Danjiang Riyue Gorge

　　It crosses the watershed between the Bahe River and the Danjiang River — Muhuguan (at an elevation of 1,200 meters), passes through Heijiangkou to reach the Shangdan Basin, and then goes through Liuling Canyon to arrive at Wuguan. The Liuling Canyon here is known as Riyue Gorge.

　　Riyue Gorge is the most famous canyon area on the Danjiang River. It is called Liuling Canyon because the Danjiang River cuts through the Liuling Range here.

　　Riyue Gorge is about 48 kilometers long, with a riverbed gradient ranging between 1/300 and 1/500. Apart from two areas — Yue Ri Tan (Moon-Sun Shoal) and Gu Shan Ping (Solitary Mountain Flat) — where ancient riverbeds formed by meandering streams have farmland, the rest of the valley

　　is mostly a steep canyon composed of metamorphic rocks and sandstone. The valley slopes are mostly between 30 and 70 degrees, and there is only one short tributary joining the canyon section, such as Lixiangou and Sugou.

　　Below Riyue Gorge, the Danjiang River within the province can be further divided into two sections: the Zhulin Guan–Shangnan over Fenglou section, which is 53 kilometers long and features a typical beaded pattern of alternating wide valleys and canyons; and the Fenglou–provincial border section, which is 58 kilometers long, with a V-shaped valley that is 120–200 meters wide at the bottom and has valley slopes of 30–60 degrees.

　　The magnificent scenery of Danjiang Riyue Gorge has attracted visitors throughout history. Xu Xiake, the Ming Dynasty geographer, once traveled through Riyue Gorge to admire the landscapes on both sides. On a rainy day, he took a small boat and drifted down the Danjiang River from Longjuzhai (now Danfeng,

　　the county seat and one of the “Key Towns in Southern Shaanxi”), “spending the night under a cliff.” One can imagine how tough that must have been. “After the rain, the angry stream rushed like runaway horses, confined between two mountains, twisting and turning, with a thunderous roar as if crashing into the earth” —

　　This shows that Xu Xiake was taking considerable risks at the time.

　　When describing the scenery along the Danjiang River after the rain,

　　Xu Xiake wrote: “By then, the floating clouds had dispersed, and the radiant sun shone in the sky. Layer upon layer of mountain mist vied in beauty, while the raging current carried the boat along. Both banks were ablaze with bright peach and plum blossoms, shimmering as if dancing. I sat at the bow of the boat, feeling as if I were about to become immortal!” Recalling those times, it feels as though one can see those picturesque scenes before their eyes, like moving poetry.