge and Dali Gorge, both equally stunning.

Sitting on the boat, looking up at the gorges and down at the rapids, your eyes and heart are overwhelmed. The beauty of Huangchuan has been praised by poets and scholars throughout history. Liu Yuxi, a Tang Dynasty poet exiled as the governor of Lianzhou, left the verse, "If you ask about Lianzhou by the Yanxi Stream, only the green mountains outshine paintings." Lin Huawan, a Qing Dynasty scholar and magistrate of Lianzhou appointed in the sixth year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign, wrote in *Journey Through Lian Gorges*: "The uniqueness of Lian Gorges lies especially in the extraordinary and peerless Turtle Rock. Among the scenic wonders of the nine provinces, few can compare, and even if Lian Gorges are compared to the Wu Gorges, they are no less magnificent."

Huangchuan is home to many scenic wonders, a fact long established. The ancient "Eight Views of Huangchuan" include: Viewing from Zhongfeng, Evening Mist at Guifeng, Verdant Dripping from Xiuyan, Spring Floods of Shuangxi, Morning Moon over Lengjia, Flying Rain at Longtan, Layered Peaks of Kunhu, and Cold Forests of Jingfu. Starting from Lianzhou City and sailing downstream along Huangchuan, you’ll enjoy picturesque riverside views: the idyllic Jianlan Village, the grand and majestic Mapian Dam Ship Lock, cliffs as sheer as if cut by a knife with rocks jutting out and water spraying from them, the misty and silky Longquan Gorge where boats seem to hang in midair, and the narrow Yangtiao Gorge where goats could supposedly leap across. Additionally, the distinctive small boats along the river, shrimp boats hung with numerous traps, and nimble little bamboo rafts will surely inspire your photography.

The culture of Huangchuan has documented origins dating back to the autumn of the fifth year of the Yuanding era in the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of Han sent General Lu Bode and Admiral Yang Pu down the Huangshui River (Huangchuan) from Guiyang to pursue and eliminate Lü Jia, bringing peace to the Lingnan region. From then on, the culture of Huangchuan began to spread. At the site of the "Spring Floods of Shuangxi," one of the Eight Views of Huangchuan, the Song Dynasty Shuangxi Pavilion built by Wang Dabao, governor of Lianzhou during the sixth year of Shaoxing, can still be faintly seen. On the steep northern cliff of Lengjia Gorge, the four large characters "Ancient Lengjia Gorge," each a foot square, are carved, alongside faded inscriptions recording how in the winter of the 13th year of Jiading (1220) during the Southern Song Dynasty, judicial officer Li Hua and local "wise elder" Zhang Yuan used the method of "attacking from above with fire and blocking from below with a dam" to excavate Lengjia Gorge. Past Lengjia Gorge, you’ll see a natural riverside stage, said to have hosted continuous performances in the past, with boats densely moored along the banks to watch the shows. Beyond the Three Gorges, the valley opens up to flat fields and waterfalls cascading down the mountainsides like rain—this is the famous "Flying Rain at Longtan," one of the Eight Views of Huangchuan. Nearby stands the "Dragon Palace Temple," where Han Yu stayed overnight during his exile as the magistrate of Yangshan and left the poem *Lodging at Longgong Shoal* carved into the cliff.

The Fairy Gorge features a perilously narrow river with sharp bends, and its cliffs are uniquely shaped. Legend says that the Seven Fairies of heaven, enchanted by the beauty of Huangchuan Three Gorges, descended on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Suddenly, a strange wind swept away six of them. The youngest fairy wept by the river, searching for her sisters. The waters of Fairy Gorge are said to be her tears—hence its name.

