Eighteen Waterfalls of Jianmen

　　    The Eighteen Waterfalls of Jianmen Scenic Area is an independent scenic spot within the national-level nature reserve of Qingliang Peak, situated in Maxiao Township at the junction of Zhejiang and Anhui in Lin’an District, Zhejiang Province. The Hang-Hui Expressway runs nearby, making it a brilliant pearl along the golden tourist route from Hangzhou to Huangshan.

　　The Eighteen Waterfalls of Jianmen consists of two uniquely styled areas: Dashimen (Big Stone Gate) and Shiba Longtan (Eighteen Dragon Pools), making it the foremost of the “Ten Scenic Spots of Tangchang.” The Dashimen area, where giant stone gates face the sky, features a massive stone wall rising abruptly from the mountaintop at the junction of earth and sky. The wall is less than ten meters wide, flanked by cliffs dozens of meters high that resemble a natural stone Great Wall—majestic and awe-inspiring, as if dragons and tigers were leaping. This spectacular natural stone wall stretches hundreds of kilometers, winding through forests and cliffs across Zhejiang and Anhui. Due to long-term erosion by water flow, gaps have formed, creating naturally formed and richly varied stone gates. The most distinctive is the Jianmen, hailed as the “First Heavenly Gate of China,” where two rocks stand just under five meters apart yet tower a hundred meters high. The rock walls are especially remarkable, as if split by a divine sword—hence the name. Other gates such as the Lion Gate, Tiger Gate, Dragon Gate, and Plank Gate resemble their namesakes and are strikingly lifelike.

　　   In the Shiba Longtan area, with its clear streams like songs and ancient trees like paintings, 18 mighty waterfalls cascade down from an altitude of 1,300 meters, one after another, hanging dramatically between heaven and earth. Pools and waterfalls are interconnected, shrouded in mist, making the entire waterfall belt appear as if a dragon is ascending to the heavens. The area contains a total of 25 waterfalls, including the majestic Lion Waterfall, the unique Longtang Waterfall, the deep and serene Cangjiao Waterfall, and the graceful Qiyu Waterfall. Hence, the area is crowned as the “No.1 Waterfall Cluster in East China.” Mysterious and vast, the primitive forest spans over 30,000 acres, where rare flowers and plants compete in beauty, wild macaques swing from branches, and approach you playfully—it’s endlessly fascinating and unforgettable. In the depths of winter, all the waterfalls in the area freeze into ice, with icicles standing like pillars amid snowy landscapes—a rare “northern scene” in the south of the Yangtze.

　　    The scenic area boasts abundant historical relics and rich cultural heritage, including the ancient Huizhou-Hangzhou trade route from the Ming and Qing dynasties, once bustling with merchants and goods, as well as the remnants of Tongshan Cottage and Little West Lake. There are also numerous slogans written by the Red Army when Fang Zhimin led them through, and many beautiful legends left by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who once stationed troops here. While enjoying the mountains and waters, you can also marvel at the deep historical and cultural deposits of the Eighteen Waterfalls of Jianmen.