Changping Waterfall

　　Upon entering Changping, what first catches your eye are the emerald-green mountains, which look like a thousand galloping horses — a truly spectacular sight. Halfway up the mountains, clouds and mist gather, resembling a heavenly paradise on earth. The area grows environmentally friendly produce such as ganoderma (lingzhi), shiitake mushrooms, cliff tea, wood ear mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, and is also home to rare wildlife and plants including clouded leopards, Lady Amherst’s pheasants, large Indian civets, Alsophila spinulosa (tree ferns), and Phoebe bournei (a type of laurel). The air here is fresh, with an extremely high concentration of negative oxygen ions ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 per cubic centimeter — several times higher than the standard for clean air defined by the World Health Organization. When inhaled, these negative oxygen ions can improve heart and lung function, promote metabolism, and enhance the body’s disease resistance, making Changping an ideal destination for health and longevity.

　　The Sanmei Waterfalls of Changping cascade down in layers, flowing gracefully into the long and gentle Changping River, which then leaps and gathers at Changping Village into a vast lake that resembles a beautiful swan. This breathtaking landscape intoxicates us, as if we’ve stepped into the idyllic Peach Blossom Spring described by Tao Yuanming.

　　The terrain within Changping Town is relatively complex, with significant variations in altitude and climate, and a short frost-free period (averaging 210 days in Changping Town). The lowest elevation is 300 meters (Huangtan Zhou), while the highest is 1,570 meters at Sanjian Mountain — located at San Guan Shi in Zhao Ling Village, where the borders of Baokang and Gucheng meet. This is the highest point in Nanzhang County. The average elevation of Changping Town is 900 meters, with an annual rainfall of 960 millimeters. Provincial Highway 305 runs east to west through the town, serving as a vital route from Nanzhang to Baokang, Shennongjia, Sichuan, and Shaanxi. Changping Town is situated upstream of the Man River, where four major rivers (Longfeng River, Zha Yu River, Baiyu River, and Lengshui River) converge and flow into Sandao River, making it the largest tributary of Sandao River.

　　Changping is a typical water-town Yao village and a pleasant place to live. The villages here are elegant — just a few households form a village, with Changping Village being the largest. Changping Village consists of East Ping and West Ping, with about twenty to thirty households and a uniquely styled Yao-style covered bridge connecting them. In the past, without this bridge, East Ping and West Ping were separated by the Changping River, and although they could hear each other's chickens and dogs, they could only look at each other across the river. A couple of years ago, the government invested 1.5 million yuan to build this covered bridge, which has become a bridge of happiness and connection for the Yao people. The bridge is adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, and features benches where pedestrians can rest. At the head of the bridge stands a large banyan tree with lush foliage, adding another charming scene beside the bridge.

　　The residences in Changping are full of charm. Each house is neat and bright, with cream-colored walls, beautiful lattice wood windows, and uniformly small blue tiles on the roofs. They are scattered in an orderly fashion among the mountains, lakes, and groves, partially veiled in mist and reflected in Swan Lake — so elegant and unique that they are truly captivating. The streets also have a distinctive charm. Ancient flagstone paths wind around the houses, while the wooden cabins of Swan Lake Farmhouse, the cultural square, and Yao homes are adorned with strings of red lanterns swaying gently in the moist, misty breeze, offering a deeper taste of the Yao people’s folk customs and charm. Because of this unique charm, the Changping Pingdong Yao Village was awarded the title of “China’s Ethnic Minority Characteristic Village” by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission.

　　Location of the attraction

　　Jinggangshan Xiankou Scenic Area