Dafengmen Rafting

Dafengmen Rafting

Dafengmen — originally known as Dafengmen (literally “Great Sealed Gate”), this little-known name comes from the area’s towering mountains, dense forests, deep gorges, and steep cliffs, which have kept it largely untouched and primitive for centuries due to its inaccessibility. After three years of meticulous planning and conservation-oriented development, it has now officially “opened its gates.”

The Dafengmen Scenic Area is situated within the Baishuizhai Scenic Spot in Zengcheng. From a distance, it looks like a piece of emerald green jade inlaid between the Baishui Fairy Waterfall Scenic Area and the Nankun Mountain Scenic Area. Here, you’ll find spectacular peaks, beautiful waters, valley rapids, forest lakes, pothole rocks, deep-waterfalls, cascading pools, sky-ladder mists, hot springs, and a reclining Buddha — embodying the best features of famous mountains and scenic waters, while also possessing its own unique charm.

The scenic area boasts a forest covering as much as 130,000 mu (approximately 8,667 hectares), home to countless plants such as camphor, pine, red maple, bayberry, red-flowered bombax, alsophila, and moso bamboo. There are over a hundred types of plants under national third-level protection or higher, making it a place where rare flowers and ancient trees thrive, and precious medicinal herbs grow in abundance. Among them, the dinosaur-era plant Alsophila spinulosa (wild tree fern) and Quercus spp. (oak) are both first-class nationally protected plants. The forest remains lush and verdant all year round — in spring and summer, it's a rolling sea of green; in autumn and winter, it becomes a colorful tapestry, either thickly verdant or covered in white, with ever-changing hues. Wild animals roam the woods, including wild boar, masked palm civets, pangolins, and squirrels, which can occasionally be spotted.

Due to the high mountains, dense forests, interconnected lakes and waterfalls, and distance from industrial pollution, the air in the Dafengmen Scenic Area is rich in negative ions. Lush layers of forest and mist-wreathed mountain peaks frame the gurgling streams that flow through the rugged cliffs.

Extreme Drop Height, Comparable to the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon

The Lichi Grand Canyon is the location chosen for Dafengmen Rafting. Legend has it that this was once the heavenly pool where the Immortal He Xiangu bathed. It features a rare collection of potholes found almost nowhere else in China and a natural canyon with a total drop of 391 meters. Nestled among peaks like Niuguzhang, which rises to 1,088 meters, the canyon is flanked by sheer cliffs, with numerous rapids, dramatic drops, and clusters of strange rocks. Along the way, waterfalls cascade down the cliffs, trees lean precariously from the rock faces, and exotic plants carpet the area. As the canyon is rich in wild vegetation and the rafting river is formed by the convergence of multiple springs, the water here is infused with elements of traditional Chinese medicinal plants and various minerals.

The deepest point of the Lichi Grand Canyon has a height difference of 748 meters, and its narrowest section is so tight that only two people can pass side by side. Due to the depth and steepness of the canyon, along with the shade provided by the dense forest canopy, many parts of the valley remain shrouded in darkness year-round. Even in the height of summer, visitors will find a refreshing coolness here.

The Lichi Grand Canyon rafting course stretches 6,350 meters in length, with a total drop of 391 meters. It includes 930 extreme drops, 278 sets of cascading pools of various sizes, and six sections of pristine cliff landscapes. The course is divided into three sections: Mighty Drift, Heroic Drift, and Full-Distance Overlord Drift, offering a thrilling rafting experience lasting approximately three hours.

Thanks to the well-preserved primitive ecology of the Dafengmen Scenic Area and the internationally standardized design of the rafting course, it has now become an international whitewater kayaking competition venue and a training base for Asian stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) slalom events.

Cascading Springs and Waterfalls, a Scenic Journey

With its dense vegetation, abundant rainfall, rugged terrain, and unique spherical weathering landforms, the Dafengmen Scenic Area presents a natural wonder of hundreds of lakes, thousands of springs, and myriad waterfalls. Springs, pools, and waterfalls are naturally exquisite, combining grandeur, uniqueness, danger, beauty, and serenity to form magical and surreal water-and-rock landscapes. Cliffs rise on both sides, while springs and waterfalls cascade down. The waterfall group with a 300-meter drop is truly breathtaking.

Rafting through it is like “experiencing the world’s most treacherous wonders while showcasing the bold spirit of nature.” One moment you’re navigating through overlapping peaks and winding paths, the next you’re emerging into unexpected brightness. With strange rocks and speeding rafts weaving through the cliffs and riding the waves, visitors can fully enjoy the thrill of battling the surging waters, the freedom of singing and paddling boldly, escaping the hustle and returning to simplicity, getting close to the wilderness and rediscovering authenticity. The entire journey is filled with fast-flowing excitement and continuous thrills.

Each waterfall group has its own charm. If the Baishui Fairy Waterfall resembles an elegant and dignified ancient lady, then the Jinxiu (Water Drill) Grand Waterfall, with its 88-meter drop, seems like a wild, gigantic dragon descending from the heavens, majestic and powerful. Striking the cliffs, it crashes into Crocodile Pool, stirring up towering waves. The waterfall splits into multiple streams, cascading in four tiers — some pour down in thick, rushing currents, while others gracefully descend like flowing curtains, creating a uniquely vibrant and varied clustered waterfall effect. The four-tiered cascade of the Jinxiu Grand Waterfall features: the first tier in the shape of two dragons playing with a pearl, the second tier resembling the Huangguoshu Waterfall, the third tier akin to the Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River, and the fourth tier like the Pearl Shoal of Jiuzhaigou. It embodies a blend of grandeur, majesty, and delicate beauty.

The 192-meter-high Feicui (Jadeite) Grand Waterfall, nestled within emerald mountains, looks like a jade ribbon inlaid in the mountain. It connects the deep blue expanse of the sky above with the misty valley below, resembling a pure and graceful maiden in flowing garments, full of charm. With the waterfall surrounded by scenery and the scenery embracing the waterfall, it creates a mystical atmosphere. Most remarkably, this waterfall appears and disappears intermittently, and legend says it is the incarnation of the fairy after her bath.

Zengcheng Baishuizhai