Tiger Leaping Gorge Scenic Area

　　  Tiger Leaping Gorge is situated on the Huanghua River at the junction of Huaizhang Township and Wangsha Town, spanning 5 kilometers in length. With towering cliffs on both banks and a narrow river channel, it is known as the "Little Three Gorges." On the black granite rocks several feet above the water at the narrowest point, there are mottled white streaks resembling a fierce tiger leaping across — hence the name "Tiger Leaping."

　　  The first beach, or Toutan Beach, serves as the entrance to Tiger Leaping. It is covered with oddly shaped rocks of all kinds, so that visitors have to pick their way through the jumble, feeling as though they are among strange birds and beasts. From here to the "Tiger’s Mouth," the cliffs stretch continuously, and the mountainsides are covered with azaleas that seem to grow right out of the rocks. In spring, when azaleas bloom in the crevices of the rocks, they paint the riverbanks red, reflecting off the blue waters along with the surrounding mountains and green pines — a scene truly like “a green stream in the bend, with red azaleas on both shores,” which is utterly intoxicating.

　　  On the left bank of the river lies the Immortal Bridge, a pathway carved out of the rock in imitation of the plank roads of Sichuan. The road surface is rugged and narrow, covered above by overhanging rocks and dropping down to a deep abyss below — making it a great spot to test one’s courage. In the past, when brides were carried to their husbands’ homes in sedan chairs, it was customary not to get out along the way; but upon reaching this spot, they had to make an exception, disembark, and walk across this perilous path before getting back in the chair — hence the bridge is also called the New Bride’s Bridge. Beneath the bridge lies a deep pool whose depth even local fishermen cannot fathom, teeming with plump, untouchable fish. A hundred meters ahead from the Immortal Bridge, 200 meters up the cliff, there is a cave named the King’s Cave, once the dwelling place of the local Yao tribal leader, Rouyi King. In the fourth year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1576), during the Luobang Campaign, he valiantly resisted the attack led by Chen? (a military officer) dispatched by the Governor-General of Liangguang, Ling Yunyi, and died a hero’s death. The Yao people built the King’s Temple by the riverside at the Tiger Leaping mouth in his memory.

　　  Tiger Leaping is not only picturesque, but the river also features attractions such as Golden Lock, Stone Lion, Granary, Salt Granary, Stone Statue, and Sword-Inserting Platform, while the riverbanks boast historic sites like the Immortal’s Bed and the Sluice Gate. Nearby lies the famous "Five Horses Returning to the Stable" mountain, presenting a dazzling array of sights that can be described as a natural gallery and museum. Throughout history, it has attracted countless visitors and inspired many beautiful poems. Liu Ruxin, a successful candidate in the Qing Dynasty imperial examination, was so moved after visiting that he wrote a quatrain: “Azaleas bleed crimson on clusters fair, / By waters vie in beauty, cliffs laid bare. / I seek the spring, yet spring seems still and lone — / For whom do blooms blush red where they have grown?” This is one of Xinyi City’s Eight New Scenic Spots: Tiger Leaping with Crimson Azaleas.