Lengjia Gorge is renowned for its grandeur and steepness. A massive rock on the gorge’s mountain resembles a chaste maiden, hence it’s also called Maiden’s Gorge. This gorge has always been the throat of the Lianjiang waterway, with rapid, thunderous currents. During his exile as the magistrate of Yangshan, the Tang Dynasty literary master Han Yu visited here and wrote the poem *Maiden’s Gorge*. It reads: "The river coils through the gorge, spring’s breath fierce, / Thunder and wind battle, fish and dragons flee. / Suspended torrents roar into the watery depths, / Cascading a thousand miles, churning clouds and waves. / Waves clash like dragons, battling fiercely, / Surging tides cry out in rage. / Boats capsize, rocks shatter like tiles, / Life hangs by a thread, lighter than a feather."

Historical records state that in May of the second year of the Jiatai era (1202) during the Southern Song Dynasty, days of torrential rain caused the Lianjiang River to flood, submerging Lianzhou City. After the flood, the Lengjia Gorge channel silted up, leading to Lianzhou’s decline. Eighteen years later, Yang Rong took office as governor of Lianzhou and tasked the clever judicial officer Li Hua with managing the water disaster. At the time, explosives were not yet widely used for blasting rocks. He gathered opinions and devised a plan of "attacking from above with fire and blocking from below with a dam": first building an upstream dam to store water, then stacking dry firewood and grass around the reefs in winter and setting them ablaze. Once the fire died, the dam was breached, and the scorching rocks were eroded by the icy river, cracking with thunderous sounds as debris flew. Workers then dredged and cleared the riverbed. After three harsh winters of repeated efforts, the Lengjia Gorge was finally reopened, reviving Lianzhou’s prosperity. Today, the characters "Ancient Lengjia Gorge," inscribed in large brushstrokes by Zhang Shi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in the Song Dynasty, remain on the gorge wall. The rows of smaller characters nearby document the events of the gorge’s reopening.

Yangtiao Gorge is the shortest and narrowest of the Lianjiang gorges, less than a kilometer long with banks only about 30 meters wide—so narrow that startled goats could leap across. Legend says a goat living on the right bank of the downstream river had to jump to the left bank every day to graze. One day, as it leaped over the gorge, a loud noise erupted as the cliff collapsed. The goat could no longer return home and stood atop the left mountain day after day, eventually turning into stone. The goat-like rock on the left mountain is said to be the homesick goat—hence the name Yangtiao Gorge.

Due to the narrowness of the gorge, the absence of clouds still casts a shadow over the water. Here, the river is deep green, the flow calm and mirror-like, with grotesque rocks and cliffs that seem to part and close. As boats pass, there’s a sensation of being squeezed or swallowed by the walls. Looking up from the bow, stalactites hang from the cliff walls like eaves, carved by nature in countless forms. Adding to the scene are waterfalls crashing down with roars like thunder, turbulent currents, and misty waters—truly evoking the imagery of "silver snow piled on the river, white waves leaping wildly into the boat."

Address: Lianjiang River Section, Longtan Management Area, Jiubei Town, Lianzhou City, Qingyuan City

Type: Canyon, Geological Landform, Waterfall, River, Performance, Boat Tour

Recommended Visit Duration: 2 hours

Phone: 0763-6678683

Official Website: http://www.ltdjq.com

Opening Hours:

9:00–17:00 (Tickets sold from 8:00 on holidays; closing time subject to daily conditions)

Tickets

Adult Ticket for Lianzhou Huangchuan Three Gorges (Includes Boat Ride) – 50 RMB

Longtan Cultural Performance Ticket – 50 RMB

Longtan Village: The Longtan Village Committee is located east of Jiubei Town, bordering Xijiang Town to the east, Yangshan County to the south, Nanshitang Village to the west, and connecting to Lianzhou Town to the north. The Xiao Bei River runs through it, about 28 kilometers from the town government. It administers 11 villager groups: Longyi, Longer, Duimianjiang, Longxue, Sansong, Huangjialiao, Pingyi, Ping’er, Jingtaozhai, Hongtian, and Zhuziping, with 263 households and a population of 1,254. The cultivated land area is 1,872 mu, including 936 mu of paddy fields, 599 mu of dry fields, and 337 mu of dry land. Longtan Village is known for its abundant wampee fruit.

… Longtan Village Detailed Information++