Dafengmen Scenic Area

Dafengmen Scenic Area

Dafengmen is located between the Baishuixian Waterfall Scenic Area and the Nankun Mountain Scenic Area. Situated here, one can “take in the waterfalls of Baishuizhai in their entirety and embrace the majestic beauty of Nankun Mountain.” The Tropic of Cancer runs through it, covering an area of 238 square kilometers. The area boasts spectacular peaks, beautiful waters, gorges and rapids (for rafting), forests and lakes, pothole rocks, deep pools and waterfalls, sky ladders shrouded in mist, and hot spring reclining Buddhas. It combines the best features of famous mountains and scenic waters across China while also possessing its own unique charm, leaving visitors in awe.

Dafengmen Forest Park is located in Paitan Town in the northern part of our city, with the Tropic of Cancer running through it and covering an area of 38 square kilometers. The resounding name “Dafengmen” originates from a thousand-year-old legend. It is said that during the Divine Dragon era of the Tang Dynasty, He Sannü, a beautiful young village girl from Xiaolou in Zengcheng, was enlightened by Magu (or alternatively, Lü Dongbin) and attained immortality, becoming He Xiangu, one of the Eight Immortals. She then followed the other seven immortals who came to welcome her, heading east to Penglai. When He Xiangu, riding on colorful clouds with the seven immortals, arrived at Shiren Ridge on Jiubei in Paitan, a place she had visited before, all seven immortals were deeply captivated by the beautiful landscape before them. They spontaneously stopped to admire the view and praised He Xiangu, exclaiming, “No wonder Sannü attained enlightenment so quickly—Zengcheng has such a heavenly scenic spot!” He Xiangu smiled and gracefully thanked the seven immortals for their praise. With deep emotion, she said, “This sacred mountain and holy water are just twenty li from my birthplace, Xiaolou. I often came here alone in the past to immerse myself in the landscape, escape the mundane world, and even bathed in the heavenly pool atop the mountain to cleanse the dust of the mortal world. Now, as I am about to journey eastward with you all and leave behind these mountains and waters that nurtured me, how can I bear to part? Could you please wait a moment, so I may bathe and swim in the heavenly pool one last time, to soothe my longing for home in the days to come?” Deeply moved by He Xiangu’s heartfelt attachment to her homeland, the seven immortals readily agreed. To allow her to bathe in peace, they also used their divine powers to seal off the mountain path and entrance leading up the mountain, preventing outsiders from entering...

After bathing, He Xiangu wrote a poem titled “Farewell to Home”:

Magu scolds me for clinging to worldly life,

Creating a vast distance between the immortal and mortal realms;

I depart for the distant seas to play with the moon,

Riding a backward-facing crane, listening to the phoenix flute.

Then she bid farewell to her homeland and, together with the seven immortals, ascended on auspicious clouds, riding the wind eastward. From then on, the forested mountain scenery sealed by the seven immortals around Jiubei came to be known as Dafengmen.

Address: Paitan Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou City (3.8 km straight up from Baishuizhai toward Nankun Mountain)

Type: Forest river rafting

Recommended visiting duration: 1 day

Opening hours:

9:00-17:00

Ticket information:

Door price: 100.0 RMB

Adult ticket: 100 RMB. Children under 1.2 meters tall are exempt from tickets (one free child per paying adult, only applicable for sightseeing areas).

Transportation

By car:

1. Guangzhou – Guangcong Highway (National Highway 105, Guancun) – Wennan Highway – Baishuizhai Scenic Area – Dafengmen Tourist Resort

2. Guangzhou – South China Expressway – Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway (exit at Aotou) – Conghua urban area – Guangcong Highway (National Highway 105, Guancun) – Wennan Highway (Provincial Road 355) – Baishuizhai Scenic Area – Dafengmen Tourist Resort

3. Guangzhou – Inner Ring Road – Guangshan Highway (National Highway 324) – Zengcheng Square – Lijing Avenue – Zengpai Tourism Avenue – Xiaolou Town He Xiangu Scenic Area – Xiaozheng Highway – Zhengpai Highway – Paitan Town – Dafengmen Tourist Resort

4. Guangzhou – South China Expressway – Ring Expressway – Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway – North Second Ring Expressway – Guangzhou-Huizhou Expressway (exit at Xiancun) – Lixin Avenue (northbound) – Zengcheng Square – Lijing Avenue – Zengpai Tourism Avenue – Xiaolou Town He Xiangu Scenic Area – Xiaozheng Highway – Zhengpai Highway – Paitan Town – Dafengmen Tourist Resort.