Apeng River National Wetland Park

　　The Apeng River National Wetland Park consists of four parts: the Apeng River Gorge, Shiquan Ancient Miao Village, Changpu Alpine Grassland, and the Buddhist sacred site Longtou Mountain. The Apeng River is the largest tributary of the Wu River. Within Youyang County, it flows through the three townships (or towns) of Cangling, Liangzheng, and Gongtan, covering a distance of 75 kilometers. Here, the mountains are steep, the waters are clear, the shoals are perilous, the gorges are serene, the caves are ancient, the forests are dense, and the springs are unique. The deep gorges, rapid rapids, abundant vegetation, rare giant intermittent springs, and the graceful ethnic culture together create the diverse and colorful scenery of the Apeng River. As one visitor wrote in a poem: “The winds and clouds of Huangshui rise halfway to the sky; the Wu River painting gallery is in full splendor. The ancient town of Gongtan still stands today, but the most beautiful lies within the Apeng.” In the upstream section around Qianjiang, there are mainly Guandu Gorge and Shen Gui Gorge, while downstream in Youyang, key attractions include Dahekou, Shizhumen, intermittent springs, and Zengtan Gorge. Shiquan Ancient Miao Village is located by the Apeng River in Dahekou, Cangling Town, at the core of Apeng River National Wetland Park. The ancient village is divided into upper, middle, and lower sections, tightly surrounded by over 1,000 ancient trees, more than 500 terraced fields, and lush bamboo-covered hills. There are over 70 wooden residences on the hill, all inhabited by families surnamed Shi. It is the largest Miao village discovered in Chongqing to date. Changpu Alpine Grassland is about 10 kilometers from the Heishui exit of the Chongqing-Hunan Expressway, with an average elevation of 1,500 meters. The grassland spans over a hundred square kilometers and is an ideal location for developing high-end tourism such as tourist real estate, RV campsites, racetracks, hunting grounds, mountain golf courses, and alpine skiing. It has been hailed as the “Ordos of the South” and “Chongqing’s Great Grassland.” Longtou Mountain, with an elevation of 1,700 meters, was historically as renowned as Fanjing Mountain. It features Buddhist relics such as Sanwang Cave Flying Spirit Temple and Golden Summit Longtou Temple. The area boasts distinctive landscapes including the Heavenly Ladder, Stone Forest, Grassland, Bridge of Self-Sacrifice, and Natural Bridge. It is a tourist destination that combines natural scenery, religious culture, and ethnic customs.