Introduction

Huangguoshu Waterfall is situated in the scenic area located in Zhenning Buyi Miao Autonomous County of Anshun. The area is located in Guizhou province and is 128 kilometers from Guiyang and 45 kilometers from Anshun town. The waterfall is located in Huangguoshu National Park which covers an area of 163 square kilometers and has an average altitude of 2000 meters. In 1982, Huangguoshu became one of China's first officially recognized national parks. In addition to this, it also was the earliest recognized waterfall. The waterfall is the park's centerpiece and it spans 83 meters wide and is 67 meters in height. Its greatness can be compared to major waterfalls like the Niagara Falls and the Victoria Falls. The water flows at the rate of at least 700 cubic meters per second. The name Huangguoshu is a Chinese name meaning Yellow Fruit Tree. There are a total of 18 waterfalls spanning to 101 meters in this park of varying sizes. The waterfall has a unique naturally formed feature which is a 134 meters long Water Curtain Cave made up of windows and walls in its back where visitors get a great view of the waterfall as well as touch it.

Things to see and on a visit

Waterfalls Cluster

Huangguoshu Park is home to 18 waterfalls but the volume of the flow is dependent on the season. Other distinct waterfalls in the vicinity include, Silver-Chain Waterfall, LuosiTan Waterfall, Dishuitan Waterfall and Doupotang Waterfall which is located at a distance of about one kilometer to Huangguoshu Waterfall occupying an area of 105 meters at its widest point.

Guanjiaoxia Waterfall is also another great waterfall located forty kilometers from Huangguoshu Waterfalls and is quiet noticeable being 120 meters high occupying three different levels in the midst of steep slopes and containing so much more water as compared to the other waterfalls.

Yinlianzhui Tan Waterfall is another small waterfall that’s is also named the Silver Pendant Pool Waterfall because of its conspicuous yet very beautiful appearance like a silver chain flowing down then emerging into one river.

Water-Curtain Cave

Visitors can also see a Water Curtain Cave by following a mountain side road. This cave dissects Huangguoshu waterfall giving people the chance to have different views of the beauty. The cave spans a length of 134 meters and through its mountain side road the thud of the fall can be clearly heard, touched and even watched in close proximity. Visitors who are in the water curtain cave can see a natural rainbow from there. The cave is made up of six 'windows', five 'sitting rooms' and three vauclusian springs and 6 passageways.

Tianxing Scenic Area

The Tianxing scenic area is located 6 kilometers from Huangguoshu waterfall and occupies a typical karst landform. The scenic area is made up of three main features including, the natural bonsai area, the Tianxing Cave and the Stone Forest on Water.

The natural bonsai area is typically a large stone forest with different kinds of natural hill stones bonsais, water stone bonsais, small and large water basins and an overtopped dam. There is a twisty stone path which leads to the diverse mini scenes.

Located on the banks of Maoshui pool, the Tianxing Cave covers a total of 18000 square meters and forms a multifarious scene of picturesque peaks and rocks. There is also a stone forest on water with countless banyan bonsais with an additional plant cover of shrubs, cactus and various kinds of flowering straws. Visitors can also see the beautiful Banyan made up of intertwined branches from banyan trees forming patterns that look like an upside down beauty after her bath.

Rhinoceros Pool (Xi Niu Tan)

The Rhinoceros pool shaped like a Rhinoceros is also a unique feature that sits eleven meters deep and is submerged throughout the year. Next to the pool is a perfectly set Water Viewing Pavilion locally known as Wang Shui Ting from where visitors can get a beautiful scene of the water majestically falling depicting silver chains seen through a bird's-eye view. In addition, at the Waterfall Viewing Stage locally known as the Guan Bao Tai located right next to Xiniu Tan, visitors can also slightly look up for a fascinating view of the waterfall. Upstream is Baishui River which flows towards a bluff and falls into the Rhinoceros Pool at the foot.

Stone Village

The Stone Village is also one of the great spots in the Huangguoshu Waterfall Scenic Area that is 6 kilometers from Huangguoshu Waterfall. The village got its name from the fact that most of the architecture is made from stones including stone bridges and banks, flagstone roads, flagstone roofs, stone roofs and even the kitchenware is made from stones. These stone houses are ideal for all weather conditions; cool in the summer and warm in the cold winter. Their designs are something visitors should look out for being constructed by locals they are very rich in terms of culture. The distinct five cave stone bridge along the wide stone river passing through the stone village creates a circle from its reflection in the most unique form. Mountains and trees next to the lake also have their reflections in five holes of the bridge.